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Arts and Entertainment

Photos: Orlando Jones, Who Got Ordained, Is Officiating Real Weddings At Comic-Con

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Jones at Comic-Con. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
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Comic-con weddings aren't unheard of, so it's a little ho-hum to our cold and unfeeling hearts. But weddings officiated by Orlando Jones? The former 7 Up guy? The ex-Mad TV cast member who's appeared in everything from Office Space to Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia? The same dude from the undervalued Evolution, the failed David Duchovny vehicle? Now we're talking.

As noted at The Hollywood Reporter, these weddings are totally legitimate, as couples can actually obtain a wedding certificate, and Jones was actually ordained for the purpose of San Diego Comic-Con. Don't believe us? Here's the certificate:

Cynics may point to the fact that this is a SyFy-sponsored pop-up chapel (as indicated by the many "Syfy" logos) used to promote the channel's brand. But whatever—if there's any place to suspend your disbelief (and embrace corporate-vetted creative properties), it's at the greatest comics convention on Earth.

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Among the people to receive a wedding certificate were Melissa and Esteban Martinez, who told THR that they couldn't pass up a chance to be married by the guy from 2001's movie Double Take (really, THR says they're fans of the flick). "We already considered ourselves husband and wife — we're dedicated to each other," Esteban told THR before the ceremony. "But then this opportunity came up and we thought, 'Why not make it official?'" The couple added an extra sprinkle of geekdom by dressing up as Star Wars characters—Esteban was Han Solo while Melissa came as Poe Dameron. Jones, in sticking with the poignance of the ceremony, came dressed like "The Tall Man" from the Phantasm series.

Here are the Martinezes on their important day:

And here's a streamed video of Jones in action. The video's a bit shaky, and the audio is precarious, but it's cool to hear "The Imperial March" (provided by a small marching band) as Jones comes down the aisle:

The Martinezes weren't the only ones to partake in the celebration. Other couples dropped in to either get hitched or renew their vows, including Ian Ziering of 90210 and Sharknado fame:

And here are some other happy pairings:

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As for some decorative details at the chapel, some people brought this very apropos confetti:

And the SyFy channel wanted you to know who'd put out for the whole setup:


And Melissa (a.k.a Poe) had a bouquet of comic flowers:

Jones, who's currently acting in the much lauded American Gods series, was also at Comic-Con to be on SyFy's "The Great Debate" panel, the purpose of which is to debate anything that's lobbed at them (he was joined by Adam Savage, Aisha Tyler, and moderator John Hodgman). Needless to say, Jones' schedule was packed, but he seemed to have taken it all in stride. He even took time to pose for selfies:

And it looks like he enjoyed his new gig:

Interested in getting married by Orlando Jones? Maybe you've just met someone nice at Comic-Con, and want to make a possibly ill-advised decision? One with consequences that will reverberate throughout your life? If so, here's a schedule of the chapel's operating hours. To the happy couple!

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