Everything goes on hold over Christmas – including wedding planning. So, what’s a bride-to-be and her fiancé supposed to do when there are no cake tastings, dress fittings or vendor appointments to fill the schedule? Apart from celebrating the festive season with family and friends (including those on your other half’s side of things) it’s a great opportunity to share a little time together – just the two of you, cuddled up in a blanket, in front of a roaring fire, with a bottle of wine, watching a classic, heart-warming, laugh-out-loud rom-com. In this post we’ve listed half a dozen of our favourites. You are bound to have seen a couple already but hopefully there are a few little gems you’ve not yet got around to watching yet. Enjoy!

There’s Something About Mary

Ben Stiller at his most cringeworthy and Cameron Diaz at her most ditzy. It’s very silly but very funny with a “bad hair day” scene that has become the stuff of legend. The course of true love definitely does not run smooth for our hero but suffice to say he gets his girl in the end. Word of warning, however – not one to watch with your parents or the soon-to-be in-laws.

10 Things I Hate About You

Set in a 1990’s Seattle high school it’s a contemporary retelling of Shakespeare’s comedy “The Taming of the Shrew” – but don’t let that put you off! Kat Stratford (spot the nod to Shakespeare’s hometown) is played by Julia Stiles – beautiful and smart but very stand-offish. Fellow student Cameron wants to date her younger sister, Bianca. But over-protective dad, knowing that Kat’s abrasive character makes her boyfriend-proof, rules that Bianca cannot date until older sister does. Needless to say many strings are pulled and plots hatched to get Kat to drop her guard. Enter bad boy Patrick and the stage is set for sparks.

When Harry Met Sally

The two title characters meet in Chicago then share a car to New York. During the journey he declares that men and women can never just be friends as the issue of sex gets in the way. She disagrees and they part on unfriendly terms. Over the course of the next twelve years they bump into each other unexpectedly and though the relationship develops they still find themselves on opposing sides of the same argument. The closest they get to having sex is Sally’s faked orgasm in a diner to which a fellow customer remarks “I’ll have what she’s having!” – a line that has gone down in cinema history. Released in 1989 it has been succeeded by a long line of great rom-coms, but probably never been bettered.

La La Land

It’s a well-worn story of struggling actress meets struggling musician in hard-hearted LA. Despite their relationship getting off to a bad start love blossoms. However, as their respective careers begin to take off they find that awkward decision threaten to unravel the dreams they’ve worked so hard to nurture. It’s a well worn story but Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and writer/director Damien Chazelle tell it with so much charm, verve and style that one cannot help but fall in love with the two stars, the music and LA itself. Watch it and you’ll see why it won an amazing 6 Oscars.

Clueless

Another teen drama, again a retelling of a literary classic (Emma, by Jane Austen). Cher, played to cute perfection by Alicia Silverstone, is a shallow, rich, materialistic and socially successful high school student with a heart of gold and a wardrobe to die for. She also has a meddlesome streak. After coaxing two teachers into dating each other she decides to give hopelessly klutzy new student Tai a makeover. So successful are the results that Tai replaces Cher at the top of the pecking order – which gives our heroine pause for thought. Realising that her disapproving ex-stepbrother Josh was right to criticise her past behaviour she resolves to become a better person. In the process she realises she’s in love with him…but can he be persuaded to overcome his earlier antipathy?

How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days

Advertising executive Ben Barry is so cocky about his romantic prowess that he bets his workmates he can make any woman fall in love with him. Unfortunately he meets advice columnist Andie Anderson. She has a different agenda – to write a piece that highlights dating “don’ts” and get a man to dump her within 10 days. It’s an unlikely situation but suspend your initial disbelief and you are in for a lot of laughs. The outcome is predictable but there’s plenty of fun and games on the way.

Need some more ideas?

If you’ve already seen all six of these movies then call us and we’ll suggest some more – we love rom-coms at Clevedon Hall!