Our 30 favorite wedding scenes are sure to give you butterflies

“Always the bridesmaid. Never the bride.” These immortal—albeit slightly sexist—words propel the enduring charm of . Directed by Anne Fletcher (The Proposal), this 2008 rom-com sees stars James Marsden and Katherine Heigl samba, skip, and mosey their way through one of the cuter outfit montages in modern cinematic memory, when a perpetual bride’s best friend shows off many marital uniforms to a journalist covering her sister’s wedding. Spoiler alert: It leads up to a final act reveal, in which our heroine’s many friends finally show up for her on her big day—she’s actually marrying that journalist!—that’s sweet enough to make you misty-eyed.

Sure, the forced wedding of a mean ghost and his helpless teenage bride isn’t the most merry movie marriage out there; in fact, it’s downright creepy. But this gruesome groom sure knows how to put on a show, and his mid-ceremony demise offers a satisfying finale act for the famously awful antagonist. Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) lends his voice to both his and Lydia Deetz’s (Winona Ryder) vows in ’s freaky last-act ceremony. In classic Tim Burton style, this spooky scene boasts an alien-looking officiant, an audience literally held captive by possessed modern art, and plenty more weird wedding gags worth witnessing. Plus, Strange and Unusual icon Lydia wears one of the most fabulous red wedding gowns ever imagined.

When jealous Maid of Honor Annie (Kristen Wiig) mixes mid-flight cocktails with prescription medication, her largely unspoken hatred of fellow bridesmaid Helen (Rose Byrne) . That iconic scene gets the perfect landing in the finale wedding of , co-written by Wiig and Annie Mumolo. The side-splittingly funny 2011 comedy finishes out with the arrival of ’90s pop sensation Wilson Phillips—yet another example of the insufferable Helen one-upping Annie—but both handle the moment semi-gracefully. “Really?” “It’s the last one.”

Having lied about his identity and broken the heart of the woman he loves, Prince Akeem Joffer (Eddie Murphy) is resigned when the bride chosen by his father (James Earl Jones) walks toward him down the aisle. But when Akeem lifts her pastel pink veil and discovers it’s in fact Lisa (Shari Headley), his one true love, director John Landis’ cements its place as a timeless wedding movie. The pure joy on Akeem’s face is contagiously cute.

There’s no denying that the titular bride Emily (voiced by Helena Bonham Carter) gets screwed over in writer-director Tim Burton’s second animated feature . Not only is she betrayed in life by the man she loves, but she’s later jerked around in death by a dude she only sort of likes. Still, there’s triumphant beauty in Emily’s decision to walk away from Victor (voiced by Johnny Depp) at the end of the 2005 dark fantasy adventure, leaving the reluctant groom to wed his true love Victoria (voiced by Emily Watson). Victor gets the woman he loves; Emily gets the—presumably—peaceful experience of exploding into butterflies.

Something indescribably special happens for everyone in the room when a person in love walks down the aisle. Director Jon M. Chu’s stunning makes the most of that magic in its over-the-top wedding scene, which includes beats of chemistry between both the bride and groom as well as the story’s main couple, wedding guests Rachel (Constance Wu) and Nick (Henry Golding). When Nick, a member of the bridal party, mouths the words “I love you” to Rachel from the altar, you know their love is eternal—even if it isn’t the main connection being celebrated in the scene.

It’s unfortunate that the overshadowed ’s history-making wedding in season five. Take time to right that wrong and enjoy the deeply lovely special day of fan-favorites Jamal (Smollett) and Kai (Toby Onwumere), the first gay Black characters to wed on television. Complete with a special appearance by R&B icon Chaka Khan, this was a very Empire wedding that delivered style and substance spectacularly.

“I realized at that moment that I was never going to come home again and see Annie at the top of the stairs,” Steve Martin’s titular reflects in this tearjerker of a monologue. “Never going to see her again at our breakfast table in her nightgown and socks. I suddenly realized what was happening: Annie was all grown up and leaving us. And something inside began to hurt.” Director Charles Shyer’s 1991 rom-com offers a poetic perspective on fatherhood, and Martin’s final-act revelation—a comedic aside that blossoms into a heartbreaking goodbye—finishes it out flawlessly.

took the gloves all the way off in season three’s penultimate “The Rains of Castamere”—an unrepeatable television event responsible for the so-called “Red Wedding.” This infamous scene shocked the hell out of 2013 audiences with an ambush resulting in the deaths of Catelyn (Michelle Fairley), Robb (Richard Madden), and Talisa Stark (Oona Chaplin) over a broken marriage pact between House Stark and House Frey. It’s not the kind of wedding you’d want for yourself, but wow was it thrilling to attend.

Amy Sherman-Palladino’s —the smartly sentimental TV sensation about a single mom, her teen daughter, and their small town, which ran for seven seasons on The WB/CW before getting a Netflix revival in 2016—set up the will-they-won’t-they of main characters Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Luke (Scott Patterson) way back in 2000. But the witty Stars Hollow-crossed lovers didn’t officially seal the deal until the very last episode of their return, when Lorelai wakes up daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel) for a late-night ceremony in the middle of town. It’s a sparkling sequence as visually beautiful as it is perfectly detailed.

In its six seasons on Fox, Ryan Murphy’s musical high school dramedy accrued more weddings and near-weddings than it did Nationals trophies. So it’s really saying something when we call Santana (Naya Rivera) and Brittany’s (Heather Morris) nuptials the best in –story. Season six’s “A Wedding” is worth enjoying in its entirety, but the roll-call finale number featuring Santana in a killer white jumpsuit and guest star Jennifer Coolidge belting out The Pointer Sisters is the icing on a truly sweet wedding cake.

Weddings can be tense, what with all the vendors to address and guests to appease. But on-the-day tension reached a fearsome new fever pitch in Francis Ford Coppola’s , when mobster Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) heard requests on “the day my daughter is to be married.” It’s a quietly fiery monologue, made even more crackling by the festive backdrop. As the don considers whether or not to, y’know, murder someone, his daughter Connie (Talia Shire) gets married to Carlo (Gianni Russo)—and we know how that ends.

has had a lot of weddings over its 18 seasons on ABC, as any medical drama worth its saline solution should. But Callie (Sara Ramirez) and Arizona’s (Jessica Capshaw) 2011 ceremony remains one of the most memorable. That’s largely because it’s a visual feast, boasting two gorgeous gowns and some of the most stunning flowers in broadcast bouquets. But it’s also because of the smart juxtaposition with straight characters Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) getting quietly married simultaneously. It’s a fun throwback to the multiple wedding finales of Shakespeare, but doesn’t pull focus from the critical LGBTQ+ representation that was Calzona.

They may be standard fare for endings, but few movies start off with show-stopping weddings. Fewer still start off with big weddings that are subsequently imbued with even bigger meaning by a heartfelt main story that they were actually foreshadowing all along. In writer-director Richard Curtis’ 2003 holiday rom-com , Best Man Mark (Andrew Lincoln) delivers a dazzling wedding gift—and sets up a brutal love triangle—when he springs a surprise cover of The Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love” on his friend Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and bride Juliet (Keira Knightley) at their ceremony.

It’s the rom-com premise that took Twitter by storm. Director Kat Coiro’s , which hit theaters ahead of Valentine’s Day 2022, . But it gets high marks for its unforgettable wedding scene, in which pop sensation Kat Valdez (Jennifer Lopez) randomly agrees to marry divorced math teacher Charlie Gilbert (Owen Wilson) at one of her concerts. Sure, it’s all spectacle and style with no emotion to back it up. But it’s also ridiculous and sparkly and isn’t that all we can really ask for?

Lars von Trier’s —a lush rumination on devastating depression and the futility of man—isn’t a “wedding movie” by any stretch of your dark and twisted imagination. But it does start off with a big wedding, and that includes a resonant scene with bride Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and groom Michael (Alexander Skarsgård) involving a stretch limo. Trapped on a windy road in their overly ostentatious vehicle, the newlyweds can’t reach their own reception because of the limo’s size. So they struggle to help the driver navigate a sharp turn while reveling in the strange sadness that sometimes comes with parties.

Directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones in 1975, is chock full of brilliant lines and unforgettable visual gags. The wedding depicted in “The Tale Of Sir Lancelot” has both. When Lancelot (John Cleese) shows up to a wedding ready to free what he believes to be a damsel in distress, his overzealous violence towards the guests creates an awkward situation with father of the bride Lord of Swamp Castle (Michael Palin). They soon put it aside, however, with the affable royal declaring, “This is supposed to be a happy occasion! Let’s not bicker and argue about who killed who.”

The first of two P. J. Hogan titles on this list, is the 1994 Australian dramedy that helped star Toni Collette break through. Its agonizing story of an outcast woman mistreated by her friends sends up the ideals of holy matrimony in a way that’s both cutting and surprisingly kind. Among other subplots, the movie involves an excruciating scheme to help a South African swimmer (Daniel Lapaine) join Team Australia for the Olympics. The chilly atmosphere after his and Muriel’s fake wedding has a brutal honesty to it reflective of the film’s smart blend of hope and cynicism.

The jealous Julianne (Julia Roberts) learns a tough lesson in the painful last act of , director P. J. Hogan’s melancholy 1997 rom-com about a woman who tries to stop the wedding of her secret love (Dermot Mulroney) to his fiancé (Cameron Diaz). That plot goes about as badly for her as you’d expect. Still, few wedding guests share dances as meaningful as the one Julianne and her friend George (Rupert Everett) enjoy at the movie’s end in a moment of hopeful reflection. “Maybe there won’t be marriage,” George jokes of Julianne’s future. “Maybe there won’t be sex. But by god, there will be dancing.”

Writer-star Nia Vardalos’ is one of the early 2000s’ greatest comedies. Directed by Joel Zwick, the 2002 rom-com follows a shy waitress/travel agent named Toula who embarks on a mission of self-improvement before falling in love with charismatic teacher Ian (John Corbett). There are too many great wedding moments in this movie to count (The bridesmaids dresses! The rehearsal dinner!), so we’ll go with one of the loudest: When Ian meets Toula’s family for the first time after their engagement.

Too often, internet dating gets a bad rap. fought that narrative with the dreamy romance of Kip (Aaron Ruell ) and LaFawnduh (Shondrella Avery), chatroom sweethearts whose love for each other never so much as catches a snag. The precious pair get their happily ever after in the post-credits of writer-director Jared Hess’ 2004 comedy. The wedding sees LaFawnduh rock a maximalist gown, Kip sing a self-written ode to technology/his bride, and Napoleon (Jon Heder) show up with a live horse.

Ever since Jim (John Krasinski) met Pam (Jenna Fischer) behind the reception desk of Scranton’s preeminent paper company, fans had been eagerly awaiting the couple’s walk down the aisle. In season six’s “Niagara,” that walk turned out to be more of a goofy dance—and wasn’t just theirs, but the shared victory lap of the entire Dunder Mifflin family. “Did you see this?” a clueless as ever Michael Scott (Steve Carrell) asks Pam after he hijacks their ceremony with a flash mob set to Chris Brown’s “Forever.” “It was on YouTube.” Later, Jim and Pam take back control of their special day with a trip to Niagara Falls.

It was a long and winding road to Angel (Indya Moore) and Papi (Angel Bismark Curiel) tying the knot in season three’s “Something Old, Something New.” From blackmail schemes to struggles with addiction, the couple went through a lot over the show’s run. So when Papi stopped reading his vows— whispering, “I can’t do this…” without explanation—fans feared the worst. But then, in a blissful beautiful moment of Pose magic, Papi broke out in song, serenading beloved Angel with All-4-One’s “I Swear.” It was a wedding only Pose could deliver with one of the best-looking congregations ever.

Directed by Rob Reiner and written by William Goldman (who also authored the original book), remains one of the most extraordinary fairytales put to film. The 1987 adventure comedy is anchored in the passion of the beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright) and farm boy-turned-outlaw Westley (Cary Elwes). Their fight to be together, despite the forced betrothal of Buttercup to the vile Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), drives the action up to a close-call in the final act. Luckily, an “Impressive Clergyman” (Peter Cook) slows down the ceremony, buying Buttercup’s hero more time.

By and large, we’ve excluded engagement scenes from this list since there’s enough of those to a merit a separate curation. However, we’ll make an exception for ’s “Dammit Janet” musical number, which perfectly captures the instantaneous giddiness—and cattiness—of engagement ring-induced wedding brain (and just so happens to occur at the end of another wedding scene). From immediate comparisons to other soon-to-be-brides and an impromptu boogie down the funeral aisle, Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) are stereotypical hetero-fiancés… until they really, really aren’t.

God bless . With a weepy Moira (Catherine O’Hara) officiating in a variety of volumes and a town’s worth of love standing behind them, David (Dany Levy) and Patrick (Noah Reid) said yes to forever in the series finale of this one-of-a-kind sitcom. The pitch-perfect blend of sincerity and Mariah Carey homages achieves what all truly great weddings should aim for: A unique ode to a special couple and the memories only they share. Simple but sweet, David sums the scene up nicely: “Patrick Brewer, you are my happy ending.”

Leave it to the deeply toxic will-they-won’t-they of Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mr. Big (Chris Noth) to deliver one of the more cathartic altar abandonments ever filmed. With practically half of the city waiting at the New York Public Library, ’s main protagonist must face the possibility that she and her betrothed aren’t meant to be when he stands her up at the start of the TV series’ first movie. Then, Big has to deal with changing his mind and getting confronted by his jilted lover in the middle of 40th Street. Hats off to best friend Charlotte (Kristin Davis) for nailing that searing “NO!”—before accenting the warning with that hilarious little shuffle into the limo.

Ending with an upbeat song and a big kiss is one of the older tricks in the fun-for-the-whole-family book. And, we’ll admit, ’s happily-ever-after conclusion doesn’t exactly break that mold. But this cherished 2001 kids’ movie from co-directors Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson ties up its cutest beats so nicely in this memorable finishing flourish that we’re including it anyway. With the happy ogre couple riding off into the sunset, Donkey (voice of Eddie Murphy) belting “I’m A Believer,” and Dragon catching the bouquet, Shrek ends exactly as it should: Weird, wonderful, and honoring Smash Mouth.

“For longer than I care to remember, my business has been crashing weddings,” John (Owen Wilson) begins in a very public apology to Claire (Rachel McAdams), one of the many victims to his and pal Jeremy’s (Vince Vaughn) seasonal scam. It was “juvenile,” even pathetic, he says. “But, you know what? It also lead me to you. So it’s hard me for to completely regret it.” It’s the ultimate button on —a remarkably enduring 2005 comedy from director David Dobkin—crashing a wedding with your last-act profession of love. (She forgives him.)

Bollywood weddings are an art unto themselves with centuries of tradition and history imbuing each ceremony—on and off screen—with poignant meaning. Catch just a sliver of that effervescent joy in director Ayan Mukerji’s 2013 , which has an Indian wedding fantasy that’s as exemplary as one could possibly want. This coming-of-age rom-com includes a ceremony that’s not only breathtaking in appearance, but backed by a song that’ll stick in your head instantly. (It’s called “Kabira” by Amitabh Bhattacharya, and you’re welcome.)