What's the #1 wedding movie of all time? My most recent contest, hosted by NJWedding.com, revealed the winner: the Steve Martin re-make of "Father of the Bride." You might have guessed "The Wedding Singer" with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore or "The Wedding Planner" with Jennifer Lopez? Those movies came in 2nd and 3rd respectively. Clearly, our contest entrants thought a father's love for his daughter and difficulty 'letting her go' was a far more sentimental theme than finding true romantic love.
The responses got me thinkingwhat are the deep and meaningful lessons learned from the favorite wedding movies of all time? Here are just a few:
"Father of the Bride" (the Steve Martin re-make of the original starring Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor)
- A Father will always see you as 'his little girl.' No matter how old you are, how successful, how self-sufficient you are, a father who loves you will always be protective of you.
- It's extremely hard for a father to 'let go' of you. But as the movie shows, there's no 'letting go' necessary. The bride will always adore a loving father.
"The Wedding Planner"
- Life (and love) cannot be strictly controlled or micro-managed. Anyone who's trying to do that is just showing how little control they have over their own lives.and how afraid they are.
- It takes courage to love again after a heartbreakbut it will come to you when you least expect it.
- You don't have to go through with a wedding just because plans have been made (and a LOT of money spent.) If it feels wrong to you both, just wish each other well, hop in that cab and go find the life that's waiting for you.
"The Wedding Singer"
- The song 'I Want to Grow Old With You' that Adam Sandler's character sings on the plane encapsulates what's really important. It's not about planning a wedding, it's about the relationship, finding that person you want to grow old with.
"Runaway Bride"
- True love isn't coming to you if you keep reinventing yourself to fit your relationships, and somewhere deep down inside, you know it. That's what makes you run. You need to really know yourself (as in, find out how you like your eggs!) before you can really connect with another.
"Monsoon Wedding"
- True love transcends race, class, cultural conflict. No matter what's going on around the couple, it doesn't touch the love they share.
"My Big Fat Greek Wedding"
- Our families, and our rich and meaningful cultural traditions, are all a part of who we are. Even if they make us crazy sometimes, nothing beats those moments when we're surrounded by all the people who have loved us our entire lives.
Sharon Naylor is the author of over 30 wedding planning books and is the Q&A specialist at NJWedding.com. Sharon will answer any wedding-related questions at www.njwedding.com/expertadvice. She is a resident of Morristown, New Jersey. To view and purchase any of Sharon's helpful books, click here to visit the NJWedding.com WedStore!
To view some more favorite wedding movies (including some mentioned above), click here...
