French couple ditch wedding outfits and make guests work up a sweat in pre-wedding 7K run

Weddings are typically seen as sacred and special occasions, often celebrated in similar ways. The main differences we usually notice stem from the cultural beliefs and customs of the bride and groom. However, breaking away from tradition, a woman decided to get married in a way no one could have imagined. Cloé Étienne Verlaguet from New York City—known as @clo_says_hi on TikTok—had her guests work up a sweat to participate in the ceremony.

In a video shared online, Verlaguet is seen wearing a veil on the back of her head. However, instead of a wedding gown, she'd donned a T-shirt, trousers and sports shoes. The rest of the guests were also asked to dress in similar attire, all preparing for a run on the picturesque grounds of the 18th-century manor house at Le Domaine de la Fauconnie near Bergerac in France. “When you are getting married in a few hours, but you are also training for a marathon, so you surprise your guest with a wedding run club at 8:30 am and matching outfits,” read the text overlay on the video.

Verlaguet, a marathon runner, tied the knot with her husband, Romain Étienne Verlaguet, in the most unconventional way. The 135 guests, including family and loved ones, seemed excited as they wore red sportswear shirts with the message “Down the aisle!” along with a fun illustration of the couple, the wedding date, and “7K Run” written on it, according to PEOPLE. As bizarre as it may sound, this event took place before the ceremony. All the guests, including the soon-to-be-married couple, ran seven kilometers, kicking off their special day high on endorphins. The idea behind the unique event was to make the wedding truly memorable.

The couple had been jogging and preparing for the New York City Marathon held on November 3, according to the outlet. “We decided to create custom T-shirts and told our friends and family that for whoever wanted, we were going to do a physical activity at 8:30 am, the day of the wedding and then serve breakfast. For us, it was also a way to start the day with endorphins and have people mixing up from all our different friend groups,” Verlaguet said. The bride also noted that not everyone would prefer running, which is why she made it optional. Initially, she wasn't a fan of running either but developed a passion for exercise after joining her triathlete husband on his recovery runs the previous year.

The video of the wedding guests jogging before the ceremony garnered 1.5 million views online, sparking a divide between those who loved the idea and those who disliked it. @julesjack wrote, “May this type of wedding party never find me.” “Congratulations! To my friends, if you ever pull something like this I will object during the ceremony,” @arianaventi93 added. @herwitchywaze jokingly remarked, “The way I’d be running to return that gift.” “I thought this was so cute but then I went to the comments and everyone hates it?” @vanessaheredia60 asked. 

You can follow Cloé Étienne Verlaguet (@clo_says_hi) on TikTok for sports and marathons-related content.