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\nSharik and Jessica Burgess-Stride, of Rotorua, were getting married at Hobbiton on Monday when Hollywood actor Elijah Wood, aka Frodo the Hobbit, came to congratulate them. Photo \/ Cath Ullyett Photography, cathullyettphotography.co.nz<\/p>\n
A bride and groom were treated to their own kind of adventure when their Hobbiton wedding was \u201ccrashed\u201d by a celebrity.<\/p>\n
Sharik and Jessica Burgess-Stride, of Rotorua, were getting married at the tourist spot on Monday when suddenly, Hollywood actor Elijah Wood, aka Frodo the Hobbit, came to congratulate them.<\/p>\n
Hobbiton Movie Set general manager tourism Shayne Forrest said it was the first time a Lord of the Rings cast member had called into a wedding at the set.<\/p>\n
Sharik told the Waikato Herald it had been a very rainy day, but the rain stopped for about 30 minutes and they held the ceremony.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were just finishing the signing of the paperwork when all of a sudden Elijah Wood started to walk down the aisle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sharik said he did a \u201cdouble-take\u201d as he couldn\u2019t believe his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt first I thought \u2018nah that\u2019s not him\u2019 – then \u2018oh sh**, it IS him!\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe shook our hands and said \u2018congratulations\u2019 and stuck around for a few photos before he left on a tour – he was there with a group of people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sharik said for him and Jess, it had felt like \u201cthe perfect day\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know the saying that when it rains on your wedding day, it\u2019s a sign of good luck? After this … we felt like it was definitely true.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sharik and Jessica are originally from Australia and have been together for seven years.<\/p>\n
They met at the University of Newcastle, where they became friends and eventually started dating, before moving to New Zealand.<\/p>\n
Sharik said he had been a Lord of The Rings and Hobbit fan since childhood.<\/p>\n
\u201cI watched the movies as a child and loved it. Then I started to collect memorabilia and watched the movies again and again.\u201d<\/p>\n
His favourite was The Fellowship of the Ring, the first in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, because of the \u201cinnocence of the Hobbits and the general warmth\u201d of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd every time you rewatch it, it always holds up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sharik has visited Hobbiton five times and over the years has accumulated several pieces of memorabilia, including maps, props, cups, and even self-made carvings inspired by ones he has seen at Hobbiton.<\/p>\n
His and Jessica\u2019s engagement, however, had not been Lord of The Rings-themed, and was inspired by their love of puzzles and games instead.<\/p>\n
\nSharik and Jessica Burgess-Stride, of Rotorua, were getting married at Hobbiton on Monday when Hollywood actor Elijah Wood, aka Frodo the Hobbit, came to congratulate them. Photo \/ Cath Ullyett Photography, cathullyettphotography.co.nz<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an escape room and I hid the engagement ring in the last puzzle box.\u201d<\/p>\n
When it came to planning the wedding, Sharik jokingly suggested Hobbiton as the venue, but to his surprise, Jess was on board – without ever having been to the Waikato movie set.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe booked a tour before we got married, so she could see where we will get married.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their wedding ceremony and the vows included several references to The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit movies.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd about 90% of our guests dressed up on theme and got right into it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Celebrant Terry Fergusson was among those dressed up.<\/p>\n
![\"Sean](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/TXESSLNJ7IPMHAHUI5B4T7RDZM.jpg\")
\nSean Astin as Sam and Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Fergusson said he had been officiating weddings since 2021, but had never had a celebrity \u201cwedding crasher\u201d before.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing at Hobbiton, you are surrounded by everything LOTR and the theme was weaved through the ceremony, gestures and guest attire (and mine) but I never expected it to go that one step further with a real-life cast member.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fergusson said it had been a fantastic moment for everybody.<\/p>\n
\u201cElijah was so caring and just wanted to offer his congratulations to the happy couple.\u201d<\/p>\n
On social media, photographer Cath Ullyett took credit for the moment.<\/p>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761759017_415_BRSDNCRMVFAYJLM2BUUJ6VDEYQ.jpg\")
\nSharik Burgess-Stride told the Waikato Herald it had been a very rainy day, but the rain stopped for about 30 minutes and they held the ceremony. Photo \/ Cath Ullyett Photography<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile [Sharik and Jessica] were signing their wedding documents, Elijah and his family were escorted past the ceremony garden, and had stopped to watch,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the couple had finished signing, I rushed around to meet him and asked him to come and have a few photos with the couple.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing the gentleman he is, he didn\u2019t want to interfere, however, with some friendly encouragement he stepped in and was welcomed by all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hobbiton Movie Set said Wood and a few of the other cast members from the trilogies were in New Zealand for the Armageddon Expo in Auckland over the weekend and Wood decided to re-visit the Hobbiton Movie Set.<\/p>\n
\u201cElijah was back enjoying some time in Hobbiton but wasn\u2019t aware there was a wedding happening until he saw it taking place in front of one of the bright yellow Hobbit Holes near Gandalf\u2019s Cutting, the entry to Hobbiton Movie Set,\u201d Forrest said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen he saw the couple and their guests dressed as Hobbits, he knew it was a celebration he couldn\u2019t miss.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said Hobbiton Movie Set hosted weddings for about 100 couples every year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile we do occasionally have cast members from the films and other VIP guests visit Hobbiton Movie Set, joining in the festivities of a wedding was an absolute first and very special.<\/p>\n
\u201cElijah, helping us create an extra magical moment for this special wedding couple, is something we are so thrilled to have shared in – there is no one more qualified to oversee the exchange of the One Ring to rule them all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Danielle Zollickhofer is the Waikato news director and a multimedia journalist at the Waikato Herald. She joined NZME in 2021 and is based in Hamilton.<\/p>\n
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