'Dateline' correspondent officiates true-crime fan's wedding

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For true crime fans, the traditional wedding vow of “Till death do us part” can strike a sinister tone – after all, in countless cases documented in podcasts and documentaries, it is the husband.

writer Sara Runnels captured it perfectly in 2022 tweetone of many times she went viral with funny social media posts about dating.

“You want me to get a husband???” she wrote. “The thing that killed everyone on Dateline???”

It even caught the attention of longtime “Dateline” correspondent Josh Mankiewicz.

“It was too good not to post again, so I did,” the extremely online-minded Mankiewicz told HuffPost.

The two became friends on social media, and after she got engaged, she proposed to Mankiewicz herself and asked Mankiewicz if he would officiate her wedding. He said yes and then flew to Seattle for the ceremony earlier this month.

Mankiewicz and the bride told HuffPost the story of how he ended up waiting for her at the altar with her then-husband-to-be Adam Zack — who, by the way, isn't a fan of true crime.

How did this come about?

Josh Mankiewicz: I realized that she was a smart writer and a true crime buff and was clearly part of the Dateline audience. So I followed her and read a few articles she had written in various places, including one very poignant and sweet about the loss of her mother. But we were just social media friends.

And then out of the blue she asked me if I would officiate her wedding, which seemed to me to be either a very bad idea or a very good idea. I decided it was a good idea. So I thought about it a little. And before I said yes, of course I had to ask [“Dateline” executive producer] Liz Cole. Who said, “Yes, go ahead. Why not? If you want.” So I did.

Sara Gutter: Josh had shared/retweeted some of my funny tweets in the past – after seeing one viral “Dateline”-related post from me – including the viral ones about me second date with my now husband.

I thought it would be fun to have Josh as host, but I wasn't sure if he would be up for it. I sent him a DM and asked if it was possible and he said he would think about it. I told him we would keep in touch when I started planning the wedding and said, “When I have a date, I'll text you.” And when I knew it would be October 12, 2024, we discussed the logistics and made it possible!

Have you ever officiated a wedding ceremony?

Mankiewicz: Never. I've been asked to do this a few times by fans of the show. But the timing was never right, or it was a wedding in the Azores – you know, that was something I couldn't do.

Did you have to acquire any special qualifications?

Mankiewicz: I did that. I was ordained online at Universal Life Church. Let me just say that they don't just pass on these references.

Oh no, wait, that's them! You have to pay around $50.

What was the “Dateline” event at the wedding?

Mankiewicz: No doubt it was when I helped remove a few candles from the bride's dress in the middle of the ceremony. Because when she “lit up a room“I didn't mean for it to be like that.” I was literally distracted by how close her voluminous dress was to the candles. I kept stopping what I was saying and looking down at the candles. I thought, this is not good. So I finally said, “Look, we need to stop for a second and actually move these over there.” And then we moved a few feet further away. And that was fine.

Mankiewicz: You know, I've never officiated at a wedding. I somehow got the impression that this is a moment in their lives that Sara and Adam will remember forever. And I really didn't want to screw this up. I really wanted to do something for them and not make any mistakes.

Did the wedding guests know who would officiate the wedding?

Gutter: I previously told a handful of guests who were so excited to meet him and hear his “Dateline” voice in an element outside of their screens. For those who have learned it [the] The next day they couldn't believe it was real.

Can you share a highlight of what you said to them during the ceremony?

Mankiewicz: I started with proverb“I don't know if you've seen 'Dateline,' but husbands kind of get a bad rap there. And when Sara invited me to do this service, I thought it would be an opportunity to say something positive about marriage for a change.”

I think the thing I thought about the most was not making the obvious joke, like not saying to them, “Okay, don't make me come back here!” I said that I would do the ceremony, and explained how Sara and I met. I was very impressed with Adam because he's obviously not a “Dateline” fan like she is. I'm not sure anyone being the “Dateline” fan that she is. I said that he had already been very tolerant in his marriage and had tolerated allowing a crime reporter to serve as an officiant.

They are both absolutely adorable and adorable and sweet. And I didn't have the slightest question as to whether or not they would have a long, happy marriage. So I talked a little bit about how Adam agreed to have this man that he had never met before and I think that he wasn't nearly as big of a fan as his wife was, as the wedding officiant was a sign of that kind of discussion and agreement, compromise and adjustment that are necessary in every marriage.

It's not like he doesn't know what “Dateline” is. But that was her idea, not his idea. That's all. It's not that he didn't know who I was or anything like that. But she was the big fan because she was the one who tweeted the stuff.

Gutter: Adam isn't as interested in true crime as I am, but he's genuinely interested in my wild ideas, so he was all in.

What advice do you give the bride and groom?

Mankiewicz: Money spent on good criminal defense is rarely wasted. That's my advice to everyone.

Look, I predict a long, happy and harmonious life together for both of them. The only advice I gave them was to continue doing what they are already doing, which is, of course, connecting with each other constantly, every day. I talked about how I didn't settle and how long I waited to get married until I found the right person. And I sensed that Sara—who describes herself as a dating expert or dating veteran—had done the same thing: She waited until she found the right man. And I thought that spoke very well. I got married at 60.

So, yes, that was me. I didn't really give them any advice, just said that I thought they were already on the right track of communicating, talking, and accommodating.

The best news of all is that they are not going on a cruise on their honeymoon. I can make that joke now – not at the ceremony!

Do you think you have opened a door for future ministry here? Will this be a side gig?

Mankiewicz: I think it was a wonderful thing and I was really thrilled and excited to do it. But I think the future will probably be about marriages that didn't work, rather than creating one that does.