The Wedding Cottage

Vanessa Doyle is a successful wedding expert who has transitioned from planning to publishing her guide book, 'Tying the Knot.' She launches a contest and selects Amy Price and Scott Bishop, a military couple who need to marry in five weeks before Scott is deployed to Germany. Amy's heart is set on 'The Wedding Cottage' in Stony Bridge, Vermont, where her parents and grandparents wed. Upon arrival, Vanessa finds the cottage in a state of total disrepair and meets the owner, Evan Stanford, a grumpy sculptor who has retreated to Vermont to escape the pressures of the New York art world. Evan initially refuses to allow any renovations, wanting only peace and quiet to overcome his creative block. Vanessa persists, eventually striking a deal: she will handle all costs and supervision of the renovation as long as she doesn't disturb his work. As the renovation begins, Vanessa faces numerous hurdles, including a family of raccoons living in the attic that halts electrical work and a skeptical local community. She bonds with Marilyn, the B&B owner, and Daryl, a contractor who is also a veteran. When Amy and Scott make a surprise visit to see the venue before it's ready, Vanessa and Evan coordinate 'Operation Distraction,' involving a fake road closure and an impromptu dance lesson at the B&B to keep them away from the construction site. During this time, Vanessa and Evan's relationship shifts from adversarial to romantic. Evan uses his sculpting skills to fix a broken architectural column for the cottage, finding that Vanessa's tenacity is the spark his art needed. A conflict arises when 'Top Trends' magazine publishes a profile on Vanessa that portrays Evan as a 'down and out' artist being used for publicity. Evan, feeling betrayed and believing Vanessa leaked his location to the press, abruptly leaves for New York. Vanessa is heartbroken but focuses on finishing the wedding. In New York, Evan's art dealer praises his new work—a sculpture inspired by the cottage and Vanessa—and Evan learns from Daryl the contractor that it was actually a local's slip-up, not Vanessa, that led the reporter to him. On the wedding day, Evan returns to Stony Bridge just in time to help Scott through a moment of physical and emotional doubt during the first dance. The film concludes with Amy and Scott's successful wedding, Evan and Vanessa reconciling, and the pair deciding to reopen the Wedding Cottage as a permanent business and a shared home.