We did it!  The Hot Chocolate Run Wedding was a blast.  Jennifer and Shawn raised over $5,000 for Safe Passage, and they looked simply smashing in their running/wedding outfits.  Plus, there were hot chocolate and cookies for everyone!

The wedding was both tiny (no attendants, no music, no walking down the aisle), and huge (broadcast over giant speakers to reach 7,000 cheering runners and supporters).  And we were both freezing (cause it’s December after all), and warm (cause how can you not have a warm fuzzy heart with all the love and community and excitement going on?)

And I loved that Shawn and Jennifer took a stand against the wedding industrial complex – rather than registering for gifts, they asked their friends and family to make donations to Safe Passage, the organization near and dear to their hearts.  There was no worry about a fancy dress, makeup artists, or party favors.  It was, truly and completely, all about the love!

The ceremony itself was the epitome of “short and sweet”.  Due to the precision timing involved with getting three waves of runners and walkers across the start line, we were limited to just three minutes for the ceremony!  But even in just three minutes, the ceremony was personal and unique, and included a bit of Jennifer and Shawn’s story, vows and ring exchange, and of course, the kiss!

I closed the ceremony with this wish for the couple:

Our wish for you is the same vision you hold out for all others: that your relationship be healthy, strong, and connected for all your days together.

And, actually, that’s what I wish for all of you, too.  May it be so.

To see a short, beautifully filmed video of the event, click here.

To read a write-up in our local paper, click here.