Hoda Kotb Officiates Surprise Wedding, Russell Dickerson Performs on ‘Today’

The Today show got an extra dose of love on Thursday, April 23, when co-anchor Hoda Kotb officiated a wedding for a couple who had to cancel theirs due to the coronavirus pandemic. Kotb married John Sizer and Melanie Mulvihill on a Zoom call that was set up by Sizer and Mulvihill’s maid of honor, Kira Sullivan, managing to surprise the bride, who thought she and Sizer were calling Sullivan to celebrate what would have been their first weekend as a married couple.

After speaking with Sullivan for a few moments, Sizer revealed to his fiancée that a number of the couple’s other family members and their pastor were on the call before Kotb appeared. “I don’t know if you know this, but I’m ordained,” she said. “So I wanted to help you out.” The host had the couple recite a few vows before officially pronouncing them husband and wife, and she later noted that she was able to finalize the union because their pastor was present.

In addition to Kotb as an officiant, Sizer and Mulvihill were also treated to a performance by Russell Dickerson, who appeared on video chat to perform his hit single “Yours,” which the couple had chosen as their first dance song. “Let’s have a little first dance, why don’t we?” he said before performing an acoustic version of the song.

“As we struggle to live in a time where connections are forged from afar, on this day, the union of one couple brings us all a little closer,” Kotb said in a voiceover. “It ultimately comes down to love, and I’m just happy my family and friends all could be present and I got to marry the love of my life,” Mulvihill said. “It will be something to remember forever.” Sizer added, “Getting to interact with the Today show and being able to give her the surprise of marriage when she was not expecting it at all at this point, I think it would make her life.”

Kotb told her co-anchors after the clip aired that the virtual wedding was so emotional, her fiancé Joel Schiffman, was tearing up next to her off-camera. “Congrats to them,” she said before advising any couples considering a similar idea to check their state’s laws to make sure their weddings were official. “You made me want to renew my vows!” Savannah Guthrie joked to Kotb. “Will you renew my vows with Mike?”