Steve Martin's Wedding Was A Surprise To His Guests
Weddings are joyous occasions. Two people tying the knot of the love they share, surrounded by friends and family---what's not to like? Nevertheless, there's always a danger that an in-law drones on and on or the best man bombs his speech in spectacular fashion. The reality is that weddings are high-tension events that can take a strange turn at any time. That's only, of course, if you tell your guests that there will be a wedding.
What happens when there's a wedding, but none of the guests know about it? It may sound like the start of a mystery novel or horror movie, but in reality, this is the actual story of funnyman Steve Martin's summer 2007 wedding.
A Surprise Wedding
Obviously, everyone has heard of a surprise birthday party, but a surprise wedding? Only Saturday Night Live hosting record-holder Steve Martin would be bodacious enough to throw his wedding when only he and his wife-to-be, writer and former New Yorker magazine staffer Anne Stringfield, knew it was going to happen.
The couple first passed through each other's lives while she worked at The New Yorker and Martin wrote humorous pieces for the prestigious publication. The guest list, which was a who's who of celebrity A-listers, thought they were simply attending a run-of-the-mill party at Martin's Los Angeles home.
A Startled, Star-Studded Guest List
Despite not telling any of their guests that a seemingly innocuous summer soiree would turn into a wedding, Martin and his bride-to-be received quite the turnout for their surprise wedding. Roughly 75 guests---including Tom Hanks, Eugene Levy, Carl Reiner, Diane Keaton, and magician Ricky Jay---got quite the shock when Martin and his betrothed made their entrance in full wedding regalia.
I Now Pronounce You Man and Wife
After the shock of the surprise wedding revelation wore off, former Nebraska senator and 1992 democratic presidential candidate Bob Kerrey presided over the ceremony. It is unclear whether even the officiator knew he'd be pronouncing Martin and Stringfield man and wife that evening. The best man was Saturday Night Live legend, Lorne Michaels.
Inspector Clouseau and a Vera Wang--Wearing Beauty
Martin, who was 61 at the time, was sporting his Inspector Clouseau mustache, which must have created quite the juxtaposition to Stringfield. The 35-year-old bride, for her part, was gorgeously clad in a Vera Wang wedding dress. The couple had been dating for three years, and clearly, Martin's wife-to-be didn’t mind the humorous facial hair that was part of his role for the sequel to The Pink Panther. Martin was set to resume his role as the bumbling inspector and begin shooting that summer.
The wedding was Martin's second. The comedy superstar was previously married to Victoria Tennant, his costar in 1984's All Of Me and 1991's L.A Stories. The Hollywood power couple was married from 1986 to 1994. Steve and Anne Martin are still happily married to this very day.
