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The Wedding
Date Review by Grace Sydney As effervescent as the bubbles in a glass of celebratory champagne, The Wedding Date is an engaging comedy revolving around an ordinarily self-assured young woman whose life is turned upside down with the arrival of her sister's wedding invitation. The small piece of pastel parchment embellished with ornate calligraphy seems to mock Kat Ellis' (Debra Messing) single status, and in a vain attempt to prove to her family and her ex-fiance that she has the perfect life with the perfect man, she enlists the services of professional hunk-for-hire Nick Mercer (Dermot Mulroney) to be her escort throughout the wedding festivities. During their time together
Kat learns to let go of the past and in the process both characters discover
that real love is priceless. FILMING LOCATIONS
Primrose Hill is a
61-acre verdant oasis adjacent to Regent's Park where the movie's characters
gathered for a spirited game of rounders, a distinctly British sport originating
in the 18th century which eventually gave birth to America's favorite
pastime, baseball. The enthusiastic cheers of the players echo down the
hill toward the heart of Regent's Park, where rented rowboats glide
across a duck-filled lake and the intoxicating aroma of roses lures passersby
into Queen Mary's Gardens, 17 circular acres which embraces its visitors
in botanical beauty.
The clarion chime of church
bells sweep over the peaceful community of Shere-- a call from
St. James Church to the faithful. Featured in the movie's climactic
wedding scene, this house of worship in Surrey has watched over the townspeople
for centuries, its presence even mentioned in the Domesday Book, a compilation
of William The Conqueror's domain that was completed in 1086. Gazing out
past the Victorian lychgate guarding the chapel's entrance to the cottages
and quaint local pubs which line the streets below, the medieval spire
reaches toward the heavens as the church patiently waits for the next
couple in love to set their wedding date.
Photos courtesy The Wedding Date and Universal Studios-Home Video |
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Lovetripper.com Romantic Travel Guide
Chilworth
Manor, where the wedding party congregates prior to the nuptials,
is the quintessence of Edwardian elegance presiding over 12 immaculately
manicured acres in Surrey. Hearkening back to a more genteel era, guests
can occupy themselves with such leisure activities as petanque, lawn chess,
or simply watch the world go by beneath the shelter of the estate's 200-year-old
Cedar of Lebanon tree before retiring to one of the hotel's 95 en-suite
bedrooms. A coveted wedding locale, civil ceremonies can be conducted
within the confines of the mansion. .jpg)
In
one of the movie's poignant moments, Kat's sister wonders if places have
the ability to hold on to memories. If so, the boathouse at Winkworth
Arboretum, where the scene was filmed, can recall the smiling faces
of all the families and young lovers who have ambled through the acres
of maples and mountain ash over the years, the trill of songbirds seemingly
guiding them toward Rowe's Flashe Lake, which reflects the structure's
image on its mirrored surface. Perched on the water's edge, the boathouse
is framed by an ever-changing background of colors ranging from autumn's
fiery bursts of magenta and gold foliage to the impressionistic palette
of delicate bluebells and magnolias which grace the area each spring.
Located at Godalming, Surrey, this National Trust property
is open to the public year round from sunrise to sunset. 
Movie
buffs will recognize Chilworth Manor from the 1998 romance Sliding
Doors, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, and St. James Church, which was
featured in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.
