The Ultimate Wedding Movie Watchlist
Movies are a great place for wedding inspiration. This is the ultimate wedding movie watchlist to help inspire your wedding design ideas.
A record amount of snow hit Boise yesterday, nearly 7 inches overnight! Now I know this is nothing compared to those hunkering down in North Dakota (a colleague of mine got over two feet one night last week) or Minnesota this winter, but still it’s a lot. Even though I’ve lived in snowy places throughout my life (Hello Colorado circa 1999), too much snow leaves me feeling a bit like Renee Zellweger in this scene of “New in Town”.
How I feel about winter sometimes. Credit
Speaking of movies and freezing cold (yesterday the high was 16 degrees), movie watching is the perfect winter activity (aside from all the actual snow-based activities like sledding, snowman building, boarding, skiing and eating cups of snow covered in maple syrup <<< a tradition from my childhood in Colorado). Today I cozied up in a giant blanket, with my latest hot chocolate recipe (see below), and enjoyed a movie in bed.
Date hot chocolate + movie time
Date Hot Chocolate Recipe
Ingredients
3 pitted dates
1.5 tbsp raw cacao powder
¼ cup coconut milk
1 cup boiling hot water
Himalayan salt, chili powder, and cinnamon to taste
Directions
Put all ingredients into a blender (make sure you have a blender that is safe to pour hot liquids into)
I like to let the boiling water sit on the dates for a few minutes to help soften the dates
Blend it up (blend twice to avoid date chunks)
Add spices to taste
Okay, now that you have your hot coco ready grab your favorite blanket, cozy on up, and allow me to share my love of movies with you.
I watch movies like other people read books. I use it as a way to escape to another world and to live out my love for New York, weddings, and women with powerful careers. I assure you there’s not a romantic comedy created between 1989-present day that I haven’t seen. Nora Ephron and Nancy Meyers have made some of my favorites. With both of them having created some of, in my opinion, the best rom-coms of all time (see: You’ve Got Mail, When Harry Met Sally, It’s Complicated, The Holiday, The Parent Trap remake…and more). Can I just say that when I was a kid, and probably still a little bit as an adult, I thought Meredith Blake was the epitome of beauty...sigh. Maybe this is where my love of red lipstick comes from?
All this to say, I have seen A LOT of movies and a lot of movies with weddings. Below I have categorized some of my favorite movies that feature weddings.
The Best Movies Featuring Weddings
Traditional: Father of the Bride + My Best Friend’s Wedding
Father of the Bride - Diane Keaton, Steve Martin, and Kimberly Williams-Paisley star in this remake. Note the mother-of-the-bride dress in the original Father of the Bride film from 1950 with Elizabeth Taylor is truly magnificent. The remake however, holds my heart. The house, the overprotective father, the wedding planner (played by the talented Martin Short) - it’s a delight. Plus, this movie is bringing ALL THE 90s VIBES! It boasts a very 1990s traditional ceremony in a church (those pink bridesmaids dresses, the real candles, the bows - squeal!), paired with a stunning backyard wedding. My favorite wedding moment? Watch until the very end to see how the reception tent is made out of twinkle lights, oh my gosh - I cannot with this intimate reception!
My Best Friend’s Wedding - Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, and Dermot Mulroney. This drop dead gorgeous trio leads you through the full wedding experience. From dress fittings (why yes, the seamstress is the same actress who plays the mechanic Gypsy in Gilmore Girls), to a hilarious rehearsal dinner, followed by a dramatic pre-wedding brunch, and finally the wedding itself - this movie has it all. This evening wedding features a classic white tent with white linens throughout. Though I’m not sure why both the wedding dress and the maid of honor dress have fabric flowers in the armpits…was this a thing in the late 90s? Also, the maid of honor dress reminds me of the sparkly purple dress Ariel wears in the original Little Mermaid movie and I always found that dress to be magical. Anyways, my favorite wedding moment is when they are driving away in the getaway car and all the fireworks go off - so magical. And the scene with Cameron Diaz and Julia Roberts talking about Jello. Also, when Mulroney comes back and says goodbye to Roberts…I’m not crying, you’re crying!
Over the Top: Crazy Rich Asians
The tall meadow grasses, the acoustic music, the floral design, the lanterns, the firefly lights, and THE WATER!!! Oh my goodness, the water! I cannot get over this scene. I have seen a LOT of weddings in movies, and in person, and never have I ever seen something anywhere close to this. If you haven’t seen it, I beg of you to watch the wedding scene. My favorite wedding moment? When the main characters mouth “I love you” to one another as the bride is preparing to walk down the aisle. I know, it has nothing to do with the design part, but it gets me every time.
Modern: Notting Hill
Now I know I already have Julia Roberts movies on this list, but that’s because she is the best and there’s no denying that. Nope, don’t even try. This movie boasts some great one liners and the roommate, played by Rhys Ifan, will have you cracking up throughout.
Unless you watch until the very end, you will miss the very short wedding scene. Every time I see this movie, the wedding catches me off guard because it has such a modern feeling. While the wedding dress is not my personal style, I find it intriguing because it’s just so unique. While I don’t have a favorite wedding moment from this movie because that scene is so short, my favorite quote from it has to be, “Happiness isn’t happiness without a violin playing goat.” Watch it, you’ll love it.
“Happiness isn’t happiness without a violin playing goat.”
Boho Wedding: Mamma Mia
You’re singing already, I can tell. This ode to Abba musical will have you dancing, singing, and wondering just how in the world Pierce Brosnan keeps getting cast in musical roles. Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried (who I once saw walking down 23rd Avenue in Portland) play a mother daughter duo in this musical film. The boho vibes in this wedding are unparalleled - her hair, the dress, the location. My favorite wedding moment from this movie has to be the ceremony location - an ancient church on top of a hill overlooking the Mediterranean #weddinggoals.
Outdoor Wedding: Fools Rush In
Fools Rush In - Selma Hayek and the late great Matthew Perry star in this 1997 underrated rom-com. Not only is this one of my top 5 favorite movies EVER MADE, it also has my favorite movie quote:
My older sister and I used to watch this movie religiously on Taco Tuesdays when we lived together. I haven’t been able to watch it since Perry’s passing and maybe it won’t quite feel the same knowing he is gone next time I do watch it, but this movie will always have a place in my heart. Of course, it also features New York City at Christmas time which is on my bucket list of things to experience. My favorite wedding moment? The location and the music. The ceremony is on top of the Grand Canyon (can you imagine the photos!?!) and the song “Can’t Help Falling in Love” has become such a popular first dance song in the wedding world. Personally, I like Elvis’s version, but there are a lot of good remakes of this song out there too. One of my best friend’s first wedding dances was to “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Haley Reinhart. It was a beautiful moment (see for yourself below!).
Beach Wedding: - 27 Dresses
James Marsden (who I think is oh-so cute) and Katherine Heigel star in this movie, along with Malin Akerman (loved her in the TV series “Trophy Wife”) and Judy Greer (who always seems to be cast as the hilarious best friend). There are lots of wedding scenes in this movie…maybe not 27, but still a lot. Katherine Heigel’s character plays a perpetual bridesmaid longing for her own dream wedding day with none other than her boss who ends up falling in love with her sister - oh the drama. I also love love love the scene where they’re stuck at a bar and end up singing Elton John on the bar top. My favorite wedding related moment in this movie (aside from the fact it takes place in New York and the idea of a wedding in the boathouse in Central Park is so dreamy to me) is the gothic wedding for the lead character’s co-worker. Why? Because I love weddings that feel like a true representation of the couple getting married. Hate the idea of a white dress? Skip it and wear black. Personally, I would wear red (like this one) if I were to get married today. See, this is why I watch movies to live out all my wedding fantasies, much more affordable than paying to throw multiple weddings.
All the Weddings: - The Wedding Planner + Runaway Bride
The Wedding Planner - If you’re not sure what wedding vibe you’re feeling for your movie day, this is a great go-to. This movie features Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Chambers (pre Dr. Karev days) and again the hilarious Judy Greer. In this movie, Jennifer Lopez plays a type-A wedding planner looking to become a partner at the design firm she works for in San Francisco. My favorite wedding moment from this movie includes all the “behind the scenes” perspectives of what being wedding planning really entails (helping a bride-to-be remove the self tanner that turned out to be such a mistake, sourcing the perfect flowers, feeding the best man their speech at the reception). I also really love the wedding dresses in this movie and the birdcage veil worn to the courthouse ceremony by Jennifer Lopez. Oh oh and the scene where Jennifer Lopez describes what type of wedding she pictures for the main couple. She says she imagines tents that are “thin enough you can see the stars”. And the scene with the statue garden…okay I have a lot of favorites from this one.
Runaway Bride - Alright, Ms. Roberts ended up in this post 3 times, but as I mentioned before, you cannot argue with greatness. This movie features a lot of different wedding styles. From a rock and roll Woodstock vibe wedding, to traditional Catholic wedding , to an outdoor wedding where she rides away on her own horse - it will really get your wedding design wheels turning. This movie is about finding out who you are and how to not lose person once you get married. The vows said in the fourth and final wedding this this movie are so good, I have it as another one of my favorite wedding movie quotes.
Also, Joan Cusack is hilarious and I love her in this movie. My favorite wedding moment is just overall how she refuses to settle for anything, but exactly what she wants, but the scene in the church where she’s calming down in front of the fan...classic. Aside from the vows at the very end, her dress in that scene (amazing) and the dress from the scene in the bridal shop where she sways like a bell (also amazing). This wedding features rural America (where I grew up) and of course it also features New York City. Mostly taking place in the fall which is my favorite season. This movie is quoted A LOT in my family.
So next time you are stuck inside with 7 inches of snow or you’re just wanting a chill day, you now have a list of the perfect movies to choose from based on the type of wedding they feature. Maybe this is just a me thing? If you’re into weddings as much as me, share in the comments your favorite wedding-based movie!
Happy movie watching!
~Amanda Jean