As you know, I’m a big fan of doing whatever it is you need to do via human-powered transportation. I was super excited this weekend, then, when my friends Collin and Diana got married via bicycle.
No, they weren’t actually on their bikes for the ceremony. But they did borrow a bunch of bicycles for all their friends and family who came from out of town, then encouraged everyone to bike to the ceremony at the top of Mt Tabor Park. Then, after the ceremony, everyone hopped back on their rides and made one giant bike parade to their reception at Laurelhurst Park, about 3.5 chill bike-boulevard-miles away.
(wedding bike parade! Stretching down SE 33rd Ave for many blocks)
It was pretty awesome to be part of a wedding bike parade. Let’s just say there was much bell-ringing, cheering, and, if you look at the tandem on the left in that picture above, you can somewhat see the sound system that rocked us all the way there. Many onlookers wondered what the heck was going on; those we passed who realized it was wedding-related offered their congratulations. It felt like a full-on community effort to get everyone over to Laurelhurst to celebrate.
 
(Aww. Super cute newlyweds:)
Like many things done by bike, it was lovely because of how little separation there was between the festivities and the rest of the world. A wedding bike parade immediately becomes a larger affair–when you’re biking through the community, at human speed, and you can hear the people around you ask what’s going on or yell congratulations, it’s impossible to pretend like you’re the only people in the world, just as it’s impossible for the people around you to pretend like you don’t exist. It forces closeness, in the best possible way.
I’m psyched. If I ever get married, which I won’t, but still, I’ll definitely incorporate a bike parade:) Maybe next year I’ll have a birthday bike parade. Who knows. But I’m pretty into it. Who can argue with a whole bunch of people in a great mood moving through the world together on their bicycles?
And congratulations to Collin and Diana! May your future be full of excellent (and maybe bikey) adventures. :)