"There was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton."
Out of the many tourist-friendly locations in New Zealand, one in particular stands out as the holy grail of film connoisseurs: The Hobbiton Movie Set in Waikato, the home of the Hobbits from The The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogy.
While parts of the set being booked as wedding locations has become a somewhat common practice among Tolkien fans (even though it's far from cheap), the ceremony being joined by members of the movie cast, let alone its main star, is usually not part of the deal – but it's exactly what happened on October 28, 2025.
"A Long-expected Party"
The newly-wed couple in question were Australians Jessica and Sharik Burgess-Stride, the latter of which had been a Tolkien fan since childhood. Both the location and the wedding itself were subsequently Lord-of-the-Rings-themed, with even their vows including references to the seminal fantasy classics.
By pure coincidence, Elijah Wood, the actor for the main protagonist, Hobbit Frodo Baggins, was also visiting New Zealand at the time, with him and other Lord of the Rings cast members reportedly attending the Armageddon Expo in Auckland. He and his family had decided to visit the Hobbiton Movie Set the same day.
When they were passing by the garden where the Burgess-Stride wedding took place, they briefly stopped to watch as the couple was signing the paperwork, giving the wedding photographer the opportunity to recognize Wood and ask him to take a few pictures with the couple. Though hesitant at first, not wanting to disturb the wedding, Wood could be convinced shortly after.
"The Shadow Of The Past"
The couple was reportedly delighted over the affair, with the now-husband going on to call his wedding "a perfect day". Notably, however, the small interaction – which was first reported on by local and then by international entertainment-focused media – has somewhat dragged the private affair into the public spotlight, which likely wasn't the couple's original intention.
After his breakout role, Wood initially sought to distance himself from the franchise, likely to avoid typecasting. But after having since starred in various films and video games and founding his own production company, he embraced his early success, such as by recently publicly praising the script for the upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum movie.
But what do you think? Are such high-profile wedding guests – even if explicitly asked to join – more curse or blessing? Let us know in the comments below!