Tom Hanks Reveals He's an Ordained Minister While Crashing Couple's Wedding Photo Shoot (Watch)

September 30, 2016|6:14 pm

(Photo: Instagram/TomHanks)

Hollywood star Tom Hanks poses with a couple on their wedding day in Central Park September, 2016.

A-list actor and filmmaker Tom Hanks made a couple's wedding day very special last week when he took a detour from his jog through Central Park to congratulate the bride and groom while they posed for their wedding photos.

The "Sully" actor crept up behind the love birds and surprised them as they posed for a photo. Hanks shook their hands, kissed the bride, asked them for their names and then posed for a few pictures with them.

"Ryan, you're a lucky man," Hanks told the Groom. "Elizabeth, you're a lucky woman."

They newlyweds invited the Academy Award-winner to their reception but he respectfully declined, instead he offered to marry them if for any reason their minister did not show up.

"I am an ordained minister, if the guy cancels just let me know," Hanks joked.

He later posted a selfie of himself with the couple and wished them many blessings.

While most Americans didn't know Hanks was an ordained minister, he has in the past talked about his faith in God. Hanks said in an interview with Scripps News that members of his family identify as Mormon, Catholic and Nazarene, and he characterized himself as being a "Bible-toting evangelical" for several years as a teenager.

"The church does feed the poor. It does take care of the hungry. It heals the sick. I think that the grace of God seems to be not only in the eye of the believer, but also in the hands of the believer," he's quoted saying.

After marrying Rita Wilson, Hanks converted to the Greek Orthodox Church, the religion of Wilson and her family.

Hanks continued, "I must say that when I go to church — and I do go to church — I ponder the mystery. I meditate on the 'why?' of 'why people are as they are' and 'why bad things happen to good people,' and 'why good things happen to bad people.' … The mystery is what I think is, almost, the grand unifying theory of all mankind.

His wife of 28 years says these days she prays all the time.

"I pray everyday. I'm Greek Orthodox, I pray everyday. My children pray, I pray with them, I pray for myself, we go to church. We try to live a good clean healthy life and it helps," Rita told reporters in previous interview. "God is a big part of my life. I prayed to God everyday that He would bring me somebody that I loved, that loved me in the same way and He brought me Tom, so I believe in that."

 "God is mysterious, God works everyday," Hanks added.

Follow Jeannie Law on Twitter: @jlawcp
Source: Tom Hanks Reveals He's an Ordained Minister While Crashing Couple's Wedding Photo Shoot (Watch)

Syrian Refugee Mends Bride’s Gown on Her Wedding Day: “I Wanted to Show This Man Saving the Day,” Photographer Says

When her dress zipper malfunctioned just hours before her wedding ceremony, Jo Du didn't have many options. Unable to find a tailor or dressmaker on a Sunday, the wedding party tried everything to salvage the situation. Then, the wedding photographer, Lindsay Coulter, suggested they ask around the neighborhood for help.

One of the bridesmaids saw that a neighbor's garage door was open and went to the home to ask for a pair of pliers. That friendly neighbor happened to be hosting a Syrian refugee family at the time, and the father of that family, Ibrahim Halil Dudu, was previously a master tailor in Aleppo. It wasn't long before the skilled tailor was at work again.

Coulter shared the events that followed in a moving Facebook post that has since gone viral. "After a few minutes of further attempts there was a knock on the door and the neighbor along with the tailor and his son arrived to help, sewing kit in tow," the photographer recalled. "I went out to take some photos of the groomsmen and came back to find the tailor putting the finishing stitches on her dress."  

Coulter captured touching images of Dudu sewing the bride into her wedding gown with his young son at his side. "The young boy looked at his Dad, the girls around him, at my camera and back to his Dad about a hundred times," Coulter shared in her Facebook post.

(Photo / Lindsay Coulter Photography)

The family had just moved from Turkey to Canada only four days before the incident. "He seemed happy once he had completed his task and very grateful to those of us in the room – which was ironic since he was the one we were grateful for," Coulter tells The Knot.

But to him, the last minute act of kindness was his pleasure. "I was so excited and so happy," said Dudu, whose family had moved in only four days prior, said via a translator. "I like to help Canadian people from the heart."

Having documented so many weddings and special moments, Coulter reflects on the experience of capturing such a meaningful moment. "This one was special because the energy in the room was so unique and the moment was one we wouldn't forget any time soon," Coulter tells The Knot. "I wanted to show this man saving the day, and really hoped that his kindness and determination to do a good job came through my images."

Among the countless photos she's taken over the course of her career, she has two favorites from this day. In one photo, Dudu is at the center and hard at work stitching a portion of the gown as others attend to the bride's hair and makeup. "[He is] holding the needle and thread out with such a look of focus and intent," Coulter tells The Knot.

(Photo / Lindsay Coulter Photography)

Her other favorite shows Jo looking at the camera and smiling. "You can see how happy she is and also how grateful her friend is in the background," Coulter says. "[Du's] family is from China so to show their gratitude they were all bowing to Mr. Dudu and it was a wonderful universal symbol of thanks. That photo was taken just as [Halil Dudu] was leaving."

(Photo / Lindsay Coulter Photography)

To show her support for the Dudu family, Coulter started and posted a GoFundMe link to her Facebook page.

It's a moment that the couple will look back on with gratitude. "We're so lucky that this happened to us," the groom, Earl Lee, told CTV. Perhaps it was not just luck alone but the powerful extension of love, from welcoming neighbors to a refugee family and from a skilled tailor to a bride-in-need, that saved the wedding day.

Source: Syrian Refugee Mends Bride's Gown on Her Wedding Day: "I Wanted to Show This Man Saving the Day," Photographer Says

Bohemian wedding inspiration at Redwood Ridge Estate

Sep 28Bohemian wedding inspiration at Redwood Ridge Estate

Any big dahlia fans in the house? Each time we see a dahlia arrangement, we remember *just* how pretty they are. Perfect for ceremonies, bouquets, even topping the cake, like Paeonina whipped up for this bohemian wedding designed by Bari Elexa. Thanks to the talented Olivia Richards Photography for sending this one our way!

This styled shoot was inspired by the concept of being "wild & free", of letting everything fall into place as it should be, and allowing things to come naturally. You can see this concept come to life through the bride's wild and dreamy bouquet, the ceremony site on a "private island" in the pond, the sweetheart table's natural flow and many other aspects. Our color palette reflects the transition from late summer into early fall, combining the peaches and fuchsias with olive, burgundy and amber, mixed with rose gold. Paeonina used flowers such as dahlias, ranunculus and garden roses to capture these beautiful colors.

How rad is this board made by If You Give A Girl A Saw adorned with dreamcatchers from Kirstin Bensen?

BTW, the dip-typed napkins + macramé hoops were all DIY! Boho weddings are so good for DIY projects, huh?

The venue, Redwood Ridge Estate​, is a hidden gem amongst the hills in Los Gatos, surrounded by breathtaking views of the mountains and shoreline down in Carmel, rows of vineyards, a rustic barn, a hidden pond and herds of alpacas. Our rental company, Archive Rentals, is based in San Clemente but is breaking into the Northern California market. This was the perfect opportunity to collaborate together and to showcase their many unique and vintage rentals, while also bringing in their rose gold chairs and flatware for the dinner table!

Congrats to the team below on a successful bohemian shoot!

​Photographer: Olivia Richards Photography / Venue: Redwood Ridge Estate​ / Planning & Design: Bari Elexa / Floral Design: Paeonina / Hair & Makeup: Dreamcatcher Artistry / Invitation Suite: Good Heart Design / Baker: Honeycomb Desserts / Rentals: Archive Rentals / Votives: Glassy Baby / Board: If You Give A Girl A Saw / Dreamcatchers: Kirstin Bensen / Dress: Dean and Willow / Garter: The Garter Girl / Ring Box: The Mrs. Box / Ring: Trumpet and Horn / Model: Sierra

Source: Bohemian wedding inspiration at Redwood Ridge Estate

Tom Hanks Crashed this Couple’s Wedding Photo Shoot in Central Park

As a full time professional photographer, I try to remind people that the best camera you have is the one you have with you. Since I have yet to permanently graft a DSLR onto my body, my best camera is often my iPhone. So, is the new iPhone 7 Plus good enough to help alleviate the anxiety I get every time I leave my camera at home? Let's find out!

My 19-month-old son, Stanley, has learned how to use a camera and to shout out cheese as he presses the shutter. He has a few of my old crappy point-and-shoot film cameras in his toy box to play with, but today I gave him my old Canon G12.

If you want ultimate control over your High Dynamic Range images, manual blending is still the way to go. But creating a perfectly blended image from two or more exposures using layer masks can be challenging.

It turns out the only thing standing between Olympus and even better image stabilization than the E-M1 Mark II's already insane 6.5 stops... is the rotation of the Earth.

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Here's a photo essay that documents Magnum photographer Alex Webb's exploration of the streets of Chicago. In an interview with Leica, Webb states, […] I …

I have known about these sunflower fields for several years, but seeing as the flowers only bloom for about two weeks, between work and travel I have never had the opportunity to go and photograph them.

Some call it gear obsession, you've probably heard it called Gear Acquisition Syndrome (or GAS), but regardless of the name, there's no better time to discuss the dangers (and potential benefits) of suffering from camera gear obsession then the week after Photokina.

DJI today announced a new camera drone that aims to revolutionize the industry. The new DJI Mavic Pro is a foldable drone that sets a new bar when it comes to combining power and portability.

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Venus Optics are quickly becoming a leader in extreme lens design, but even by their standard, they've seriously outdone themselves with the Laowa 24mm f/14 Replay 2x Macro lens.

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As a wedding photographer, nothing beats a good old fashioned celebrity cameo. Cue Tom Hanks, walking right into NYC photographer Meg Miller's frame while she was out shooting bride and groom Elizabeth and Ryan in Central Park last weekend.

Sigma's photographic lenses are usually released in three mounts: Canon, Nikon, and Sigma. But that's not always going to be the case. In an interview, Sigma President Kazuto Yamaki confirmed that they are indeed planning to make Sigma lenses for Sony Full Frame E-Mount.

Once Syria's largest city, Aleppo has been the worst-hit city in the country since the Battle of Aleppo began in 2012 as part of the ongoing Syrian Civil War. Now a series of before-and-after photos reveals just how much the once-vibrant historical city has been marred by war.

Faced with a massive bank of windows in a new studio space, YouTube's Koldunov Brothers came up with a creative and customizable "daylight control system" that lets them alter the amount and shape of the light they let in.

A trip last weekend to the iconic Death Valley Racetrack Playa has left me with a burning need to write, and unfortunately it is because of the worst kind of people.

We're always looking to up our Photoshop game, but the lists of Must Know "techniques" or "skills" or "tools" we run across typically disappoint us by being either to basic or too niche. This useful Top 10 by Nate Dodson of Tutvid is an exception.

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Source: Tom Hanks Crashed this Couple's Wedding Photo Shoot in Central Park

Tom Hanks Crashes Central Park Wedding Photo Shoot

1:01 PM PDT 9/26/2016 by THR Staff

Tom Hanks joined a newlywed couple's romantic photo shoot in Central Park over the weekend.

The actor surprised the bride and groom while their photographer Meg Miller was taking pictures of them in New York City. He came up to them in running clothes and took a selfie with the couple, Elisabeth and Ryan, shaking the groom's hand and kissing the bride's hand in congratulations.

Miller posted a collage of the pictures on her Instagram, calling it the icing on the cake of the day. Hanks also posted a selfie of him with the happy couple on his own social media sites, congratulating the couple once again.

Source: Tom Hanks Crashes Central Park Wedding Photo Shoot

Photo Flash: Theatre Three Presents THE WEDDING SINGER

Take a trip back to the 1980s, a time when hair was big, greed was good, collars were popped, and a wedding singer might just be the coolest guy in the room. Based on the hit Adam Sandler movie, The Wedding Singer'sscore is one of the best in the last ten years!

It's 1985 and rock-star wannabe Robbie Hart is New Jersey's favorite wedding singer. He's the life of the party, until his own fiancee leaves him at the altar. Shot through the heart, Robbie makes every wedding as disastrous as his own. Enter Julia, a winsome waitress who steals his attention. As luck would have it, Julia is about to be married to a Wall Street shark, and unless Robbie can pull off the performance of the decade, the girl of his dreams will be gone forever.

"I was drawn to this show because of its upbeat, smart and melodic score. People will be tapping their toes and they will definitely leave the theatre humming these songs," says director Bruce R. Coleman. "Even with its biting, satiric edge, there is a sweet heart at the musical's center that people will fall in love with. It's so much fun to look back at the 80s and revisit all of the things that we thought were so cool."

The Wedding Singer is directed by Theatre Three Acting Artistic Director Bruce Coleman with musical direction by Mark Mullino and choreography by Kelly McCain. The show stars Cameron Cobb (Robbie Hart), Katie Moyes Williams (Julia Sullivan), Gregory Lush (Sammy), Jacob Lewis (Glen Guglia), Alex Heika (George), Lois Leftwich (Rosie/Angie) Nikki Cloer (Holly) and Samantha Padilla (Linda), with an ensemble featuring Mikey Abrams, Tyler Jeffrey Adams, Dominique Brinkley, Quintin Jones, Taylor Nash, Mark Quach and Shannon Walsh.

September 22-October 16, 2016

Performances: Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays - Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.; Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

Sunday Evening Performance: September 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Hooky Matinee: Wednesday, October 5 at 2:00 p.m.

Saturday Matinee: October 15 at 2:30 *only one Saturday matinee per show

Press Opening: Monday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets range from $10-50 and are on sale:

• online at Theatre3Dallas.com

• by phone at 214.871.3300, option #1

• in person at the Theatre Three Box Office

Photo credit: Linda Harrison

Source: Photo Flash: Theatre Three Presents THE WEDDING SINGER

An Intimate Amalfi Coast Wedding That Doesn’t Skimp on Style

A champagne beaded Needle & Thread gown, an intimate family style dinner, and a gorgeous Italian villa overlooking the ocean – everything about this Amalfi Coast wedding is perfectly chic! Felicity and Josh's destination wedding at Villa San Giacomo embodied the naturally romantic essence that Italy is known for with an emotional ceremony and a heartfelt reception. We absolutely love how Kelly Rae Stewart Photography captured every detail of Felicity and Josh's wedding, including beautiful wedding signage and organic reception décor!The Couple:Felicity & JoshThe Wedding:Villa San Giacomo, Positano, Italy

We did so much DIY! When I say DIY… I mean the amazing Mother of the Groom did a lot of DIY haha! She is so artistic and she hand wrote and painted all of our menus, favour tags, name tags AND signs! She was a lifesaver!

We loved hearing everyone's speeches. Honestly, there wasn't a dry eye at the wedding! Everyone was so emotional, we all sha red some beautiful moments together.

Mark and Kelly Stewart from Kelly Rae Stewart photography were absolutely amazing. Honestly, we didn't even notice them there, they were like photography ninjas! We were so happy with our photos, they truly captured everything in such a natural, candid way. They were super easy going and it felt like we were just hanging out with old friends!

We wanted to keep our guest list as small as possible so that it felt really intimate for both our guests and us! We wanted to create the feeling of a casual 'family' style dinner so we wanted one big long table.

We also made 'welcome gifts' for all of our guests and left them in their villas and hotel rooms. We left a variety of different goodies in the packs including hand written personalised letters, piccolo's of prosecco, cookies, a map of Positano, Italian chocolate etc… It was important to us that we made each guest f...

Source: An Intimate Amalfi Coast Wedding That Doesn't Skimp on Style

Photo Flash: Theatre Three Presents THE WEDDING SINGER

Take a trip back to the 1980s, a time when hair was big, greed was good, collars were popped, and a wedding singer might just be the coolest guy in the room. Based on the hit Adam Sandler movie, The Wedding Singer'sscore is one of the best in the last ten years!

It's 1985 and rock-star wannabe Robbie Hart is New Jersey's favorite wedding singer. He's the life of the party, until his own fiancee leaves him at the altar. Shot through the heart, Robbie makes every wedding as disastrous as his own. Enter Julia, a winsome waitress who steals his attention. As luck would have it, Julia is about to be married to a Wall Street shark, and unless Robbie can pull off the performance of the decade, the girl of his dreams will be gone forever.

"I was drawn to this show because of its upbeat, smart and melodic score. People will be tapping their toes and they will definitely leave the theatre humming these songs," says director Bruce R. Coleman. "Even with its biting, satiric edge, there is a sweet heart at the musical's center that people will fall in love with. It's so much fun to look back at the 80s and revisit all of the things that we thought were so cool."

The Wedding Singer is directed by Theatre Three Acting Artistic Director Bruce Coleman with musical direction by Mark Mullino and choreography by Kelly McCain. The show stars Cameron Cobb (Robbie Hart), Katie Moyes Williams (Julia Sullivan), Gregory Lush (Sammy), Jacob Lewis (Glen Guglia), Alex Heika (George), Lois Leftwich (Rosie/Angie) Nikki Cloer (Holly) and Samantha Padilla (Linda), with an ensemble featuring Mikey Abrams, Tyler Jeffrey Adams, Dominique Brinkley, Quintin Jones, Taylor Nash, Mark Quach and Shannon Walsh.

September 22-October 16, 2016

Performances: Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays - Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.; Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

Sunday Evening Performance: September 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Hooky Matinee: Wednesday, October 5 at 2:00 p.m.

Saturday Matinee: October 15 at 2:30 *only one Saturday matinee per show

Press Opening: Monday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets range from $10-50 and are on sale:

• online at Theatre3Dallas.com

• by phone at 214.871.3300, option #1

• in person at the Theatre Three Box Office

Photo credit: Linda Harrison

Source: Photo Flash: Theatre Three Presents THE WEDDING SINGER

After bridal shop closes, former brides offer their wedding dresses

Jade Cunningham talks about a local bridal store whose customers are looking for answers.

Mandy Thomas, WWLTV.com , WWL 5:41 PM. CDT September 22, 2016

Copyright: Touch of Blush Photography (Photo: Copyright: Touch of Blush Photography, Custom)

METAIRIE, La. -- After news surfaced of an unexplained, hopefully temporary, closure of a local bridal boutique, nearly a dozen local ladies started offering up their wedding dresses for the brides who were left in limbo. 

Within minutes of posting the story on Facebook, Ashley Juno Larsen commented on the story.

"Not that it makes up for the dresses paid for but I'd be happy to donate my dress to anyone in need," Larsen said. "Sorry girls don't let this ruin your big day!" 

MORE: Dress swap planned for those who wish to donate and those who need dresses

Copyright: Touch of Blush Photography   (Photo: Copyright: Touch of Blush Photography, Custom)

Other brides quickly chimed in, offering up their dresses too. 

"I'm willing to do the same with my wedding dress," Whitney Hamm DiPietro said.

  (Photo: Custom)

Rachel Smelser said she would gladly give her wedding dress. "It screams 1990s," she said. Smelser was married in 1998 and said the dress has puffed sleeves and a huge bow on the backside. "Definitely needs some work, lol." Smelser said. "I actually purchased my gown as well as my bridesmaids at Linda Lee."

  (Photo: Custom)

On mobile? Tap here to see photos of the donated dresses

Candi Meridith offered up her wedding dress and a handful of bridesmaid dresses that have never been worn.

"I actually have a wedding dress and five or seven bridesmaids dresses," Meridith said. "If your wedding is this weekend, you can message me. Maybe they will work for you - never worn."

  (Photo: Custom)

As of Thursday, it remains unclear what will happen with the brides and their wedding parties who have ordered dresses or have dresses inside the location, but the outpouring of support is surely welcomed during this period of unknown. 

  (Photo: Custom)

(© 2016 WWL)

Source: After bridal shop closes, former brides offer their wedding dresses