Gwyneth Paltrow reveals ‘chills’ after taking on surprising new role at Rob Lowe’s star-studded family wedding
The Oscar-winning actress has opened up about conducting the marriage ceremony for Matthew Lowe and Emily Markus in California, where Hollywood A-listers gathered to celebrate the couple’s big day.
Gwyneth Paltrow has revealed she was left with chills after officiating her first wedding – and has jokingly suggested she could have a future career as a pastor.
The Oscar-winning actress, 54, conducted the ceremony for her longtime friend Rob Lowe’s eldest son, Matthew Lowe, 33, and his bride Emily Markus in Santa Barbara, California, on 10 October.
Speaking on her podcast, The Goop Guide with Gwyneth Paltrow, Gwyneth told fellow actress and wedding guest Zoe Saldaña, 48, about the emotional experience of overseeing the couple’s marriage in front of their family and celebrity friends.
Gwyneth said: “I officiated my first wedding.”
She continued: “To be so close to in such close proximity to people making that commitment was so incredible to see their little faces and the emotion and to watch the energy shift and feel it as they like made that commitment to each other.”
The actress, who has known Rob, 62, and his family for decades, admitted the experience had stayed with her long after the ceremony.
She said: “I still have chills when I think about it.”
Gwyneth then joked: “Just call me Pastor Gwen.”
The wedding took place in Santa Barbara, with Page Six first reporting details of the ceremony, which brought together a number of prominent Hollywood figures.
Among the guests were singer Katy Perry, 42, actor Chris Pratt, 47, and Zoe’s husband, artist Marco Perego-Saldaña, 47.
Also attending were Cameron Diaz, 54, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, 47, and his wife, model Behati Prinsloo, 38.
The guest list included Maria Shriver, 71, Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt, 36, Christina Schwarzenegger, 35, Christopher Schwarzenegger, 29, Patrick Schwarzenegger, 33, and model Abby Champion, 29.
Matthew and Emily announced their engagement in July 2025 after he proposed during a romantic occasion that the couple documented on social media.
Sharing photographs of the proposal on Instagram, Matthew wrote: “Lord of the rings.”
Gwyneth’s involvement in the ceremony reflected her longstanding friendship with Rob, who became a household name through his appearances in The West Wing and Parks and Recreation.
The actor also starred in the 1980s films St Elmo’s Fire and The Outsiders before becoming a leading figure in American television.
Gwyneth has known Rob’s wife, make-up artist Sheryl Berkoff, 65, since her teenage years.
Sheryl previously worked with Gwyneth’s mother, actress Blythe Danner, 83, doing her makeup before becoming part of the family through her marriage to Rob.
The actress’ experience officiating the ceremony came shortly after she celebrated eight years of marriage to television producer Brad Falchuk, 55.
Gwyneth and Brad married in 2018, having met through their work in the entertainment industry. Brad is known for co-creating television series including Glee and American Horror Story.
In September, Gwyneth marked their anniversary with a collection of photographs shared on Instagram, accompanied by Bruce Springsteen’s song Dream Baby Dream.
She captioned the post: “(red heart emojis) 8.”
Before marrying Brad, Gwyneth was married to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, 49, with whom she shares two children, Apple, 22, and Moses, 20.
The former couple announced their separation in 2014, describing the decision as a process of conscious uncoupling – a phrase that subsequently attracted widespread attention.
Gwyneth has remained closely associated with the wellness industry through Goop, the lifestyle company she founded, alongside her film career.
She won the Academy Award for best actress for Shakespeare in Love and later reached a new generation of audiences playing Pepper Potts opposite Robert Downey Jr, 61, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Her appearances included Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3 and Avengers: Endgame, while her other films include The Talented Mr Ripley, Sliding Doors and Emma.
More recently, Gwyneth returned to the big screen in Marty Supreme, starring opposite Timothée Chalamet, 30, in the sports drama directed by Josh Safdie, 42.
