Archive for January, 2010

10 of the best wedding movies of all time

OK, so we’re not professional movie reviewers, but if you’re in the middle of your wedding planning, there is nothing better then to chill out and watch a great wedding movie, so for those who are wondering which is the best, here’s a list of 10 if the best wedding movies of all time.

Four Weddings and a Funeral
Ok, so this one is a little about funerals as well as wedding, but hey, Hugh Grant is at his bumbling best in this feel-good farce about whether or not to tie the knot. British filmmakers showed Hollywood how to make quality a romantic comedy movie and Oscar nominations soon followed.

The Wedding Singer
Possibly the most fun and romantic wedding movie of them all, Adam Sandler plays the Wedding Singer and Drew Barrymore a waitress, they first meet at someone else’s wedding where they are both working. They soon meet again, when Barrymore is making plans for her own wedding, even though deep inside she feels that she’s “settling” for security rather then true love. Meanwhile Sandler finds out about the two-timing groom to be, when the he starts to brag about his adventures with every sexy girl that comes his way. Secretly in love with Barrymore, Sandler eventually sweeps her off her feet. Cracking 80′s soundtrack makes this a must see.

The Wedding Planner
The wonderfully sexy Jennifer Lopez portrays a successful wedding planner in Manhatten who is successful in her career but apparently unlucky in love. That is of course until she meets with her knight in shining armour (Matthew McConaughey). The only problem here is that Matthew is getting married to one of her new wedding planning clients and she may very well be doomed to a loveless life married to some loser from high school who used to pick on her.

My Best Friend’s Wedding
A 28-year-old woman (Julia Roberts), years earlier made a pact with her closest male friend (Dermot Mulroney) that if neither were married in the next ten years time they would marry one another. However, he ends up asking her to be his “best man” and she agrees, planning to go to the ceremony and then break up the couple before they exchange their vows.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Great fun, this movie is centered on Fotoula “Toula” Portokalos, a Greek-American woman, who falls in love with a non-Greek protestant fellow, Ian Miller.
Toula is going through an early midlife crisis. At thirty, she is the only woman in her family who has “failed”: her family expects her to “marry a Greek, have Greek babies and feed everyone, constantly.” Instead, Toula is stuck working in the family restaurant. In contrast to her “perfect” sister, Athena, Toula is frumpy and cynical. She fears she’s doomed to be stuck with her life as it is.

Father of the Bride
Steve Martin stars as George Banks, a wealthy upper-class businessman living in Suburban America with a gentle wife (played by Diane Keaton) and feisty son. His oldest daughter has finally grown up and departed the family home, and the day she comes home with a fiancée the father literally has a panic attack. Steve Martin plays the role of the father losing his only daughter brilliantly. Funny, warm and enjoyable to the end.

Muriel’s Wedding
The movie is about Muriel (Toni Collette), an ugly-duckling character, and her one motivation in life – to get married. Her motivation arises from the fact that all of her friends from high-school, the ones she tries so hard to fit in with, are walking up the aisle. Muriel thinks she finally has her chance when the bouquet from one of her friend’s wedding lands in her hands. The movie is well-backed by an ABBA soundtrack that fits the theme rather appropriately.

Runaway Bride
Another Julia Roberts wedding movie, where she plays a spirited and attractive young woman who has had a number of unsuccessful relationships. Maggie, scared of commitment, has left three men waiting for her in church on their wedding day (all of which are caught on tape), receiving tabloid fame and the dubious nickname “Runaway Bride”. Big shot reporter Ike Graham (played by Richard Gere), writes a column about her that contains several factual errors, and is fired for not verifying his sources. He then decides to write an in-depth article about Maggie in a bid to get his job back by travelling to Maryland, where he finds her on her fourth attempt to become married.

27 Dresses
While working the wedding beat for a New York newspaper, Kevin crosses paths with perennial bridesmaid Jane, who has stood beside 27 brides as she has waited patiently for Mr. Right to come around. Jane loves, her boss George, but can’t work up the courage to tell him. Then Jane’s younger sister, Tess, blows into town. She is introduced to George by Jane at a company party, and they immediately hit it off. Weeks later, they’re engaged to be married, and Tess asks Jane to be her maid of honor .

Corpse Bride
Perhaps not your traditional bridal movie, but still worth a mention in our 10 best wedding movies of all time – Set in a 19th century European village, young Victor is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious Corpse Bride, while his real bride, Victoria, waits bereft in the land of the living. Though life in the Land of the Dead proves to be a lot more colorful than his strict Victorian upbringing, Victor learns that there is nothing in this world, or the next, that can keep him away from his one true love. Even the kids find this tale great fun to watch.

So there you have it, our list of 10 of the best wedding movies of all time. Got any more you want to add or comment on, if so, leave your comments below.

For those of you who have never heard of DJ Mike Porter then you probably aren’t really from Essex at all. Mike is a (now retired) wedding DJ and more well known for his shows on Southend Radio, Essex FM, Time FM and probably more radio shows around Essex that we can’t be bothered to research ourselves at the moment.

Anyway, Mike is now making movies, as well as holding down his day job on Southend Radio, and here is a recent clip from a Channel Five show called My Wedding Day Ruined my Life.

“Absolutely anything can go wrong at a wedding, from the groom getting caught with his pants down, to a bar room brawl, and whatever happens you can guarantee that the trusty wedding DJ will be there to witness it…”

This is our first post of 2010, and it’s been a crazy start to the year. After a fairly quiet December with not too much going on, 2010 has started with a huge bang, plenty of new businesses have already listed their services with us meaning we’re offering more and more options for the brides and grooms of Essex to plan their perfect wedding – and judging by our stats, there are an awful lot of people planning their weddings at the moment.

Perhaps there was a flurry of engagements in Essex over the Christmas period, if you got engaged then just complete the little form to join our mailing list so we can tell you about any special offers that our services have for 2010.

If you’re planning your wedding, and are daunted by the thought of saving up for your wedding budget, then consider something similar to this crazy couple from the States. Pete and Andrea are on a mission, to save up for their wedding that they are planning for July this year, but they are doing it slightly differently by collecting aluminium cans to claim the recycling refund that their state offers for each can.

Andrea Parrish, 25, and Peter Geyer, 29, from Washington, have already collected more than 18,000 cans which are currently sitting in their living room. The couple said: “Saving the environment and throwing a killer party… what could be better?”
Their target is 400,000 cans, and have accepted cans as gifts from well wishers – if they reach their target they will have collected around 5 tonnes of aliminum sitting in their house, an expect to earn around $3800 (£2375) for their efforts.

The pair have even set up their own website to help advertise their mission, so if you’re feeling generous, or just want to have a nose at such a great story, their website is www.weddingcans.com

I’m sure there are plenty of weird and wacky ways to save some money for your wedding day, so if you think you’ve heard of a better one then complete the form below and let us know.