There’s nothing like some good wedding photos to help you remember your special day forever. The last thing you want is someone “photobombing” your perfect shot and ruining the moment.
But on one bride’s big day, a major celebrity made a surprise cameo — leading to a surprise she’ll never forget.
The bride, Grace Gwaltney of Pittsburgh, had just left her hotel with her bridesmaids, and they were about to take a limo to the ceremony, according to WTAE.
But to her surprise, a stranger suddenly asked if he could get a photo with the bride. Grace realized she recognized the stranger’s voice — and turned around to see Forrest Gump himself, Tom Hanks!
“Hey! My name is Tom Hanks,” the two-time Oscar-winning star said. “Can I take a photo with the bride?”
Of course, the bride was thrilled to hear the star wanted to take a photo with her. Like anyone, she grew up seeing Tom Hanks as part of so many beloved movies, including voicing Woody in the Toy Story films.
The actor reportedly praised the bride as “beautiful,” and Grace was moved: “It is his voice,” Grace told WTAE. “You see him and then he starts speaking… he was talking in my ear and I was thinking of Toy Story.”
Everyone in the wedding party was thrilled, and got out to take a picture with the beloved actor.
“He found me and asked me to take a photo with the bride and then yelled for all of the bridesmaids to get off the limo for the photo,” wedding photographer Rachel Rowland told Newsweek. “He was exactly as you would assume him to be, joyful, funny, loud and kind.”
“When it first happened we were all confused and it didn’t click for a second. Most of us stared quietly for a second. Then we all erupted in screams.”
The Saving Private Ryan star is known for his friendly personality. He’s often called “America’s dad” and isn’t shy about approaching fans on the street, much to their delight. But while many fans are lucky enough to get a selfie with Hanks, few can say the actor was in their wedding photos.
Hanks wasn’t the only star they got a photo with: he was accompanied by his wife, actress/producer Rita Wilson, and the bridal party asked to get a photo with her as well.
After getting some photos with the bridal party, Hanks let them go on their way, leaving them with a Hollywood cameo to remember forever. “[He] congratulated everyone, and then as fast as he popped in, he was gone,” Rachel told WTAE. “It was just so sweet and fun!”
Hanks has been in the Pittsburgh area filming A Man Called Otto, an adaptation of the bestselling novel A Man Called Ove. Hanks plays the main character, a grumpy retiree who befriends his neighbors.
“We were just talking about how much we love the book,” Grace said. “It was just a full circle and we were saying he is the perfect person to play that character… it was honestly crazy we were just talking about him.”
What amazing photos. We’re sure the bride and her bridesmaids will never forget this moment — and we’re sure the groom was jealous when he found out!
Thanks to Tom Hanks for always being so personable with his fans!
Share this heartwarming story if you love Tom Hanks!
