Welsh couple get surprise as Mark Ruffalo 'gatecrashes' Central Park wedding

Klaire said she did not recognise the actor at first Credit: Media Wales

A Welsh couple getting married in New York's Central Park had an even more memorable day when their wedding was "gatecrashed" by Hollywood star Mark Ruffalo.

Klaire Hodgson and Lynz Tanner were just moments away from starting their outdoor ceremony when they got chatting to the Hulk actor.

The couple from Gwynedd said it was a "special" moment last Saturday on what was already the most special day of their lives.

They had only arranged the wedding a few weeks earlier as Klaire prepared to travel to the United States for work, with Lynz having proposed last June.

Klaire said: "Lynz proposed to me last June and we'd gone through about a million different wedding ideas. Some of it was how expensive the wedding industry is and how heteronormative the wedding industry is. It's supposed to be a happy time.

"I was already going to America for a couple of weeks. I was going to San Francisco for a work conference. And the week after I was going to do volunteer work with an LGBT youth group. We'd been asked to go to New York (for that) to share ideas."

The happy couple said meeting Ruffalo made the best day of their lives even more memorable Credit: Media Wales

She added: "Then I said 'Why don't we get married in New York!' This was a week before I was leaving for America. I told my parents and some family."

It was as family and friends were joining the couple, as well as their best man Kayley Roberts, via video link that the actor showed up, although at first they did not recognise him.

Klaire said: It was quite funny because on the day we were starting up the video link in Central Park Mark Ruffalo must have seen what was going on because he detoured over to us.

"Everybody was on the phone call and all of a sudden this guy starts slowly walking over. He stopped and he's saying 'Hello' to us and we're saying 'OK, you alright?

"I think he was waiting for us to recognise him. I noticed he had a really nice camera and I was thinking 'Oh, he must do photography'. But I thought 'I can't know this guy. I'm in New York, I don't know anyone in New York.'

"He started walking down a bit and I turned around and Lynz and Kayley are looking at each other. And I said 'I think I know that guy' and Lynz said 'Is that Mark Ruffalo?'

"And she turns around just as he's walking away and said 'Oh my God" Mark Ruffalo!' And then he turned round and was like 'Hey!' He came back over then. He was absolutely lovely. He was so nice."

Talking about posing for a photo with Ruffalo, who also starred alongside Wrexham AFC co-owner Ryan Reynolds in The Adam Project, Klaire said: "I had no idea what to do with my arms. Later he shook my hand about three times and said 'Aw I'm so happy for you'. He was so super-nice. He was just a regular guy."

Reflecting on the day, she added: "It was amazing that we got married in Central Park. It was so magical and the whole day was beautiful and then Mark Ruffalo turning up and being in pictures with us, it did make it extra special."


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