In the hundreds of weddings Lauren Laveria and Nick Matarazzo have photgraphed over nearly a decade, they have never experienced photobombers like the ones they encountered earlier this year.
Back on January 19, the pair was at Brevard Zoo shooting the wedding of Tara and Tommy Beers, of Satellite Beach. The ceremony included some uninvited, but welcome guests: lions.
“The lions were out and about when the ceremony started, laying down enjoying their area” said Laveria, regarding the first wedding to take place in the newly finished lion area of the zoo. “As soon as she started walking down the aisle, they started coming over.”
Tara is an events coordinator at the zoo and is familiar with the lions. It’s believed the animals noticed her and wanted to be a part of her special day.
“There’s a really funny moment when she’s coming down the aisle and everyone was watching the lions instead of her,” Laveria said.
Lions part of wedding at Brevard Zoo
Lions photobomb the wedding ceremony of Tara and Tommy Beers at the Brevard Zoo in January 2025. The photos, taken by Nick and Lauren Photography, were made public in April.
THE CUTLINE AND CREDIT REVERESE THE NAMES
Two of the lions stayed near the glass the entire 15 minute ceremony. They paced back and forth not wanting to miss any of the action. One even had impeccable timing jumping and putting its paws on the glass at just the right time.
“When it was asked if anyone objects, that’s when he put his paws up,” Laveria said. “Everyone was laughing. We felt like we were in a Snow White moment but at the zoo.”
You can get married at Brevard Zoo
Brevard Zoo offers five different venue options available to get married in or host a special event. They are:
Cost varies depending on the venue, day, guest count and other factors, but start at $1,000.
Spitzer is a Trending Reporter. She can be reached at MSpitzer@Floridatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Lion photobombs couple getting married at Brevard Zoo. See photos