Inspiration can come in many forms. Browsing Pinterest for hundreds and hundreds of table scapes. Scrolling through your Instagram feed, searching #dreamwedding and tons of other hashtags to find that one post. Discovering new ideas and figuring out what you want for your wedding takes a lot of time and effort!
Every Bride and Groom-to-be deserves a little break here and there to relax. So pop that popcorn, curl up on the couch, and get ready to press play on these Top 12 Wedding Movies that are sure to inspire and provide some much needed comedic relief.
1. The Birdcage
Campy, comical and cutting-edge are just a few words to describe this 1996 cult classic. Nathan Lane and Robin Williams star as a Miami Beach drag bar owning couple who are surprised with their son’s engagement news and a visit from his future politically conservative in-laws. To mask their relationship, Nathan Lane masquerades as the wife of Robin Williams, Katherine and the couple introduce themselves as the “Coleman’s” as opposed to their Jewish name, “Goldman.” They almost pull it off, until the real Katherine arrives and everything is revealed. The movie ends with a large church wedding blending the varying cultures. The gay Jewish fathers, their friends in drag and the Catholic conservatives, all together as We are Family plays in the background.
9/10. Not entirely wedding themed but still a wild and fun movie for everyone!
2. Bridesmaids
From the dress fittings to the bachelorette party, Bridesmaids is the perfect example of Murphy’s Law and that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. After numerous mishaps and the inevitable missing bride on the day-of, the movie ends with an elaborate, over-the-top ceremony on top of a pool with huge florals, neon displays and lights in the background. Not to mention the surprise guest performance of “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips.
10/10! Overall hilarious movie to watch with YOUR bridesmaids before the big day.
3. The Wedding Date
Attending a wedding alone is not everyone’s cup of tea, but your younger sister’s wedding where your ex-fiance is the best man?! No thank you. This leads Kat (Debra Messing) to take it upon herself to hire a male escort, Nick (Dermot Mulroney), to travel across the Atlantic to pretend to be her latest beau throughout the wedding festivities. After having to keep up with the charade and learning of a secret infidelity all weekend, Kat’s younger sister Amy marries her husband in a classic English countryside garden party affair, complete with a few lavish hats and a beautiful setting.
7/10 because sisters before misters!
4. Father of the Bride
Where to even begin! In this Nancy Meyers retelling of the story of Annie & George Banks (played by Steve Martin & Kimberly Williams-Paisley), the viewer is brought along as the father of the bride struggles with coming to terms with his only daughter getting married and beginning the next chapter of her life. The iconic planner Franck Eggelhoffer, played by Martin Short, plans an outrageous and expensive wedding full of live swans, ice sculptures and the rare snowfall in Southern California. This classic tale brings both tears of joy and laughter and the early 90’s Norman Rockwell-esque aesthetic will make everyone dream of one day saying “I Do” in a pair of custom basketball shoes.
12/10 for transcending time and being a fan favorite for all ages.
5. The Wedding Planner
Mary Fiore (Jennifer Lopez) is a career-driven wedding planner seeking out to become a partner at her company when she is hired for Fran (Cameron Diaz) and Steve’s (Matthew McConaughey) high-society wedding. But once Mary meets Steve, she comes to find out that the two have previously met after she was a patient of his after a brief traffic incident a few days prior. The two are drawn to each other throughout the movie, but are both engaged to other people to be married on the same day. After confiding in his wife-to-be just moments before their wedding, Steve runs to stop Mary before she weds and the two finally get their first kiss.
9/10. All the makings of a classic, early 2000s rom-com, but a professional wedding planner would never!
6. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
If you come from a big family, you can relate to this movie, especially if you come from a very vocal Greek family! This movie is laugh out loud funny, from the conflicting cultures of the Portokalos family and the Miller’s to the overbearing and often opinionated aunts. Toula walks down the aisle following her bridesmaids in a Greek Orthodox church, while family spits on her for good luck. The reception is full of blues & whites, a very ostentatious cake and enough to feed a village.
9.5/10. -0.5 for the perms!
7. Bride Wars
This movie really shows that planning a wedding yourself can be overwhelming and bring out the worst in people, even lifelong best friends. Liv & Emma (played by Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson, respectively) battle it out for their spot to get married at the classic Plaza Hotel in New York City. When a scheduling error occurs, and they are forced to choose over picking a new date in the distant future or getting married on the same day, the bickering brides choose the latter and all hell breaks loose! From a botched spray tan to an updo that turns blue, both brides show their true colors. In the end, both brides gear up to get married across the hall from one another when amends are made and only Liv gets married in a modern, rock-esque style ceremony and reception.
7/10. For allowing a wedding and the pettiness get the best of them.
8. Sweet Home Alabama
Everyone dreams of leaving town and changing their name at least once in their life, but not everyone is fashion designer Melanie Carmichael (formerly known as Melanie Smooter) played by Reese Witherspoon. When Melanie becomes engaged to the son of a high-profile New York politician, her wedding and her past become front-page news. Melanie is forced to go back home to Alabama to reconcile with friends, family and an estranged husband. Once her past is revealed, the wedding still goes on as planned at the famous Carmichael estate where Melanie claimed to be raised. It was a classic ceremony full of Southern charm and elegance but was interrupted when she found out she was the one who never actually signed the divorce papers. In a wild turn of events, she realizes that her first husband was the one for her and they get married in a no frills, country bar wedding with only those closest to them.
10/10 for sticking to your roots!
9. Crazy Rich Asians
This movie has everything: the overbearing mother-in-law to be, extravagant wealth beyond your wildest imagination, an all-star Asian cast and a beautiful story of culture and tradition. Although the wedding featured in the movie was not of the main character, Rachel Chu, she still played a vital role in being a newcomer in a very structured high society. The wedding ceremony was jaw-droppingly breathtaking with a live singer and music as the bride walked down a floating aisle with lily pads and lotus flowers surrounding her in a very east Asian fashion. Luxurious florals and jungle-inspired greenery were spread throughout the iconic Marina Bay Sands building in Singapore and live performances brought in the fanfare.
11/10. A+ for representation & a stunning visual experience.
10. 27 Dresses
A classic tale of always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Literally. Katherine Heigl’s character is famous for her selfless personality and dedication to being a part of all of her friends’ weddings, which includes the often themed and tacky dresses that come with it. This only escalates when she is asked to be the maid-of-honor for her younger sister and the man she was already smitten with. The movie finishes with the main character marrying a wedding columnist who wrote about her collection of dresses before, in a stunning beachfront wedding with all 27 bridesmaids in their selection of dresses by her side.
8/10. Unrealistic, who has time to be a part of 27 weddings! +1 point for the iconic Bennie & the Jets scene.
11. Runaway Bride
It’s normal to get cold feet, but fleeing the altar 4 different times earns Maggie Carpenter (Julia Roberts) the moniker of the Runaway Bride. Ike (Richard Gere) is a columnist who learns of the infamous runaway bride from one of her previous victims and travels to Maryland to redeem his credibility and to write about Maggie as she attempts to wed Bob Kelly, a local high school football coach played by Christopher Meloni. The two grow fond of each other while Ike tags along with Maggie throughout the wedding planning process and at the rehearsal, it’s Ike who shares a kiss with Maggie at the altar instead of Bob. Maggie & Ike decide to take advantage of the already planned wedding for the next day but when the time comes, Maggie takes off on a FedEx truck. This film uses comedy and romance to highlight the fact that Maggie never was truly herself, but the person she thought she had to be for her fiance. Ike and Maggie finally reconcile and end up happily ever after, in an intimate, hill-top ceremony with no fanfare at all.
10/10. A Richard Gere + Julia Roberts combo never fails!
12. Jumping the Broom
Sabrina (Paula Patton) and Jason (Laz Alonso) come from two very different worlds but after six months of dating, decide to wed at Sabrina’s parents Hampton’s estate. When Jason’s family arrives, his mother Pam (Loretta Devine) is thrown off by the display of wealth exhibited by Sabrina’s parents, Claudine (Angela Bassett) and Greg (Brian Stokes Mitchell). The film only escalates when Pam learns the truth about Sabrina’s mom and when the debate about whether or not the couple will jump the broom or not. Tensions rise and everything is revealed at the rehearsal dinner, leading the families to learn that even though they come from different backgrounds, it doesn’t change the fact that everyone experiences the good and bad in life. Sabrina and Jason jump the broom in a blissful beach wedding, with a very Hampton’s style reception complete with bright whites and light blues.
9.5/10. -0.5 for choosing the Hamptons over the equally stunning Outer Banks!