Stephen Colbert Hosts Wedding, Defies Government Shutdown

Stephen Colbert hosted a wedding on his show Thursday night, somewhat defying the government shutdown. The shutdown, which began on Tuesday, closed all national parks and memorials, along with several other locations.

The closures have affected not only intended visitors, but also couples who planned on marrying there, like Mike Sassesso and MaiLien Le, who planned their wedding at the Jefferson Memorial.

Stephen Colbert came to the couple’s rescue, marrying them during Thursday night’s episode of The Colbert Report.

It may come as a surprise, but Colbert was legally able to marry the couple, because he is an ordained minister. He produced his certificate from the American Marriage Ministries, calling his title “the most prestigious ministry certification you can get online while also being on the toilet.”

Colbert explained that, while he supports the shutdown, the couple’s inability to get married at the memorial caused a shutdown in his heart, one the comedian wanted to rectify. So, Stephen created a two-part segment called “The 2013 Government Shutdown Wedding of the Century,” during which he crammed a weekend’s worth of wedding activities, including bachelor and bachelorette parties.

It wasn’t a normal wedding by any means, but we doubt the word “normal” is in Stephen Colbert’s vocabulary. Smokey Bear stepped up as the couple’s best man and the bride walked down the aisle with one of the show host’s Emmy statuettes, rather than a bouquet of flowers.

Colbert donned a robe and a photo of the Jefferson Memorial served as a backdrop to the couple’s wedding. An added bonus was when Broadway stars Audra McDonald and Mandy Patinkin offered the ceremony music. While McDonald performed a ballad version of Billy Idol’s “White Wedding,” Patinkin offered a “nondenominational Jewish blessing” for the newlyweds.

While we’re hoping the government shutdown ends soon, it’s nice to see Stephen Colbert marrying a couple who otherwise would have had to reschedule.

[Image via Featureflash / Shutterstock.com]