FTF: Five Favorite Films about Weddings

Happy Friday! It’s been yonks since I fired up this bad boy. Five things Friday started way back (I think probably 2013), and I’ve done a few here and there. I’d like to do some more in the future – I love lists so much, and let’s face it, they are so easy to put together! Today’s feature is about the age old institutional – tying the knot. There are so many movies focusing on weddings that it should probably be an entire genre on its’ own. There are so many! I’ve seen a ton, but I’ve never hidden the fact that I am able to enjoy the most gory and the most fluffy films equally as much:)

Let me know about your favorite in the comments section!

 

5: Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement

Number 5 on this list was hotly contested, let me tell you. I ended up choosing The Royal Engagement because I’m such a huge fan of the Princess Diaries. It deviated quite badly from the books, but it managed to be pretty good. Anne Hathaway, Chris Pine and Julie Andrews are a power team in TRE, and the message is a bit lame but also strong – don’t marry for the wrong reasons (something that wasn’t already obvious), and what might seem as the best choice for you probably isn’t what you really want.

4: Wedding Crashers

Can this film make the list? It isn’t about weddings in the way the other films here are about weddings, but it definitely deals with them. This movie is the top point of silly and has some hilarious moments. It is one of the few films where combining Vince Vaughn and Isla Fischer works, and I wouldn’t have thought it possible to combine two such horribly annoying people and get a proper result. The film also stars Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams and Christopher Walken, and those three alone can probably carry any film without too much effort.

3: 27 Dresses (2008)

I actually smashed this movie in the review here. I do enjoy it though, and am frequently worried that I first have to be a bridesmaid 27 times before I get to put on a white dress. Anway, remember that Tinder post I put up? Still getting feedback from it which is great! Back to why I chose this as a favourite – it is about a girl that loves weddings and finds that her partner isn’t what she always expected her spouse to end up as.

2: Runaway Bride (1999)

EEK! I love this movie. The only movie about weddings that could possibly be even more favoured than Runaway Bride is the one listed below. Julia Roberts has always been my girl crush. She’s so beautiful and smiley and talented. I loved Maggie Carpenter’s spirit and love for family and independence. Her matching with Richard Gere always results in chemistry and us wondering why they never made babies together. This film is all about identity and finding yourself before you end up with a partner – quite ahead of its’ time!

1: The Princess Bride (1987)

❤ Is there more to say? This film is everything – Buttercup and Westley and their escape and love story ❤

Honorable mentions:

Mamma Mia (2008)

When asked whether Pierce Brosnan can sing I would immediately think that he’s placed shortly under Rebecca Black for artistic capabilities. However, that didn’t stop him or Colin Firth going at it. This movie is definitely not for everyone. It is firstly a musical. Some of Abba’s most iconic songs get somewhat butchered (okay, a lot), and I’m sure I saw this listed as one of the films that make most heterosexual males feel suicidal. However, if you are game for watching Meryl Streep clearly having the time of her life, pondering why exactly Pierce Brosnan has such piercing blue eyes (he) and just want to watch people dancing and singing about love, this film is definitely something you can watch.

The Five-Year engagement (2012)

I do remember this – it is Emily Blunt and Jason Segel and they are engaged for ages and end up wondering if it is worth it. I actually think long engagements are silly – its’ that thing if the guy is committed you don’t need to worry and I assure you, most modern relationships have enough things going on without having to make it seem more official. This movie didn’t suck at all, and although I can barely remember it, I think I enjoyed it at the time.

Bride Wars (2013)

Despite this film rather pissing me off every time I watch it, I always end up watching it quite often. It is the most stereotypical of the lot, and perpetuates the notion that women turn into Godzillas the moment they get engaged. Just as a fact: the majority of brides I’ve worked with have been friendly and accommodating and calm, so it is once again a case where a few psychos make the entire bunch seem awful. It is also quite below Anne Hathaway to be degraded into the boring girl role – she’s immensely talented and deserves more. But like I said, I end up watching at least once a year for some strange reason, so I obviously don’t hate it that much.

Made of Honour (2008)

I‘d like to watch this again sometime, but I do remember Patrick Dempsey and surprisingly Michelle Monaghan – why did I think it was Selma Blair?? I see this film holds a 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but we all know the raters on there are really just haters. Made of Honor is so not Oscar material, but it was fun at the time!

The Big Wedding (2013)

This cast is impressive AF – De Niro, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon and Robin Williams are joined by a younger cast composed of Amanda Seyfried and Topher Grace. Okay, Katherine Heigl too, and I suspect that reviewers rate her badly on purpose. This movie is not that bad, but it can be seen as a bit boring though.

Father of the Bride (1991)

LOVEEEE. Need to watch again to properly remember and review.

Dishonorable mentions:

Monster-in-law (2005)

One of J-Lo’s better attempts at comedy, though without a doubt still rather low on the list of funny things.

The Wedding Planner (2001)

Read my review here. It is such a stupid film man. I see JLo is quite frequent on this part of the list.

Bridesmaids (2011)

Hmmm. Everyone LOVES this, though I don’t. I need to watch again to make sure this hate is accurate. It is a vulgar film and humour at its worst – just eugh.

Sex and the City – the Movie (2008)

I never saw the show and can tell you jack shit about it. It was before my generation, and the one episode I tested out never caught. I did see the movie though, and it raises a few eyebrows in my head – this couple clearly never heard anything the other said.

Movies I haven’t seen yet:

Big Fat Greek Wedding

The Corpse’s Bride

My Best Friend’s wedding

The Wedding Singer

Well, there you have it. This post turned out way bigger than I thought, and I hoped you had as much fun as I did! Let me know what you thought in the comments below 🙂

December 9, 2016December 2, 2016 by Natasha Categories: 2016, Five Things Friday, Movies, movies, UncategorizedTags: 27 Dresses, Amanda Seyfried, Anne Hathaway, Ben Barnes, Bride Wars, bridesmaids, Colin Firth, Cynthia Nixon, Diane Keaton, Father of The Bride, Five Things Friday, James Marsden, Jane Fonda, Jason Segel, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Julie Andrews, Kate Hudson, Katherine Heigl, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Made of Honor, Matthew McConaughey, Melissa McCartney, Michelle Monghan, Monster In Law, Movies, Owen Wilson, Patrick Dempsey, Pierce Brosnan, Princess Diaries, Richard Gere, Robert DeNiro, Robin Williams, Rose Byrne, Runaway Bride, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sex and The City, Susan Sarandon, The Big Wedding, The Five Year Engagement, The Princess Bride, The Princess Diaries, The Wedding Planner, Topher Grace, Vince Vaughn, Wedding Crashers, Weddings 2 Comments

Movie Review: 27 Dresses (2008)

Plot: After serving as a bridesmaid 27 times, a young woman wrestles with the idea of standing by her sister’s side as her sibling marries the man she’s secretly in love with.

Rating: 6.5/10

27 Dresses is actually a horror film. No really, I found it very weird and entertaining. Imagine being  a bridesmaid 27 times – I can’t think of a better plot synopsis for a horror story.

However, 27 Dresses isn’t marketed as a horror, but actually a romcom, because yes, Judi Greer is again a supporting best friend. She’s allowed now to be a sarcastic best friend, which is the best type to have. We have James Marsden, another frequenter of the romcom scene, and what I can tell you right now is that his dress sense is the most offensive thing about this film – can someone just help him out a bit? He is the angry romantically slighted reporter Kevin Doyle, who sets out to unmask the woman who is involved in so many weddings – a heinous crime, to be sure. Edward Burns is George – the perfect man that would irritate the shit out of anyone in real life, and Malin Ackerman is Tess – sister of main character Jane (seriously inventive names for the lead characters here, wow), and is the prototypical flinty younger sister who gets everything and is a little bit selfish, spoiled and mean.

Then we have Jane, by Katherine Heigl, the lady who had a field day with romantic comedies shortly after her departure from Greys Anatomy. I completely enjoy her in romantic comedies, it would seem that she was made for these roles, which on further inspection is an insult to her and definitely not a compliment.

Despite everything listed that definitely informs you that this film is the romantic comedy you see every single day of your life, it still manages to be mildly entertaining. Everything that happens is predictable from the first word uttered, and nothing unexpected or shocking happens. But if you are searching for a movie to not think about – really, no thought processes are required – you can find something to watch in 27 Dresses.

September 16, 2016September 11, 2016 by Natasha Categories: Movies, movies, Review, Reviews, Romance, UncategorizedTags: 27 Dresses, brides, bridesmaids, bridezilla, Edward Burns, James Marsden, Judi Greer, Katherine Heigl, Malin Ackerman, Movies, Reviews, Romantic Comedies, Weddings 5 Comments

Movie Review: The Wedding Planner (2001)

Plot: Mary Fiore is San Francisco’s most successful supplier of romance and glamor. She knows all the tricks. She knows all the rules. But then she breaks the most important rule of all: she falls in love with the groom.

Rating: 5/10

A long time ago before Mathhew McConaughey starred in critically acclaimed projects like True Detective and that other horse movie everyone liked, he was involved in some romantic comedies, which, for a lack of a better phrase, sucked. The Wedding Planner is quite bad. I’m talking plot, I’m talking acting. I knew what would happen when Steven saved Mary – it was so damn obvious that he would be the fiancé of Fran. I really hate any movie where there is justified cheating involved. The Wedding planner at least didn’t stoop that low, and points to them for not writing Fran as a terrible woman, which somehow is enough reason in a film to justify her future spouse to cheat on her. What I mean to say is that at least The Wedding Planner did not stoop that low, because I would have not been impressed. For all his dubious actions, at least Steven only made his move after breaking it off with Fran (to be clear, only because Mary told him NO). There were a few scenes where Massimo was deliberately dumbed down, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit irritated – a different nationality and accent does not make you worthy of ridicule, American story writers! I also don’t want to say “Poor Judi Greer is Judi Greer again”, but it is true, and she’s so young here it was probably the first film where she was cast as the supportive best friend with a touch of ditzy. She will be my first choice to cast as a lead female if I ever get to write and produce a movie, because the woman has earned it. Her acting is most certainly better than that of Jennifer Lopez. I’m glad she left behind the urge she had in the early 2000s to be an actress, because while she’s impressive in her music genre, her talent certainly doesn’t pull through to acting.

Mostly, The Wedding Planner is a movie that makes you understand why its’ genre gets hated so much. Predictable, a little bit sexist and completely unbelievable, this film is better suited for the Dark Ages than it is for today

August 10, 2016August 6, 2016 by Natasha Categories: Movies, movies, Review, Reviews, Romance, UncategorizedTags: Jennifer Lopez, Judi Greer, Matthew McConaughey, movie, Reviews, Romantic Comedies, The Wedding Planner, Weddings 3 Comments

#100HappyDays: Day 69 – 80

I know, I know. It’s been ages since I posted a 100 Happy Days update. Hell, ignoring yesterday, it has been a whole week since I’ve posted anything. I took a very little hiatus, mostly from my responsibilities, just to focus on myself and rest a bit. It’s been great, but I love blogging and had to return. I refuse to return to my other responsibilities though 😀

Day 69:

I have been on the prowl for a red pair of shoes for a while. Red is such a kick-ass color, don’t you think? I had to be particular though because I have no wish to go full on stripper while working at a Pharmaceutical company. I saw these shoes first when they were not on sale and a bit pricey. So just think of my happiness when I found them on sale at nearly half price!

Day 70:

I’m reading the Inn Boonsboro series of Nora Roberts again and having such a blast.

Day 71:

Packing and wedding prep had me hyped up the entire week for my Bestie’s wedding!

Day 72:

I’m currently obessed with this purple polish from Revlon. The pic doesn’t really capture the true color though.

Day 73:

The day of my Bestie’s wedding. The rain stayed away, the bride looked amazing and the venue was so on point. It was a wondrous occasion. Pictured here is our bridesmaid’s bouquet. How gorgeous?!

Day 74:

On the way back from the wedding we stopped at the Sudwala Caves in Sabie/Hazyview. If you ever travel in South-Africa and find yourself in the region, definitely pay them a visit. It is humbling to see the majesty of the caves, and an education and highly entertaining to listen to the history, well told by properly trained tour guides.

Day 75:

Gosh, this little dog of ours. Things to note: How Nicci Noodle is lying inside the house when it is their “outside time”. How Olive, the larger black dog in the pic, can’t fit through the gate and is feeling very sorry for herself, and the guilt that radiates from Nicci. It’s hilarious to watch these two!

Day 76:

I obviously had very little to post that day. However, I do find it so stimulating to talk to people who has passion for something. It is a rare thing to find lately.

Day 77:

Biltong, my favorite snack.

Day 78:

Went for some coffee and cake with my sister. We used to live close to  one another and work together, and now both those scenarios have changed. It was lovely just sitting and talking uninterruptedly for a few hours.

Day 79:

Everything was good about this Good Friday, yo. I woke up naturally, wasn’t forced to function at a godforsaken hour and baked some delicious savory muffins.

Day 80:

Zoë did my nails with this topcoat, and it is ridiculous how well this Essie Good to Go range works. My nails were unchipped for more than a week, and I am very rough with my hands. I got my hands on some in the shops, and am so happy to have in stock now!

What have you been up to darlings?

March 29, 2016March 26, 2016 by Natasha Categories: 100 Happy Days, 2016, UncategorizedTags: 100 Happy Days, 2016, baking, Bestie, biltong, Cake, Cappuchino, delicious, Essie, Essie Good to Go, Mousse, Movies, muffins, nails, South-Africa, Sudwala Caves, Travel, Travelling, Weddings 6 Comments

#100HappyDays: Days 57 – 62

Happy Monday, folks!

I am back with another update. Today, spot the mistake! 😀

Day 57:

When the challenge gets tough, take a picture of your food. This was delicious though!

Day 58:

I’m such a fan of this nude Iced Mocha color from Revlon. Definitely one of my favorite colors!

Day 60:

Our office has a coffee maker that makes the most delicious and strong cappuchino. There are very little that I find more offensive than weak flavored coffee, so this cancels out the negative day-to-day feels impressively!

Day 61:

Love the scarf I got on a sale here in Johannesburg!

Day 62:

I’ve mentioned before that it is weddings everywhere for the next month, and Saturday was the first one. It was so lovely and fun. Happiness is so contagious, don’t you think?

What made you happy this week?

March 7, 2016March 26, 2016 by Natasha Categories: 100 Happy Days, 2016, UncategorizedTags: 100 Happy Days, delicious, Family, food, friends, happiness, Sale, Scarves, Weddings 7 Comments

Life Lately – November 2015

Phew, I know I often say this when I write these posts, but it really feels like I’ve been waiting ages to write one of these up again. Life has just been lifing around, busy and stuff.

So what’s new? It’s been more than a month now since my father’s passed away. It is still incredibly hard and I miss him very much. You can’t really understand the feeling if you’ve never been there. I was able to sit with a friend who lost her father last week and empathize, so I am grateful that this loss has enabled me to actually help someone else too.

I have had the worst Pharyngitis and Bronchitis for a week now. I’m nearly back to a subhuman level where I can talk without coughing my lungs out, so there has been improvement. Lessons learnt: 1) go to the doctor 2) I am a terrible patient.

I’m in the middle of exams now. I have no idea what made me choose Physiology as a major. Talk about HATE. So bleak that I’ve done all my Microbiology work already because that is interesting. I hope to struggle through and pass these monsters. Also, writing Medicinal Botany the 20^th, but after watching the Martian I have accepted that Botany has value and will study hard in the likely event that I get stuck on Mars.

I am also currently way behind with Blindspots – I have three left (The Prestige, The Good Life and Pulp Fiction), and I’m sure you realize that it is way too many. I hope to get through two of them within next week when I have a really quick break between my last two tests.

I’m currently reading way too many Nora Roberts romances – they are such silly, quick reads that my exam brain just laps it up. Have you ever noticed how improbable the men are in these? Amazing. I am also reading the Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger, and am having such a good time with that. It really is just chick-lit but it is well written and a really good look into the politics of a first job. I am about half way with Angels and Demons – it really isn’t bad and of much better quality than The DaVinci Code, but goodness, can Langdon be anymore pompous and annoying??

Listening – mostly to Adele’s new song (yeah, totally on that boat). I have to say I’m shockingly impressed with the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack. You can see what I thought about the movie here, but I think the soundtrack was really well put together. Also – Ed Sheeran. He is not really my ideal idea of a date, but he can sure sing. Rampant thought for the week: Am I getting old or is most music just truly shit these days? I so rarely enjoy anything I hear on the radio these days.

Excited about: Firstly, my new job. I initially thought that I could hold out at my current company until I received my degree, but I don’t think so. I am starting a new job in December and I have to say that I’m pretty amped. This year has been so terrible and a part of that has come from the fact that I’ve reached my expiration date with my current company. It’s not a bad place and I really love some of the people here, but you know when you’re done, you’re done, right? Anyway, I am terrified and excited and everything, so I just can’t wait anymore.

I’m also pretty excited about the New Year, mostly because I am 100% certain that nothing will suck as bad as 2015. It is going to be hectic – I already have three weddings lined up (pretty sure that I will soon star in the sequel to 27 Dresses!) and have three practical modules due, but I am so ready to drown this year in a substantial amount of alcohol.

List of things I really hate at this point of my existence:

Paper finishing in the printer. I mean really, who needs such negativity in their life?

Kardashi-anything

Scanning things into a PC. Most hated part of my job.

Sitting in an office next to the big boss.Really not on.

Studying, for obvious reasons.

Things to get done:

Watch Pulp Fiction

Watch The Prestige

Watch A Good Year

Mockingjay, Spectre, Possible Star Wars in cinema.

Finish: Angels and Demons, The Devil Wears Prada, this list.

Make new tabs on blog for: Links I Love, Blindspot.Possibly new theme for Blog. Used to love the minimalist lay out, now it only looks meh.

I really want to watch Vikings Season 2 now. It is terrible that I’m this behind!

Really amused by:

I’m pretty sure this one guy isn’t wearing underwear to work. It’s quite hilarious, though it does get awkward from time to time.

Well, now that I’ve left you with that titbit of information, what’s going on in your life?

November 5, 2015November 4, 2015 by Natasha Categories: Life LatelyTags: 2015, Adele, Angels and Demons, Blindspot, Dan Brown, Ed Sheeran, Fifty Shades of Grey, fun, Lauren Weisberger, Lauren Weisenberger, Life Lately, music, Nora Roberts, Studying, The DaVinci Code, The Devil Wears Prada, Weddings 8 Comments

Book Review: Bed of Roses (Nora Roberts)

Book: 48/100

Book two of the Bridal Quartet series from Nora Roberts starts shortly after the end of Vision in White, where Mac and Carter got engaged. Bed of Roses focuses on the love story of Emmaline Grant, the florist of the Vows wedding organisation.

The insanely beautiful Emma has always hoped to find love as great as her parents’. Her work in the wedding industry truly suits her to the ground, as she is very romantic and sweet.

After a party one night, her car breaks down and she is assisted by Jack Cooke, a close friend of the Quartet and best friend to Parker’s brother, Delaney. He helps her fix her car temporarily, and they have a moment under the car’s hood. She refuses to accept the attraction at first, because she is under the impression that Mac and Jack had a relationship early on in their friendship. The first of her three friends to notice the slight dynamic shift in Emma and Jack’s relationship is Laurel, but Emma swears her to secrecy. Emma and Jack kiss during a function, and she tells all her friends, including Mac who tells her she and Jack never had a relationship. Emma relaxes, and she and jack start to explore their new feelings. Del and Jack bump heads when Del learns of it, but they make amends when Del realises Jack actually has real feelings for Emma.

Jack and Emma’s relationship goes from strength to strength, but Jack’s typical relationship phobias and worries irk her. The little reactions he has to her personal belongings in his space hurts her, and even though she tries to ignore it she knows it is a real problem for them – how can they go forward if he can’t commit and commitment comes naturally to her? Their big fight happens one day when she makes him dinner at his place, and he arrives after a bad day and finds her there without permission. They have a huge fight, culminating in her storming home to her friends. After that, Parker bans him from the estate until Emma feels up to him, and tells him to go and think what he really wants from their relationship. Will Jack be able to overcome his trust and commitment issues and give Emma what she needs?

Rating: 6/10

This book was as enjoyable to me as the first book. It follows the same speed as Vision in White, and there are some similarities as well. I like reading series’ because you know the characters already. Especially in Nora Roberts’ books, you suspect the love relationships in the previous books.

Emma and Jack are a too perfect for me – they are both very handsome and charming, and good people. Sometimes they seem so nice they should have halos circling their heads. No one is that nice.

All in all, if you steer past the predictability of it all, the book is a nice, easy read, perfect if you need some cheering up.

October 10, 2013 by Natasha Categories: Books, ReviewsTags: 100 books, Bed of Roses, Book, Books, Bridal Quartet, Bridal Quartet Series, Emmaline Grant, Jack Cooke, Laurel MacBane, literature, Mackensie Elliot, Nora Roberts, Parker Brown, Reading, relationship, Reviews, Vision in White, Weddings 2 Comments

Book Review: Vision in White (Nora Roberts)

Book: 47/100

Friends Mackensie Elliot, Emmaline Grant, Laurel MacBane and Parker Brown loved playing Wedding Day as children. Now, as adults, they managed to take their favorite game and turn it into a thriving business – wedding planning company Vows.

Based in Greenwich, Connecticut, the four ladies work and live on the same estate – Brown Manor. After the car accident that killed Parker’s parents, they revamped the Mansion and its surrounding buildings to serve as a wedding venue. They divided the work to suit each partner’s skills – Mackensie as wedding photographer, Emma as florist, Laurel as Baker and Parker as wedding coordinator.

Vision in white, the first of the series’ four books, focuses on the life on Mackensie (Mac) Elliot. Her work as photographer and partner in Vows keeps her happy and content. She has managed to mostly shake off her dysfunctional childhood – her mother Linda’s constant affairs and marriages, and her father uncaring attitude. She manages to ignore her father’s incapability to act like one because he is never around, but she struggles with Linda. Her mother is always causing her distress, nagging for money and being very selfish. Even though she has her friends to help her cope, she struggles to maintain positive when Linda once again manages to take three grand from her.

She meets Carter McGuire when he arrives at Vows to help his sister with wedding arrangements. Their meeting is funny, with him bumping his head after she changes a shirt after an incident with a cardinal. After the meeting, he finds her drinking away her sorrows (Linda called) and they kiss afterwards. Carter feels like slime for kissing her while she was down, and he tries to apologize, but they end up agreeing to go on a few dates.

 Their relationship develops quickly, and Carter knows that she is the woman for him. His ex, Corrine, pushes herself into the equation, and when Mac finds her at his flat, she doesn’t listen to his explanation and storms off. Carter eventually manage to properly apologise, telling her that he sent Corrine away and told her very clearly not to return, ever, Mac accepts his apology and takes him back into her life. She knows he loves her and wants a life with her, but will she be able to overcome her trust issues and insecurity about the infidelity that is a chronic disease in her family?

Rating: 6/10

I read the entire series again because I was in a wedding mood (I have no idea why), and it is a good series, especially with the attention given to wedding details.

Nora Roberts has dipped her writing skills into many genres, and this book is categorized most certainly as romance. Even though the villains are well done and relevant to the storyline, they are mostly superficial and do not pose as a true threat.

Mac is an interesting and enjoyable character, even though she annoyed me with her trust issues. What I most adore about this series is the strong friendship bond the four ladies have with each other. Nasty females are a much more published occurrence than true, kind friends who would do anything for each other.

If you have wedding fever, or love romance novels, or just plainly love Nora Roberts, I would definitely recommend this series books to you.

October 9, 2013 by Natasha Categories: Books, ReviewsTags: 100 books, Book, Books, Bridal Quartet Series, Emmaline Grant, entertainment, Laurel MacBane, literature, Nora Roberts, Parker Brown, Reading, Review, Reviews, wedding photographer, Weddings 2 Comments