10 great wedding movies to get you in the mood for the big day
Anticipation is a big part of the pleasure with a wedding. Visiting different venues, attending wedding fairs, choosing the ring and the dress, deciding on a theme, selecting menus and tasting different wines all add to the fun – and of course the stag and hen celebrations really ramp things up. But what else can you do to heighten the sense of expectancy? Watch a wedding themed movie – and there are plenty to choose from! Here’s our pick of the bunch: Four Weddings and a Funeral. No list would be complete without this classic starring Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell. Charles, a good-natured but socially awkward man living in London becomes smitten with Carrie, an American whom he meets at four different weddings and then a funeral – you probably know the ending already, but in case you don’t…our lips are sealed!
Bridesmaids. Annie’s singleton life is a mess, and things go from bad to worse after being asked to serve as maid of honour for her best friend, Lillian. A painfully funny journey through all the stages of the wedding planning process, more raunchy than romantic, perfect for your inner ladette.
Mama Mia. The action revolves around the arrangements for a wedding on a Greek island, most especially the guest list. The bride to be, unsure of who her real father is, invites all three candidates to see if she can solve the mystery. A lot of fun if you love musicals, and ABBA, but are able to ignore the fact that Pierce Brosnan can’t sing!
Cousins. In this American remake of the popular French romantic comedy "Cousin Cousine" wedding guests dabble in marital infidelities both real and pretend. The pretenders, played by Ted Danson and Isabella Rossellini, become friends, then fall in love – with awkward consequences. Great cast and very romantic.
The Princess Bride. Classic fairytale fare, it tells the story about a farmhand named Westle, who must rescue his true love Princess Buttercup from the odious Prince Humperdinck. Described as an intelligent mix of swashbuckling, romance, and comedy that takes an age-old damsel-in-distress story and makes it fresh, it’s a film that few will fail to fall in love with.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Toula Portokalos is 30 years old and still not married, which means as a nice Greek girl she’s a failure. Then she meets the ultimate unattainable guy - tall and handsome but definitely not Greek. Cue a courtship that’s a hilarious culture clash.
Runaway Bride. Starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, who had such success with Pretty Woman, keep the chemistry going in this slightly off the wall romantic comedy about a girl who likes to jilt her partners at the last minute….so what’s not to like?
Muriel’s Wedding. Socially awkward Muriel fantasises about the unlikely prospect of a glamorous wedding and moving from her dead-end home town, the fictional Porpoise Spit, to Sydney. A fun reworking of the classic ugly duckling story, with ABBA songs for good measure.
The Five-Year Engagement. One year after meeting, Tom proposes to his girlfriend, Violet, but unexpected events keep tripping them up as they look to walk down the aisle together. A hilarious cautionary tale for those that find it hard to stick to a schedule.
The Wedding Crashers. John Beckwith and Jeremy Grey, a pair of committed womanizers who sneak into weddings to take advantage of all the romance that’s in the air, find themselves at odds with one another when John meets and falls for Claire Cleary. It successfully manages to be both raunchy and sweet, and features top-notch comic performances from Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson.
Those are top 10 picks but what are yours? Let us know if we’ve missed some off that you think should be included!