Wedding Every Weekend: A Hallmark Channel Movie First!

Wedding Every Weekend premiered this past weekend on Hallmark Channel and got some attention due to the fact that it aired the network’s first same-sex wedding in the film. First, I just want to say how proud I am that Hallmark Channel made the choice to not only include this wedding, but to also show the very sweet kiss between the two brides after they were married. For a network that has been criticized for lacking diversity and inclusion (as a viewer myself and as a podcaster for the network, I also recognized this and full disclosure: advocated for change internally) they really showed how they are changing with this film.

The premise of the film is that the two romantic leads fall in love as they realize they are attending the exact same weddings over the course of a summer hence Wedding Every Weekend. What I really loved about this movie is that by allowing us to go to these weddings with our “A” storyline couple, we got to see all different kinds of love and marriage ceremonies represented. We got to see a Jewish wedding, a biracial wedding, a Black couple get married and two women wed. We also got to see it with the full Hallmark Channel treatment, meaning the weddings were beautiful, they gave us a sensory experience with the production design and it remained positive and family friendly. One of the reasons I love Hallmark movies is because they are so chaste when it comes to romance. I like that there is always a sweet kiss at the end and everything remains very PG throughout. It’s multi generational viewing and I appreciate that. This movie stayed true to that formula.

I live tweet the movies when they premiere on Saturday nights and I can’t say how inspiring it was to live tweet with the Hallmark community this past weekend. Take a look at some of these tweets that made my heart soar.

These tweets brought me joy because they showcase how much fans were waiting for this. The one tweet above that really got to me said: “Thank you @hallmarkchannel I hope this is just the beginning! Next step? Main Story! I’ve been a fan for a long time. As a lesbian I never dreamed I would see this.” This made me so emotional because I know that feeling of not feeling represented by media that you love and watch. It’s so important to have that representation because it signifies that you matter — that you are valued. That when a story is created about the world we live in, it needs to represent our world and what it looks like. These tweets were just a few of the many that were out there that echoed those same sentiments.

Now some may say, “Well, finally” and “Come on it’s 2020” and they would be right. It has taken them a bit to get here, but they GOT HERE. That’s the important thing. That’s the thing to celebrate. So, quite frankly, I’m giddy. I’m excited to see what’s to come for future programming on the network. I know their Christmas movie slate is going to increase the diversity in terms of the leads represented and some of the storylines too. This movie showed me that they are open to it and want to make it a priority. Now, I just need to see some South Asian romantic/family storylines appear on the network and then, I’ll really be happy. :) Here’s hoping soon.

Above all, let’s just remember, kindness wins, love is love and equality for all especially when it comes to romance and family. Again, I’m so proud that I finally get to say that I work with a network that represents all of it and that I’m part of the Hallmark Channel family creating stories where anyone is welcome. Congratulations to all involved in this movie in particular. What a moment.

Did you watch Wedding Every Weekend? Comment below and let me know what you thought. If you haven’t, you should! It will be reairing and you can find out when here.