Who doesn’t love a happy ending?
While some TV weddings aren’t always cheerful occasions (as exhibited by shows such as Succession and Game of Thrones), when it comes to sitcoms, you can usually rely on a joyful celebration.
If you’ve been feeling a bit down recently and you’re in need of a pick-me-up, then there’s nothing better than sticking on a classic sitcom wedding episode, and losing yourself in its happiness and comfort.
Below, we have constructed a list of our all-time favourite TV weddings from the past few decades. Every time we’re in need of a laugh (or a happy cry), one of these episodes will always do the trick for us:
Friends - Season 7, Episodes 23 & 24
Although there is regularly a great debate amongst Friends fans about which couple has the best love story, there is no denying that Monica and Chandler’s is pretty legendary. Following on from their hilarious hidden romance, the pair finally tie the knot in a gorgeous ceremony. Of course, it wouldn’t be a sitcom wedding without a few hiccups before the wedding - mainly, Chandler getting the coldest of cold feet. Thankfully, our favourite sarcastic goofball pulls through for Monica and makes it to the altar, delivering some tear jerking vows in the process. Then, at the very end of the episode, Friends viewers are delivered the genius cliffhanger that Rachel is secretly pregnant, which keeps viewers gripped with numerous questions until season eight. All in all, Monica and Chandler’s wedding is the perfect formula to follow for entertaining nuptials.
The Office - Season 5, Episodes 4 & 5
After their lengthy will-they-won’t-they journey, The Office’s Pam and Jim finally seal the deal with their wedding at Niagara Falls. However, the pressure slowly gets to Pam throughout the day - her veil forms a tear, her guests become overbearing, and she never planned on getting married during her first pregnancy. So, unbeknownst to their wedding group, Pam and Jim sneak off on a boat to Niagara Falls and elope under the waterfall. The pair then race back to the church and go ahead with their original ceremony, keeping their elopement a secret between them. As Jim later says to the documentary crew: “The boat was actually plan C. The church was plan B, and plan A was marrying her a long, long time ago. Pretty much the day I met her.” How sweet!
Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Season 5, Episode 22
In true Brooklyn Nine-Nine style, Jake and Amy’s wedding is thrown off course by a bomb threat at their ceremony’s venue. The Nine-Nine eventually track down the culprit, but the bomb must remain in the building for the time being, meaning that the couple’s wedding cannot go ahead. Forever loyal to his best friend, Boyle saves the day and turns the outside of the Nine-Nine’s precinct into a wedding venue - complete with fairy lights and a shredded paper aisle for Amy to walk down. Aside from their adorable vows, the true joy of Jake and Amy’s wedding is seeing the usually-stoic Captain Holt officiating the ceremony, and allowing his softness to peek through. It makes us tear up every time!
Parks & Recreation - Season 5, Episode 14
Leslie and Ben’s wedding day arrives unexpectedly for Parks & Recreation fans, as they form an impromptu plan at the end of episode 13 to bring their nuptials forward. Thankfully, this decision instantly grants us endless chaotic moments, which is hilarious as a viewer. Pretty much everything that could possibly go wrong *does* go wrong, to the point where Ron Swanson even lands himself in a jail cell. By the end of the episode, the quiet intimacy of Leslie and Ben’s office wedding is a joy to behold. In the end, it’s just Leslie, Ben and their dear friends from the Parks department - which is all we need as viewers. And yes, as a side note, we are still envious of Leslie’s newspaper-themed dress!
Schitt’s Creek - Season 6, Episode 14
Fans of Schitt’s Creek had to hold off until its very last episode to see their beloved David and Patrick tie the knot, but in the end, it was completely worth the wait. Like any great sitcom wedding, the happy couple’s big day is threatened by an unexpected event (this time, a rainstorm). David and Patrick eventually move their nuptials to the town hall. Then, when their officiant ends up cancelling on them, mother Moira steps in to deliver the service in her most iconic of ways. Throughout this episode, you’ll laugh and you’ll cry as you say farewell to the chaotic Rose family - and what a finale it is!
The Vicar of Dibley - 2006 Christmas Special
Following on from the glorious penultimate special, Geraldine and her ‘handsome stranger’ Harry get their happy ending in the last-ever episode of The Vicar of Dibley. Of course, given her attachment to her community, Geraldine’s plans for a dreamy white wedding are instantly derailed, when David, Alice and the gang insist on organising everything for her. Naturally, their ideas are the complete opposite of what Geraldine has in mind, but in the end, the villagers (somewhat) pull through to give their beloved vicar the send-off she deserves. Geraldine and Harry’s big day still runs far from smooth, but it’s the kind of wholesome craziness that The Vicar of Dibley fans always know to expect!
Gavin & Stacey - Series 1, Episode 6
After their whirlwind romance and engagement, Gavin and Stacey’s wedding day is like truly something out of a fairytale. However, it’s not the ceremony itself, nor the hilarious reception, that makes it special. For us, the pinnacle of this episode is the moment just before Stacey arrives at the church in Barry. Travelling in the car with her, Uncle Bryn gives her a letter written from her late father, ordered to be read on her wedding day. Unable to bring herself to read it, Stacey asks Bryn to read it out to her, and the result is a bittersweet and emotional moment. For anyone who ties the knot without a loved one present, it is a poignant reminder of how, even though they might not be there physically, they are always there in spirit.
