A Manhattan couple takes the plunge: on board a bus. And as NY1 Transit Reporter Jose Martinez tells us, the setting could not have been more ideal.
For Kara Mullins and Osvaldo "OJ" Jimenez, a trip across town Sunday also was a trip down the aisle.
Joined by friends, family, and random riders, the Manhattan couple got hitched on an M14 rumbling west along 14th Street.
"I'm glad that I was able to find my way to you!" the groom said to his bride aboard the bus. "I love you, and heck yes, I do."
"I love you, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you," Mullins said.
"If there is anyone present today who knows of any reason why this couple shouldn't be married, please get off the bus!" the wedding officiant said.
There was a certain logic to the wedding on wheels.
Jimenez, an artist and writer, first caught a glimpse of his future wife, an accounts manager, while riding an M14 13 years ago.
But like many transit riders, Mullins wasn't making eye contact.
It took a chance encounter at a bar five hours later for the transit connection to become a love connection.
After they agreed to get married, the groom-to-be suggested the M14 nuptials. The couple spoke to NY1 via Skype from Egypt, where they are honeymooning.
"My wife is a little finicky about things, but when I told her this idea, she was like, 'Heck yeah, let's do it,'" Jimenez recalled.
Katie Longmyer, a longtime friend of the groom, helped plan the MetroCard marriage.
"This was like a downtown crowd of creatives and misfits," Longmyer said. "I don't think we could do anything that was typical."
The groom hopped on at Fifth Street and Avenue D. The bride came aboard a few blocks later.
"A few of the ladies that were waiting with me, they schooled me on how to treat my husband in the future," Mullins said.
"I think it was definitely a big surprise for a lot of people," Longmyer said.
Fortunately, the M14 is one of the city's more sluggish routes; slow enough to allow for the 20-minute ceremony. Mullins tossed her bouquet near the end of the line and the start of her marriage.
"Look up and look at what's around you," Jimenez said. "This city's beautiful, and don't blink, because you might miss something."
If you wish to congratulate the newlyweds upon their return from their honeymoon in Egypt, there's a chance you can do so onboard the M14, where they remain regular riders.