The crazy story behind those pictures of Tom Hanks crashing a wedding photo shoot

A New York City couple's perfect wedding day got even more perfect when actor Tom Hanks crashed their Central Park photo session.

Bride and groom Elisabeth and Ryan (who have asked to be identified only by their first names) were posing for their photographer, Meg Miller, near the park's reservoir. Hanks happened to be jogging by, but slowed down and approached the couple without warning or fanfare. 

"He took off his hat and sunglasses and just leaned right in and said, like, 'Hi, I'm Tom Hanks,'" Miller told INSIDER. "He offered to do the ceremony for them; he said he was an officiant." (It's true: the Associated Press reports that he became an ordained minister last year in order to officiate the wedding of actress Allison Williams.)

"He asked them their names and he liked Elisabeth's name 'cause that's his daughter's name," Miller added. "We were all in shock." 

Luckily, Miller acted quickly to capture the moment.

"At that point I knew, the couple is going to definitely need this in their wedding album," she said. "I don't think I've ever photographed so quickly. I was just praying my [camera] settings were right."

Finally, Miller recalled, Hanks posed for a selfie, asked for the bride and groom's names one more time, and jogged off into the distance like nothing ever happened. 

This isn't the first time Hanks has wedding crashed: In 2008, while filming "Angels & Demons" in Italy, he personally escorted a bride to the church, People reported. 

Later, Hanks tweeted that very selfie with a sweet note to the couple:

Forget china and waffle irons — this is the greatest wedding gift of all. 

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