A pair of New York City newlyweds were in the middle of their wedding portraits when their photo shoot suddenly picked up an unexpected guest, Mariska Hargitay, still dressed as Capt. Olivia Benson.
The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star was filming nearby on October 1 when she spotted the unidentified bride and groom outside the New York County Supreme Court in Manhattan. Hargitay stepped away from the set and ran toward the couple before joining them for several photographs.
Photographer José Pérez captured her approach on video and shared the encounter on Instagram later that day. PEOPLE reported that Hargitay slipped into the portrait session while the couple was still facing the camera, smiling beside them and enthusiastically pointing toward the newlyweds.
Hargitay was wearing Benson’s wardrobe while SVU films its upcoming 28th season, giving the couple a wedding photograph with the show’s longtime captain less than a week before the series returns to NBC.
The Couple Didn’t See Hargitay Coming
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Pérez’s footage shows Hargitay running up behind the couple while they continue posing, apparently unaware that she is about to enter the frame.
The bride wore an off-the-shoulder white gown with a veil and carried a white bouquet. Her groom paired a gray suit with a turquoise bolo tie and black cowboy hat.
Entertainment Weekly confirmed that Hargitay was filming in downtown Manhattan when she noticed the couple and joined them in full SVU costume.
She Pulled a Similar Wedding Surprise in 2024
@splashnewsofficial Mariska Hargitay has sweet interaction with a bride and groom 🥹 #mariskahargitay #bride #groom #wedding #marriage #newyorkcity #brideandgroom #splashnews ♬ original sound – Splash News Official
Hargitay has unexpectedly inserted herself into a New York wedding moment before. In 2024, Splash News captured her stopping when she encountered another bride and groom and taking time to congratulate them and pose for photographs.
“Oh, my God. Congratulations!” Hargitay told the couple in the clip. She then jokingly explained her unexpected arrival with an even better line: “I’m your wedding present.”
PEOPLE revisited that earlier encounter while reporting on the new courthouse photographs, noting that Hargitay hugged and posed with the 2024 newlyweds instead of walking past them.
The Surprise Came Days Before SVU Returns
The October encounter happened while Hargitay was working on the 28th season of the procedural she has anchored since its premiere in 1999. Peacock confirms that Law & Order: SVU returns Thursday, October 8, at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, with new episodes available to stream the following day.
Season 28 is also heading toward another major landmark. Entertainment Weekly reports that the show’s 600th episode is scheduled for November 12 and will reunite Hargitay’s Benson with Christopher Meloni’s Elliot Stabler.
Hargitay has already shared photographs of Meloni back on the SVU set but has stopped short of saying exactly how extensive his return will be. Asked in September whether she had him back for one episode or for longer, she teased, “I’m not going to tell all.”