Chris Martin, Taylor Swift, Elijah Wood and other famous wedding ‘crashers’

The film Wedding Crashers was released in 2005. In the comedy, Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn play two friends and coworkers who share an unusual hobby: crashing weddings. For most couples, having someone gatecrash their ceremony is a common nightmare. But for a very few couples — and those with a lot of luck — having a celebrity attend one of the most important days of their lives became an unforgettable memory.

Stars like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, and especially Tom Hanks enjoy this peculiar pastime of appearing in the photo albums of couples who are complete strangers to them. Here are some of the most viral weddings that a celebrity has crashed, whether by chance or on purpose.

Chris Martin

The latest celebrity-crashed wedding happened to Abbie and James Hotchkiss. The newlyweds received a huge surprise when Chris Martin appeared at their reception on December 13. The groom’s mother had written a letter to the Coldplay singer, asking for a congratulatory video for the newlyweds. But the artist decided to go further and flew by helicopter to the wedding to deliver the message in person — and, by chance, arrived in time to play All My Love on the piano and join the couple for their first dance as newlyweds.

Elijah Wood

Sharik and Jessica Burgess-Stride— both Lord of the Rings fans —celebrated their wedding last October in Hobbiton, the saga’s tourist set in New Zealand. Halfway through the ceremony, while they were signing the papers to make their union official, none other than Frodo Baggins appeared. Elijah Wood, the actor who played the hobbit, surprised the couple and their guests. Wood, who wasn’t dressed for the occasion and was in the country for work, walked down the aisle to greet the newlyweds and take photos with them.

Ed Sheeran

Since its release in 2014, Ed Sheeran’s song Thinking Out Loud has been one of the most popular choices for couples’ first dance. But Matt and Kya Debono, a pair of radio hosts from Australia, were lucky enough to hear it live in 2015, when the artist surprised them at their wedding. “Available for weddings, birthdays, and bar mitzvahs, contact your local supermarket for details,” the singer joked in a photo with the newlyweds.

The singer also crashed a wedding in Las Vegas in 2023: he serenaded Jordan and Carter Lindenfield with the song Magical, and even signed as a witness.

In Sheeran’s most recent adventure, the singer roamed the streets of New York performing his hits for his new documentary, One Shot with Ed Sheeran. In it, he can be seen improvising concerts and surprising people on the sidewalks, on a tour bus, and in the subway. He also left a couple speechless by singing Perfect in the middle of their marriage proposal. The singer even crashed a rooftop birthday party to perform Bad Habits.

The film was directed by Philip Barantini, who recorded each episode of the Emmy-winning series Adolescence in a single continuous take — the same technique he applied for Sheeran’s special.

Tom Hanks

In October 2021, Diciembre and Tashia Farries were posing for their wedding photos at the Santa Monica pier in California, along with their one-year-old baby, when Tom Hanks appeared among the guests. In an Instagram post, one of the brides wrote: “Think it’s safe to say our wedding is one to remember. The best day of my life turned into the best surprise of a lifetime… Thank you #tomhanks for spicing up our beautiful and amazing day!”

The actor has mentioned on previous occasions that he enjoys crashing strangers’ weddings, and he has done it more than four times. He appeared at a wedding in 1993 while filming Forrest Gump; again in 2019, while shooting Angels & Demons; and once more in 2016, when he ran into a couple in Central Park, New York. In 2022, he even officiated the wedding of one of his fans at the couple’s home.

Denzel Washington

In March 2021, Denzel Washington was photographed with newlyweds Emily and Sami Saifan in Central Park. The actor was filming A Journal for Jordan when he saw the couple posing for a photographer and ran over to join the shot. What’s more, he also took the opportunity to share some life advice. The bride posted a series of images on her Instagram and added: “Denzel said it best: there is no secret to the perfect marriage. Thirty-seven years of marriage, everyone has their ups and downs. It’s hard work. But you make a commitment. A strong foundation helps everything: marriage, work, and peace of mind.” She added: “To Denzel, your sincerity is incomparable. We will never forget your words.”

Dwayne Johnson and Danny DeVito

In 2019, Dwayne Johnson, known as The Rock, and Danny DeVito were staying at a hotel in Mexico while promoting the film Jumanji: The Next Level. They then heard that a wedding was taking place on the floor above and decided to join in. The Rock shared a video on his social media showing him singing Unforgettable by Nat King Cole alongside DeVito. In the post, he wrote: “What started off as a quiet sunset Teremana tequila toast with mi amigo Danny DeVito turned into Wedding Crashers 2.0. So much love and mana in the room for the lovely bride and groom. Congrats Will and Kristine Abbott!”

Keanu Reeves

Jarrod Camara and Leslie Walker spotted Keanu Reeves at the bar of the Dream Inn hotel in Santa Cruz, California, just before walking down the aisle at their wedding during Labor Day weekend in 2018. Excited, they asked him for a photo, and the actor graciously obliged. “We are all Keanu Reeves fans for sure!” the groom’s mother told People.

Taylor Swift

Many celebrities receive hundreds of messages and letters every day. With a bit of luck, one of them might read yours — and even show up at your wedding. That’s what happened to Max Singer and Kenya Smith in June 2016 with Taylor Swift. The singer attended their wedding in New Jersey after the groom’s sister wrote her a letter explaining that Max and their mother, who had passed away shortly before the wedding after an illness, used to dance to Blank Space in the hospital. In addition to surprising the couple by attending, Swift also sang the groom’s favorite song.

Barack Obama

In October 2015, Stephanie and Brian Tobe delayed their wedding so Barack Obama could finish a round of golf at a course in San Diego, California. While their 60 wedding guests watched the then-president play the 18th hole, the couple watched from their suite window. When he finished, Obama came to the couple in a golf cart.

“We had to leave the room, run down the hallway to the elevator and go down another hallway,” Brian told NBC News. “We pretty much decided instantly that we were going to break tradition of not seeing the audience before taking our vows, it was just too big of a moment to miss.”

Adam Levine

In December 2014, the U.S. band Maroon 5, led by Adam Levine, surprised several couples on their wedding day for the music video for Sugar. In the clip, the group crashes every party they find throughout the day to liven things up with their new song.

“It was an out of body experience,” Levine told The Rolling Stones. “I had no idea I would be affected by the overwhelming reactions we received from the couples and guests. Being able to create an unforgettable experience for several people was the highlight of it all.”

Serena Williams

Tennis star Serena Williams was sunbathing on South Beach in Miami in late May 2014 when a group of guests from Ruth and Sam Kormoi’s wedding approached her and asked if she could take a picture with the newlyweds. She agreed and posed with them in her leopard-print swimsuit. The tennis star captioned two Instagram posts with the message: “Wedding crasher! Congrats!” and “Bikini wedding crasher!”

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II surprised a couple in 2012. John and Frances Canning sent the Queen an invitation after learning she would be at Manchester Town Hall on their wedding day. The monarch was in the British city as part of a tour across the U.K. to celebrate her 60th year on the throne, and decided to stop by to congratulate the newlyweds.

Meryl Streep

A year earlier, also at Manchester Town Hall, Meryl Streep was filming scenes for The Iron Lady when she came across a couple getting married at the spot. The bride and groom were surprised to see the actress dressed as Margaret Thatcher, and filming paused for a few minutes to applaud and congratulate the couple. Later, the actress sent the newlyweds signed photos, and the film crew gave them champagne and flowers.

Justin Bieber

In 2011, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, then a couple, were walking along a Malibu beach in California when they heard that a wedding was being celebrated with the singer’s music. They decided to make an appearance, and the Canadian artist even gave a congratulatory speech to the newlyweds.

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