Don Lemon has joyfully exchanged vows with his longtime beau, Tim Malone, marking a new chapter in their lives together. The intimate ceremony took place in New York City, with the couple expressing their excitement and calm in the lead-up to their big day during an exclusive interview with PEOPLE.
“I’m usually a last-minute planner, and I tend not to sweat the small stuff,” Lemon shared, reflecting his laid-back approach to the wedding preparations.
The ceremony, witnessed by about 140 guests, was held at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in midtown Manhattan, with a notable officiant, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States ambassador to the United Nations. Dressed in bespoke suits from Suit Supply and exchanging rings designed by Mark Lash, the grooms honored their families’ heritages by incorporating special marriage customs into their ceremony.
“Tim comes from a large Irish family, so we included a significant Irish blessing in his part of the ceremony,” Lemon mentioned, highlighting the personal touch added by Malone’s two sisters who led the blessing.
An especially poignant tradition was their leap “over a broom,” a gesture Lemon and Malone included to pay tribute to the history of enslaved people in the American South, blending cultural significance with their celebration.
Music played a central role throughout the ceremony, with Lemon and Malone making their entrance to “What a Wonderful World” and concluding with “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.” A particularly touching moment was when they, along with their mothers, lit a unity candle, symbolizing the joining of their families.
The festivities concluded with a lively New Orleans-style “second line” procession leading guests from the church to Ralph Lauren’s Polo Bar for the reception. There, a menu specifically chosen for the occasion awaited, featuring dishes like chicken-under-a-brick and petit fours, against a backdrop of photographs documenting the couple’s journey together, ensuring a memorable celebration for the newlyweds and their guests.
