Best movies about weddings

By Bryanne Salazar 10:22am PST, Jan 27, 2021

"The Wedding Planner"

Movies about weddings have a way of renewing our faith in love. In the 2001 rom-com "The Wedding Planner," Mary (Jennifer Lopez) is a career-focused woman whose life's work is planning other people's weddings. Yet she's never been able to find her own Mr. Right. That changes when handsome doctor Steve (Matthew McConaughey) saves her life, leaving them both with stars in their eyes. But just as Mary begins to imagine a life of love, she learns Steve is the groom-to-be for the biggest wedding account she's ever landed. In honor of the film's 20th anniversary on Jan. 26, 2021, Wonderwall.com is taking a look at the best wedding films over the years. Keep reading to see which matrimonial movies had us saying "I do"…

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Remember how our hearts skipped a beat when a down-on-his-luck entertainer named Robbie (Adam Sandler) rushed to stop the woman he loved (Drew Barrymore) from marrying the wrong man in "The Wedding Singer"? Not only did the movie incorporate a killer '80s soundtrack, but it reminded us that sometimes on the road to love, things can get a little bumpy.

"Crazy Rich Asians"

In 2018's "Crazy Rich Asians," audiences not only pay witness to what is perhaps one of the most gorgeous fictional weddings of all time (re: that aisle river with gorgeous hanging lights?!), but they also get to see Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) and Nick Young's (Henry Golding) love story unfold. When Rachel accepts her boyfriend's invitation to attend his best friend's wedding in Singapore, she has no idea of what she's getting herself into. Unbeknownst to her, she's dating one of the country's wealthiest, most sought-after bachelors. From an extravagant bachelorette party to an equally stunning wedding ceremony, this romantic comedy serves up some serious wedding inspo.

"Bridesmaids"

The 2011 romantic comedy "Bridesmaids" wasn't just about finding romantic love but about sustaining best-friend love. Starring Ellie Kemper, Melissa McCarthy and Wendi McLendon-Covey as well as Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig, this hilarious wedding story had us laughing till it hurt (especially during the jaw-dropping dress-fitting scene). Seriously, if you still haven't seen this movie, you're missing out on one of the greatest female-friendship love stories of all time.

"My Best Friend's Wedding"

In the 1997 romantic comedy "My Best Friend's Wedding," Julia Roberts stars as Julianne, a woman who realizes she's in love with her best friend, Michael (Dermot Mulroney) — who happens to be engaged to a young college girl named Kimmy (Cameron Diaz). Julianne is intent on breaking up the wedding but her plan hits a snag when Kimmy asks her to be the maid of honor.

"Mamma Mia!"

In the 2008 movie musical "Mamma Mia!," Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) wants to figure out who her father is, so she invites her mother's (Meryl Streep) past lovers to her wedding, hoping one will turn out to be her dad and walk her down the aisle. Though it's all leading up to what happens on her wedding day, it's the storyline between Sophie and her mom that really gives us all the feels. Bonus: On July 20, 2018, the sequel, "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again," debuts in theaters!

"Love Rosie"

While we adore Lily Collins in Netflix's "Emily in Paris," we can't help but think fondly of her performance in this romantic comedy. 2014's "Love Rosie" follows the titular character as she comes of age. From having her aspirations of attending an American university put on pause due to an impromptu pregnancy to finally realizing her own feelings for her best friend — only to find out he's engaged — Rosie experiences a series of formative events throughout the film. One thing remains certain, though — her undying love for her high school bestie, Alex (Sam Claflin). One of the romantic comedy's most heart-wrenching moments? Seeing Rosie watch the love of her life marry someone else.

"Bride Wars"

What happens when two best friends decide to get married at the same exclusive venue on the exact same day? Pure chaos. That's the premise of 2009's "Bride Wars" starring Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson as lifelong BFFs who suddenly find themselves at odds when they start competing over their big days.

"My Big Fat Greek Wedding"

John Corbett and Nia Vardalos star as Ian and Toula in the 2002 romantic dramedy "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." When Ian falls for Toula, he quickly discovers that her big, loud and opinionated Greek family are part of the package. In order to gain Toula's hand in marriage, he first has to win over her relatives (and they won't make it easy).

"Jumping the Broom"

In the 2011 comedic drama "Jumping the Broom," Paula Patton stars as Sabrina, a lawyer who comes from a well-to-do family but hasn't had an easy time with love. All that changes when she meets Jason (played by Laz Alonso), a handsome man from a less affluent family who sweeps her off her feet. When the couple decides to marry, they discover that their very different upbringings are causing drama between their families and creating a roadblock to their shot at happily ever after.

"About Time"

What if you had the power to travel through time whenever you pleased? Richard Curtis's 2013 film "About Time" explores that reality. Led by Domhnall Gleeson, the romantic drama-comedy follows a man's mission to fall in love and the ways he uses time travel to achieve this. Of course, the film includes an adorable wedding scene in which Rachel McAdams, who plays Mary, wears a statement red dress.

"The Wedding Crashers"

Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson star as Jeremy and John, two divorce mediators who spend their off hours crashing weddings, fibbing about their careers, sipping free drinks and romancing bridesmaids in 2005's "The Wedding Crashers." Things take an unexpected twist when John falls for a bridesmaid, leaving Jeremy to fend for himself with a clingy one-night stand who thinks they're in love.

"The Proposal"

In the 2009 romantic comedy "The Proposal," Sandra Bullock plays Margaret, a boss from hell who makes her assistant, Andrew (Ryan Reynolds), hate his life and career. When Margaret learns she's being deported back to Canada, she schemes up a plot to marry Andrew to stay in the U.S., threatening him with the prospect of unemployment if she's sent away. To keep immigration officials off her tail, the fake couple are forced to fly to his hometown in Alaska to share their wedding news. What neither expects, however, is that they just might actually fall in love.

"Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates"

2016's "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" starring Adam Devine and Zac Efron tells the story of two brothers who notoriously get out of hand at family functions. As their younger sister's wedding looms, the brothers take to Craigslist to find dates who will keep them out of trouble. What they don't realize, however, is that both women they recruited (Aubrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick) are far from timid — they're major partiers themselves!

"Monsoon Wedding"

In the 2001 dramatic comedy "Monsoon Wedding," Vasundhara Das stars as Aditi, a young Indian woman caught between her culture's traditions and her heart. When her family arranges for her to be married to a man she's only just met, she must find a way to honor their wishes and end the forbidden relationship she's been carrying on with her married boss.

"The Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement"

In 2004's "The Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement," Princess Mia of Genovia (Anne Hathaway) discovers she must find an eligible suitor and marry him in less than 30 days or she'll lose her family's claim to the throne. In a rush to find the right man, Mia is torn between a sweet, handsome bachelor and the annoyingly cute Nicholas (Chris Pine), who will inherit the throne if Mia doesn't find a husband.

"The Wedding Ringer"

In the 2015 comedy "The Wedding Ringer," Josh Gad stars as Doug Harris, a socially awkward groom who's about to get married to the love of his life, Gretchen (Kaley Cuoco). The only problem? He doesn't have a single friend in the world to be his best man. Desperate to hide this embarrassing reality from his fiancée, Doug turns to Jimmy Callahan (Kevin Hart), who runs a best-man-for-hire service. Their paid friendship shows Doug just how much he's missing in his life by not having bros of his own.

"Four Weddings and a Funeral"

In the 1994 romantic comedy "Four Weddings and a Funeral," Charles (Hugh Grant), a Brit determined to remain single, discovers he just might be in love with Carrie (Andie MacDowell), a beautiful American who continually crosses his path at various friends' weddings and, yes, a funeral. It just takes standing at the altar with someone else for him to finally realize it.

"Father of the Bride"

In the 1991 family comedy "Father of the Bride," Steve Martin and Kimberly Williams-Paisley play George and Annie, a father and daughter who share the closest of bonds. Things become complicated when Annie returns home from a semester abroad with news that she's engaged to be married. Suddenly, George has to face the reality of letting his little girl grow up. It's a remake of the original 1950 film starring Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor.

"Runaway Bride"

After making "Pretty Women," the magnetic duo of Julia Roberts and Richard Gere reunited in the 1999 romantic comedy "Runaway Bride." In the 1999 film, Julia plays Maggie Carpenter, a woman with a reputation for ditching her grooms at the altar. Richard stars as Ike Graham, a reporter sent to Maggie's hometown to write a story about her — but ends up (despite his best efforts) falling head-over-heels in love.

"The Best Man"

In the 1999 dramatic comedy "The Best Man," old college friends are put to the test when Harper (Taye Diggs) writes a saucy novel using them as inspiration. As the friends reunite for the wedding of one of their own, Harper is forced to face a longstanding attraction he's felt for a girl named Jordan (Nia Long, center) even though he's already in a committed relationship with another woman.

"27 Dresses"

In the 2008 romantic comedy "27 Dresses," Katherine Heigl stars as Jane, a woman who's perpetually the bridesmaid, never the bride. When the man she's secretly in love with falls for her sister, Jane is forced to face the possibility that she'll never have her own happily ever after — at least until a cynical stranger named Kevin (James Marsden) with an infectious smile convinces her otherwise.

"Bride & Prejudice"

The 2004 musical dramedy "Bride & Prejudice" is an East-meets-West adaptation of the Jane Austen classic "Pride and Prejudice." When rich American William Darcy (Martin Henderson) travels to India with his friend to take part in a wedding, he meets the beautiful Lalita (Aishwarya Rai), a modern Indian woman who comes from a very traditional family. As the two get to know each other, sparks fly, but their different cultures (and Lalita's upcoming arranged marriage) may prove to be more than they can handle.

"The Wedding Date"

Admittedly, the 2005 romantic comedy "The Wedding Date" is a lot like "Pretty Woman" (in reverse). Debra Messing stars as Kat, a single woman who's anxious about showing up to her sister's wedding in London without a date. Not knowing who to turn to, Kat places an ad in the paper for an escort to pretend to be her boyfriend at the wedding. Much to her delight, the ad is answered by a handsome man named Nick (Dermot Mulroney) who slowly but surely convinces her that she's capable of real love.

"Made of Honor"

In 2008's "Made of Honor," Tom (Patrick Dempsey) is an admitted playboy. While he has no problem seducing any number of women, he's always kept a place in his heart for his best friend, Hannah (Michelle Monaghan). When Hannah travels to Scotland on business, Tom realizes that he's actually in love with her. Deciding to tell her when she returns, Tom is startled to learn Hannah got engaged while she was away. What's worse is that she wants Tom to be her maid of honor.

"The Five-Year Engagement"

In 2012's "The Five-Year Engagement," Tom (Jason Segel) and Violet (Emily Blunt) are a loving couple who become engaged on their one-year anniversary. As they begin to plan their wedding, obstacles keep arising, causing them to postpone their big day. After years of continually having to adjust their plans, Tom and Violet begin to doubt their relationship and realize they might not be meant to walk down the aisle after all.

"Love Wedding Repeat"

Led by Sam Claflin, Olivia Munn and Eleanor Tomlinson, 2020's quirky romantic comedy "Love Wedding Repeat" delivers various perspectives of the same wedding day. On the day of his baby sister's nuptials, protective older brother Jack does everything in his power to ensure things go smoothly… which of course does not happen!

"License to Wed"

Long before Mandy Moore made us weep weekly on "This Is Us," she was holding her own on the big screen starring in numerous romantic comedies like 2007's "License to Wed" with John Krasinski and Robin Williams. In the film, Mandy plays Sadie, a young woman in love with her new fiance, Ben (played by John). When the couple decides their wedding venue can only be one specific church, they first have to get permission from Rev. Frank (played by Robin), who will only allow the ceremony if the couple goes through his extensive (and weird) marriage prep class.

"The Wedding Banquet"

One of the lesser-known but totally worthwhile wedding-themed films is the 1993 comedy "The Wedding Banquet" starring Mitchell Lichtenstein, Winston Chao and May Chin. When building owner Wai-Tung's traditional Chinese parents pressure him to get married, he's faced with a major problem. Not able to tell them that he's gay and in a committed relationship with his partner, Simon, he decides to marry one of his Chinese tenants, giving her the chance to stay in America and him the chance to satisfy his parents' wishes.

"Monster-in-Law"

Playing on the trope of the mean mother-in-law comes the 2005 romantic comedy "Monster-in-Law." When Charlotte (Jennifer Lopez) is introduced to her fiance's very famous mother, Viola (Jane Fonda), she quickly realizes that she's not going to be welcomed into the family with open arms. As Charlotte tries to win Viola over, Viola is secretly plotting to ruin their marriage plans.