Four Weddings and a Funeral

@SkippitySkoppity "Even living together was frowned upon and oh my word you certainly did not have children before marriage."

Are you sure you mean the 1990's? I was living with my boyfriend in 1975 when I was 18 and it was all quite normal amongst my peer group. I even had a baby in 1977 (unmarried) and nobody fainted!

@Silverbirchleaf Agree. Andy McDowell ruins it. Totally uncharismatic, unlikeable and a poor fit with Hugh Grant's character.

It wasn’t the norm to live together or have children first in my circles either. Times were a changing, but it was still more normal to marry first.

'Even living together was frowned upon and oh my word you certainly did not have children before marriage.'

🤔

You must have been living in a different 1990s to me...

(or maybe you're referring to your particular vicar's beliefs)

I got married six months after ee met but.i. dont think this is usual.

I agree. Andi McDowell spoils the film for me.

In my experience 90's couples were engaged for 18 months to 2 years before they married. Very few got married within 3 months of knowing each other, any more than they do now or any other decade. So basically that was a plot device otherwise the film would've dragged on for hours!

The main thing I took away from rewatching this is how much I disliked Carrie’s character!

Got married in early ‘90s. Most people got engaged after 12-18 months, and married 12-18 months after that. You got married in your local church (or registery office) so you could have several weddings in the same two or three churches over a season, plus one of a handful hotels for receptions. We weren’t precious about venues in those days!

WRT the white jacket she wore at the wedding my SIL wore a similar outfit to our wedding (black dress with white coat) and nobody thought anything of it because we weren't bridezillas in the 90s obsessed with policing people's outfits.

It's a pretty good film, far better than Notting Hill and the less said about Love Actually, the better imo

As for Carrie wearing white/cream, it wasn’t a big deal.
Brides wore big, sweeping white dresses with a veil and carried flowers. There wasn’t any mistaking who the bride was.

I'd agree with this.

In terms of the film, yes, that was just for the film, but I can't think of anyone I ever knew who "got engaged" for years and years. People generally got married within 18months of getting engaged.

Weddings were generally still bigger then. You invited more guests and most people had a clear daytime and night time event. The daytime event was for closer family and friends. The evening event was where you invited everyone. Work colleagues, wider family members, your parents friends, neighbours.
Weddings were still held in either a church or a register office.
Most first time married couples got married in a church, then had the reception fairly locally. The evening do was either at the same place, or if different a church hall, or pub back room.
My mum’s friend did the catering for my evening do.
The vicar was very particular about who he would and would not marry. Certainly no divorcees. Even living together was frowned upon and oh my word you certainly did not have children before marriage.
Anyone who didn’t confirm to these strict criteria had to make do with the register office.
Church blessings were also a thing. This was when you did not meet the criteria for marrying in a church so had to marry in the register office. Then you could have a blessing ceremony in the church. Still wearing a big white dress with bridesmaids and all the trimmings. Hymns, ushers etc etc just you were not technically married in the church the vicar would ‘bless’ the bride and groom and make it all ok.
Seems very strange nowadays.

People tended to be together for a few years in tne 80s pre marriage and a few lived together first then got married.
I mostly remember people getting divorced in the 90s tbh!
I don’t like Carrie at all really. She seems smug and rather a cold character.

Agree with Prue Ramsay, Carrie was completely unlikeable. And no, no chemistry between her and HG

Kristen S-T was so much more likeable

I don't think the church is usually the stumbling block. You need about a month, because the banns need to be read on three Sundays. Reception venues may be more of an issue, and of course you need to give enough notice that your guests can keep the date free - under three months means some may well have holidays or other commitments that would be difficult to get out of.

Plot device. Andi McDowell was poorly cast, there was zero chemistry between her and HG. Her character was very unlikeable.

It is the finest film ever made.

I'd always assumed there was a year between each wedding🙃

You went to a thousand weddings in 10 years ? I'm assuming it's your line of work? I'm not sure I've even met that many people in my life 😅

It was released in 1994.
And Wet Wet Wet was no. 1 for 16 weeks. Or a million years. I can never remember which.

One of the few advantages of middle age is you can point these things out without thinking.

Never seen it. Never wanted to see it.
Probably too busy watching Withnail and I on video.
Though that was released in 1987, it became a cult classic later.

Plot. I think people generally got engaged after dating a couple years and then it was a year after engagement to get married? After all not a church is unlikely to be available in under three months. Don’t think that’s changed much. Maybe more couples are waiting longer and paying for it themselves now?

Most of my friends in the 90’s lived together and had kids before marriage. It’s just a movie.

• I said begunnibf and I meant it!

Fiona is stunning, especially in the scene where she confesses her feelings to Charles. Good Lord 🔥

I know it can be picked apart and tutted at but I do love Four Weddings. A real comfort watch for me. Even though I'd wail in anguish if I actually had to move in those chinless circles.