When it comes to movies, Beth Kendrick is “The Wedding Planner”

Introduction by Amy Bromberg

If you’re a chick lit fan AND a dog lover (that’s pretty much me), then look no further. Almost all of Beth Kendrick’s heroines are dog lovers, and, of course, there’s always romance, drama and excitement packed into her novels. I pick up a Beth Kendrick book whenever I’m looking for a fun, entertaining and great vacation read.

Beth Kendrick lives in Arizona with her trusty rescue dogs, Roxie Hart and Friday. She is the author of nine women’s fiction books, including The Week Before the Wedding (reviewed here) and Nearlyweds, which was made into a Hallmark Channel movie. You can find her at her website, Facebook and Twitter.

In honor of our movie theme for ICLM, Beth is here today to talk about which movies to watch before your wedding, but they could also apply to any time you’re planning to attend a wedding (or are looking for a fun movie to watch).

Synopsis of The Week Before the Wedding:
After enduring a chaotic childhood, Emily McKellips yearns for a drama-free life, complete with a white picket fence. Her dreams are about to come true: She has a stellar career, a gorgeous house, and a fiancé any woman would die for. But as friends and family arrive in picturesque Valentine, Vermont, for her wedding, an uninvited guest shows up.

Ryan is Emily’s first husband from a disastrous starter marriage. They wed on a whim, only to discover that combustible chemistry couldn’t ensure a happily ever after. But Ryan is no longer the headstrong boy she left behind. He’s now a successful film producer who just happens to be scouting a resort in Valentine with his adorable retriever in tow.

As the bridesmaids revolt and the mothers of the bride and groom do battle, Emily is surprised to discover new sides of both her ex and her fiancé. She thought she had life and love all figured out, but the next seven days might change her mind—and her heart.

5 Movies To Watch the Week Before Your Wedding

Four Weddings and a Funeral—It’s poignant, it’s hilarious, and it features a montage of Andie MacDowell trying on wedding gowns that will satisfy any woman’s inner fashionista. When I was writing the first draft of The Week Before the Wedding, I scoured the Internet for photos of vintage dresses and ended up finding the perfect 50’s frock for bride-to-be Emily McKellips. Tea-length skirt, hand-appliqued illusion bodice, tulle netting…dress porn at its finest! (If you’d like to take a peek, click over to the boutique website.)

My Big Fat Greek Wedding—This film perfectly captures the drama and emotions that emerge when in-law culture clashes threaten to eclipse the bride’s big day. We all have family traditions we’re proud of…and some we’re not so proud of. My heroine, Emily, is trying—and failing—to prevent her serial-marrying mother from shocking her ultra-conservative future mother-in-law. And she’s apologetic about her own wild past because her fiance hails from a freakishly functional family that would make Norman Rockwell proud. (Or so it seems on the surface. Dun dun dunnnn!)

Sweet Home Alabama—You know what sucks? Getting engaged to the man of your dreams, then trying to cut final ties with your dreaded ex, only to discover that he’s also kind of the man of your dreams. Emily faces a dilemma similar to Reese Witherspoon’s character’s when her ex shows up to prove that the concept of a no-hoper bad boy developing his full “potential” is more than an urban legend. How the hell is she supposed to keep pretending she belongs in pinstripes and pearls when he’s tempting her back to her leather pants ways?

Magic Mike—Because no wedding is complete without a bachelorette party full of bad influences! Or so I, um, hear. Yes, there is a scene in Week Before the Wedding set in a high-end male strip club, and yes, that scene may or may not involve some autobiographical elements. But to hear any more details, you’ll have to corner me at a bridal shower and ply me with mimosas…

Steel Magnolias—Blush and bashful. Armadillo groom’s cake. “There is no such thing as natural beauty.” This movie celebrates the unbreakable bonds between sisters, girlfriends, and mothers and daughters, and I cry every time. A wedding marks a major transition in life, but the ceremony honors the people in our lives who will always matter most—til death do us part.

Thanks to Beth for sharing her movie recommendations and to Penguin for their help with coordinating this post.

Visit us at Chick Lit Central for a chance to win The Week Before the Wedding. US only. Ends May 28th (tomorrow!!!) at midnight EST.