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

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.

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.

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.

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.

FUN FACTS

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.

Allergic to most flowers, actress Debra Messing clutched a bouquet of long-stemmed calla lilies when she walked down the aisle in September 2000.

Friends on-screen and off, fellow "Will and Grace" cast member Sean Hayes joined Debra Messing for an impromptu rendition of the Britney Spears hit "Oops!...I Did It Again" at Debra's wedding reception.

The Wedding Date is based upon the novel Asking For Trouble by author Elizabeth Young. In the book, the protagonist's names are Sophy Metcalfe and Josh Carmichael.

Photos courtesy The Wedding Date and Universal Studios-Home Video