Curious Caterer: Fatal Vows

6.9/10 · 916 ratings20231h 24mWeirdness 2/10Bingo card

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The premise

In the third movie of the series, Goldy Berry, a caterer and amateur detective, is recruited to provide food for a sizable wedding. Jessamyn Cole, the bride, is the ex-wife of Goldy's current love interest, detective Tom Schultz.

How unusual is it?

Honestly? Not very — and that's the charm. It plays the hits, which is exactly the point for a cozy night in.

Who’s in it

You’ve seen this pairing before: Nikki DeLoach and Andrew W. Walker have made 8 Hallmark movies together.

Behind the camera

Show

Wait, what?

The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

  • The victim is found drowned in a fountain of expensive champagne.
  • Goldy creates a 'murder board' using wedding seating charts and leftover floral arrangements.
  • The murder weapon is a decorative candle holder.
  • The killer uses 'avocado crackers' as a biological weapon to trigger a fatal allergy.

Every trope, all in one place

Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 21 to find more movies that do the same thing.

How it all plays out

Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.

Full story (spoilers)
Goldy Berry is tasked with catering the 'wedding of the decade' for Jessamyn, who happens to be the ex-wife of Goldy's romantic interest, Detective Tom Schultz. The groom, Sterling Bridgewater, is a wealthy man whose family previously fled town after a software scam ruined many local residents. During the rehearsal dinner, tensions flare as Sterling behaves arrogantly, fighting with his best man, Ray, and dismissing the concerns of his future mother-in-law, Ann. The next morning, the wedding is thrown into chaos when Sterling is found dead, drowned in a fountain of champagne after suffering blunt force trauma. Simultaneously, Jessamyn is discovered missing from her hotel room, which shows signs of a violent struggle. Because of his personal connection to the victim and the missing bride, Tom is suspended by a rival detective, Dave Track, who suspects Tom might be involved to collect on a life insurance policy. Refusing to sit idly by, Tom and Goldy launch an independent investigation. Goldy creates a 'murder board' using leftover wedding flowers and seating charts to track suspects. They discover that Sterling had a mysterious orange rash on his hand, which Goldy identifies as an allergic reaction to avocado powder—a substance Sterling was severely allergic to. They also learn that Katie, the maid of honor, was secretly engaged to Sterling years ago and that her family was one of many ruined by the Bridgewater family's past financial crimes. As the investigation deepens, Goldy realizes that the 'cassava crackers' served to the bridal party were actually avocado-based, intended to incapacitate Sterling. Through a teenage witness on a skateboard, they learn that Sterling and a woman in a 'besties' jacket (Katie) were arguing on the morning of the wedding. Katie had attempted to rekindle her romance with Sterling, but when he rejected her and chose Jessamyn, she attacked him with a heavy candle holder and dumped him in the champagne. She then kidnapped Jessamyn to prevent her from revealing the truth. In a final confrontation at a local farm, Katie attempts to kill Goldy with a heavy winch, but Tom arrives just in time. They rescue Jessamyn from a locked barn and arrest Katie. The film concludes with Tom being reinstated and finally asking Goldy out on a formal date, comparing her to the 'dessert' he always has room for.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    Goldy prepares a massive wedding cake for Jessamyn and Sterling, while Jessamyn acts as a 'bridezilla' regarding superstitions and allergies.

  2. Inciting Incident

    Sterling is found dead in a champagne fountain on his wedding morning, and the bride, Jessamyn, is missing.

  3. Midpoint

    Detective Tom Schultz is suspended for conflict of interest, leading him and Goldy to start an unofficial investigation.

  4. Turning Point

    Goldy identifies the murder weapon as a missing candle holder and discovers Sterling suffered an allergic reaction to avocado before his death.

  5. Climax

    Goldy and Tom track the killer, Katie, to a farm where she has hidden Jessamyn and attempts to kill Goldy.

  6. Resolution

    Katie is arrested, Jessamyn is rescued, and Tom is reinstated to the police force.

21 tropes in one movie

We counted 21 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.

How it stacks up

Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

Rating 6.9 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.9567

Higher-rated than 88% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog Curious Caterer: Fatal Vows belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

Curious CatererPart of the 5-film Curious Caterer series.

Lines worth quoting

The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

  • “Pearls of any sort represent future tears and heartache in a marriage.”
    — JessamynComplaining about the decorations on her wedding cake.
  • “Eyewitness testimonies are like slogging through mud, but somewhere in between lies the truth.”
    — Tom SchultzExplaining the difficulty of the investigation to Goldy.
  • “It's certainly the prettiest murder board I've ever seen.”
    — Tom SchultzReacting to Goldy's floral-themed investigation chart.

Meet the characters

Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

  • Goldy Berry

    Lead

    Caterer and Amateur Sleuth

    observantdeterminedresourceful
  • Tom Schultz

    Love interest

    Detective

    Romantic interest and investigative partner

    principledprotectiveloyal
  • Katie

    Antagonist

    Maid of Honor

    Friend of the bride and secret ex-fiancée of the victim

    jealousvengefuldeceptive
  • Jessamyn

    Supporting

    Real Estate Agent

    Tom's ex-wife and Goldy's client

    demandingsuperstitiousvulnerable

Questions people ask about Curious Caterer: Fatal Vows

Where can I watch Curious Caterer: Fatal Vows?

Curious Caterer: Fatal Vows is available via fuboTV, Philo, and Hallmark+ Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is Curious Caterer: Fatal Vows?

Curious Caterer: Fatal Vows runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2023.

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