JK Rowling shows up at a gay couple’s wedding photoshoot giving them the surprise of their life
It’s no secret that there’s something truly enchanting about a loved-up couple declaring their affection for one another and getting hitched in front of friends and family. But this wedding got a double-dose of magic when JK Rowling pitched up!
Nick and John got married at Prestonfield House in Edinburgh on Sunday (August 26), with photographer Matt Fothergill tasked with capturing any special moments that might occur.
The latter snapped a few pictures of the beaming newlyweds inside the picturesque venue before encouraging the pair to continue the shoot outside despite “unpromising weather,” as the photographer noted.
While posing, the pair were crept up on by none other than Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts author Rowling—fortunately, the photographer caught the whole thing as it unfolded.
In one photograph, Rowling can be seen surprising the couple from behind, while others show her embracing the twosome. It is believed that she was having lunch at the same location.
Talking to PinkNews about the spellbinding encounter, Fothergill said: “[Nick and John] were looking over my shoulder and looking quite excited.
“Then, they rushed towards me and said in very hushed tones something like, ‘JK Rowling is right behind you’ and then we joked about how cool it would be to have her in a wedding photo.
“I swallowed some serious nerves and ran up, fanboyed a smidge and asked as politely as I could if she wouldn’t mind posing for a quick picture with the boys as it was their wedding day.
Photographer Matt Fothergill says that Harry Potter author JK Rowling was eager to wish newlyweds Nick and John well when she discovered they’d just got hitched (Matt.E Photography)
“She was just delightful from start to finish. She turned and smiled, strode over and gave them both the biggest hugs and wished them the greatest of health and happiness.
“It was such a wonderful surreal beautiful moment,” he added. “We laughed about it for about half an hour afterwards. Nick’s face in the pictures kind of gave away how starstruck we all were, I think. I actually squealed with delight when she was still within earshot.”
“Nick’s face in the pictures gave away how starstruck we were” (Matt.E Photography)
Sharing the images on Facebook, Fothergill, a self-proclaimed Hufflepuff, said: “I think there’s definitely that saying ‘Never meet you heroes…’ as in ‘don’t meet your idols’ as they can never live up to the hype and you will inevitably feel let down.
“I can safely say this was not one of those occasions….simply not the case with the awesome J.K. Rowling!
“Total f*****g ledge! I wish I could say we were cool about it. Not even slightly,” he explained. “I think she got about 20 feet before we all started screaming like big kids.”
Nick and John’s wedding took place at Prestonfield House in Edinburgh (Matt.E Photography)
In fact, the surprise was so great that they all “nearly did passed out from squealing like bairns in pure excitement,” the photographer added.
You’d think Fothergill would be used to seeing famous faces while working though, as Rowling isn’t the only writer he’s been surprised by in his line of work.
Just a few years ago, he co-opted crime novelist Ian Rankin “into a cheeky pose with another couple when they recognised him in the Bow Bar,” he tells us. “He was a total sport about it as well and even tweeted about it.”
