The Perfect Bride

6.5/10 · 1,961 ratings20171h 24mWedding AnniversaryWeirdness 2/10Bingo card

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The premise

She's a bridal boot camp leader, he's a wedding photographer. They meet and have fun talking, she doesn't know he's engaged, he doesn't realize she thinks he's available. His fiancee joins her class.

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: Pascale Hutton and Kavan Smith have made 9 Hallmark movies together.

Behind the camera

Show

Directed by

Written by

Wait, what?

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

  • The concept of a 'Bridal Boot Camp' that functions as a hybrid of CrossFit and intensive group therapy.
  • A 'medicine ball sharing' exercise where participants must confess personal secrets before passing the ball.
  • The groom-to-be being hired to take 'sexy' marketing photos of the woman he is secretly falling for while his fiancée is in the next room.
  • A subplot involving a 1/16th Scottish man insisting on bagpipes and a kilt for his wedding.

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 28 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)
Molly White is a dedicated fitness instructor at Counter Fit Gym who runs a specialized 'Bridal Boot Camp.' Having transitioned from a career in marriage counseling after being left at the altar two years prior, Molly uses her classes to teach brides-to-be about trust, honesty, and communication through intense workouts and yoga. At a wedding for a former client, Molly meets Nick, a charming wedding photographer. The two share a romantic dance and an immediate connection, but Nick fails to mention he is engaged. The following Monday, Molly is shocked when a new student, Jenna, introduces her fiancé—who turns out to be Nick. To make matters more complicated, the gym owner hires Nick to photograph the facility for a new marketing campaign, forcing Molly and Nick into frequent contact. As the six-week boot camp progresses, the contrast between Molly and Jenna becomes clear. Jenna is obsessed with having a 'perfect' wedding to outshine her sister, Karen, and she constantly pressures Nick to abandon his photography career for a stable job at her father’s investment firm. Meanwhile, Molly’s sister Lisa is also in the class, planning a quirky wedding with her fiancé Rennie, involving bagpipes and kilts. During a 'sharing' exercise involving medicine balls, Molly and Nick begin to open up to one another, with Molly revealing her past heartbreak. The tension peaks when Jenna finds her 'perfect' wedding dress at a boutique, only to learn it has already been sold to Lisa. In a moment of 'Bridezilla' desperation, Jenna manipulates the shop into selling her the dress anyway, leaving Lisa devastated. Nick eventually discovers Jenna’s deception regarding the dress and confronts her about her obsession with perfection and her attempts to change him. Jenna, prompted by a heart-to-heart with Molly about the true meaning of a relationship, realizes she has been trying to use a perfect wedding to mask a flawed partnership. She returns the dress to Lisa and breaks up with Nick. In the aftermath, Molly struggles with her feelings, fearing she is a 'fraud' for teaching happiness she hasn't found herself. However, at Lisa and Rennie’s wedding, Nick arrives and finds Molly on the dance floor. He explains that he and Jenna have ended things because they couldn't be who the other needed. Nick and Molly share a final dance and a kiss, with Nick jokingly declaring that he is finally a 'good dancer' now that he is with the right person.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    Molly meets Nick at a wedding and they share a romantic dance, unaware of their future professional connection.

  2. Inciting Incident

    Molly discovers Nick is the fiancé of her new Bridal Boot Camp student, Jenna.

  3. Midpoint

    Nick is hired to photograph the gym, leading to intimate 'sharing' exercises with Molly that reveal her past of being left at the altar.

  4. Rising Action

    Jenna 'steals' a one-of-a-kind wedding dress from Molly's sister, Lisa, by buying it out from under her at the boutique.

  5. Climax

    Nick confronts Jenna about the dress and her controlling nature; Jenna returns the dress and calls off the engagement.

  6. Resolution

    Nick and Molly reunite at Lisa's wedding, acknowledging their feelings and sharing their first kiss.

28 tropes in one movie

We counted 28 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 6.5 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.5567

Higher-rated than 55% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog The Perfect Bride belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

The Perfect BridePart of the 2-film The Perfect Bride series.

Lines worth quoting

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

  • “Marriage counseling is about solving problems after they start, but the boot camp is about fixing problems before they ever begin.”
    — Molly WhiteExplaining her business philosophy to her sister.
  • “I was a marriage counselor, and I didn't recognize that the guy I was gonna marry didn't actually want to get married. That's like Relationship 101.”
    — Molly WhiteDiscussing her failed engagement.
  • “I think there's a fine line between acceptance and delusion.”
    — Molly WhiteTeasing Nick about his dancing skills at the end of the film.

Meet the characters

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

  • Molly White

    Lead

    Fitness Instructor and former Marriage Counselor

    DisciplinedEmpatheticGuardedAthletic
  • Nick

    Love interest

    Wedding Photographer

    Love interest and fiancé of her student

    ArtisticLaid-backFunnyRhythmically challenged
  • Jenna

    Supporting

    Unknown/Socialite

    Student and romantic rival

    PerfectionistCompetitiveInsecureDetermined
  • Lisa

    Supporting

    Sister

    EmotionalQuirkySupportive
  • Rennie

    Supporting

    Future brother-in-law

    Easy-goingGood-natured

Questions people ask about The Perfect Bride

Where can I watch The Perfect Bride?

The Perfect Bride is available via fuboTV, Philo, and YouTube TV. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is The Perfect Bride?

The Perfect Bride runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2017.

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