Oprah's Former Chef Art Smith Gets Married

Oprah's former chef and James Beard award winning chef Art Smith went a different route for his wedding transportation: He kicked off the day with a four-mile run through Washington, D.C., alongside his Jesus Salgueiro and 485 guests.

"We had the runners, the joggers, the walkers," Smith tells PEOPLE. "We had sweat on our shirts but nobody cared because it was beautiful." The run, which began at Smith's D.C. restaurant Art and Soul, ended at the base of the Lincoln Memorial, where the grooms shared a marriage blessing last Saturday.

Why the sweaty start to the day? "I believe in the idea of wellness and health. We need to take better care of ourselves," says the chef, who famously dropped close to 100 lbs. over the past year thanks to a healthy diet and regular exercise. As for the location of the wedding blessing, the Lincoln Memorial was a special request of Salgueiro, 49, who has been in remission from cancer for several years. The couple secured a protest license in order to gather at the national monument. "We reflected on the fact that we live in a great nation, and that all people should have equality," says Smith.

At Art and Soul guests feasted on a wedding brunch prepared by all-star chefs. On the menu: a fingerling potato salad by Top Chef's Lee Anne Wong; buttermilk fried chicken by Rey Villalobos and John Vermiglio of Smith's Table Fifty-Two restaurant in Chicago; smoked brisket by Hill Country's Elizabeth Karmel; and barbecue pulled pork by fellow BBQ Pitmaster judge Myron Mixon.

For dessert, there was a nine layer wedding cake decked out in green fondant, which was baked by Duff Goldman (aka the Ace of Cakes). "I was thinking, I don't like wedding cake and this cake has to be the best wedding cake I've ever had in my mouth," says the chef. "It was incredible."

In lieu of wedding gifts, the grooms requested that donations be made to Common Threads, a charity Smith founded which teaches low-income kids to cook nutritious meals. "I love a party, and people had an amazing time," Smith says. But just as important? "They all ate a lot of food."

Source: People