There’s no denying that planning a wedding can be stressful. If it’s not the financial worry that gets you, it will most likely be the overwhelming burden you have to get everything right that does.
From hunting for the perfect dress to finding that perfect venue (Oh and lets not forget about narrowing down that dreaded guest list!). It can all become too much. There is one way to take away the stress of wedding planning though!
So what’s the solution? Watch someone else do it. Whether you are planning your own big day and need some serious inspiration, miss the craziness that goes into saying “I DO” or are simply somebody living their best single life, watching the best wedding shows out there is a fun way to relive, relieve stress or imagine the best day of your life.
Finding the right show to watch can be tricky though. A quick look online will bring up a huge variety of shows that nobody has time to look through.
That’s why we’ve done the hard work for you! Below you will find 10 of the best wedding shows out there. On top of this we have also put together a handy buyer’s guide packed with useful information on what to look for when searching for the perfect wedding show.
Say Yes To The Dress
Say Yes To The Dress explores one of the world’s finest bridal salons. Buying your wedding dress is arguably the most important part of the whole celebration, and Kleinfield Bridal in Manhattan seeks to find the perfect wedding dresses for their brides.
The show delves into how overwhelming it can be when trying to find your perfect dress. Common occurrences on the show include brides finally finding “the one”, families and friends falling out over the dresses and a LOT of money being spent!
Say Yes To The Dress offers the perfect balance between comedy, drama and luxury to create a brilliant show for people wanting a good laugh or some wonderful inspiration for their perfect day.
Pros:
- Inspiration – Find inspiration for your dress.
- Comedy Value – Laugh at bad dresses and spoiled brides.
- Binge Watch – 19 seasons so plenty of episodes.
- Variety – There are dresses of all styles and sizes on the show. Something for everyone.
- Price – Not just a focus on ridiculously priced dresses, cheap dresses too.
Cons:
- Behavior – Serious fallout’s and arguments might not help your stress levels.
Don’t Tell The Bride
If you don’t like to give up control of your wedding planning or are starting to stress that you haven’t planned enough, then Don’t Tell The Bride is the show for you.
In Don’t Tell The Bride the groom has to plan the wedding in secret from the dress and venue to the cake and guest list. Could you trust your other half to pull it off?
Most episodes end in tears with the bride not enjoying her big day thanks to an ugly dress or embarrassing venue. Some episodes show the groom even forgetting to invite the bride’s parents!
This show will make you feel at ease with your planning and definitely show you what not to do if you’re planning your bride’s wedding.
Pros:
- Very funny – Shocking planning will leave you in stitches.
- Unique Weddings – With so many unique weddings the show might even give you some great inspiration.
- Consistent Budget – Every wedding costs the same giving a fair view of available possibilities.
Cons:
- One Season – There is only one U.S season with 8 episodes.
My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding
My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding gives you the opportunity to experience other cultures’ marital ceremony. The show dives into the lives of American gypsies and the way they celebrate their big day.
The show will completely take your mind off your big day and instead show you something you could never imagine.
Girls who are barely 14 can been seen buying the shortest of short dresses for their big day covered in plenty of bling. Ignoring important traditions or marrying a gypsy from another clan causes tension and often causes havoc on the wedding day. Unlike its competitors, this show is a lot more out there and unique.
Pros:
- Very different – The weddings on the show are like nothing you have seen before giving a new perspective on what a wedding is.
- Easy to watch – It is easy to binge watch 5 or 6 episodes at once after a busy day.
- Plenty of episodes – There are 6 seasons each with 8 episodes.
- Guilty pleasure – Definitely a show that will quickly draw you in with quirky parties and bizarre outfits.
Cons:
- Controversial – Some beliefs and actions are very controversial, which sometimes causes anger towards the show.
The Wedding Coach
Hosted by comedian Jamie Lee, the wedding coach helps couples plan their big day. The fun and bubbly Jamie Lee puts couples at ease by providing practical tips and tricks for planning a wedding.
If you are a stressed couple struggling to plan your perfect day then take a look at The Wedding Coach. This show is arguably the best wedding show for making you feel more relaxed about the planning of your wedding.
She explains how the perfect wedding isn’t possible, which is okay. She backs her belief up by giving amazing help and advice on exactly how to plan an incredible wedding without going mad!
Wedding panic and stress is very real and a big part of it comes from the belief that we must all have the biggest and best wedding. Jamie takes couples on a learning curve to show how that isn’t the main priority and by doing things simpler you can often have a much better day.
Pros:
- Inspirational – You will get plenty of inspiration and ideas for your big day from Jamie’s tips.
- Funny – The show comes with lots of laughs.
- Informative – The wedding coach is very informative providing people with lots of tips on how to plan a wedding.
- Relevant – By being honest and up to date the show is very relevant for today’s society and how the social world expects us to have the perfect wedding.
Cons:
- Only 8 episodes – This is one show you want more of.
Wedding Cake Championship
The Wedding Cake Championship is another extremely popular wedding show and is proven to be a big hit.
Each episode see’s two duos go head-to-head for a place in the next round. The aim of the show? Who can make the best wedding cake? Unlike its competitors who focus on the dresses and the whole wedding, this show is only interested in the cake.
Aside from making you hungry this show will give you the appetite you need to get out there and look for your cake. Alternatively judging by the look of some of the cakes, it might also show you which type of cake you would like to avoid.
Pros:
- Variety – The variety of cakes gives you plenty of ideas.
- Entertaining – The simple and fun concept is easily enjoyed.
- Unique – You won’t find another show like it.
- Easy watch – If you’ve had a hard day planning or working and want to unwind then this show is perfect.
Cons:
- Only 8 episodes – Needs more episodes.
- No prices – You aren’t told at any point how much the cakes cost to make.
Four Weddings
Four Weddings is regarded as one of the best wedding shows out there. This high quality show is perfect for having a barrel of laughs at some bizarre weddings and arguments whilst also getting some fantastic ideas for your own ceremony.
In Four Weddings, four brides attend each other’s weddings. Each bride rates the other’s wedding based on a number of categories. Whichever bride gets the highest score wins a luxurious honeymoon for her and her husband.
The show presents a huge variety of different weddings showing just how different every wedding can be. If you’re looking for inspiration, want a good laugh at the brides arguing or simply want to enjoy some entertaining wedding TV then get watching this one!
Pros:
- Unique concept – The show presents a different sort of wedding program unlike any before it.
- Great for wedding ideas – Every episode shows 4 different weddings leaving you with lots of ideas.
- 142 episodes – Great for your 5 or 6 hour binge watching sessions.
- Budgeting tips – Each wedding costs a different price so you can get an idea of what you can get for your money.
Cons:
- Competitive – The competitive battle between brides can occasionally overshadow the meaning of the program.
Married At First Sight
Unlike its competitors Married At First Sight doesn’t totally focus on the wedding ceremony itself. Instead it looks into why people get married and how a marital relationship succeeds.
The show uses scientific and sociological factors to match couples together. Using these factors psychologists match 3 couples together. The 6 selected people unbelievably agree to marry their suitor with no knowledge as to who they are or what they look like.
Every episode of this series then follows the couples to see how they get on. After 6 weeks of marriage the couples then have to decide if they want to stay together.
Certainly an interesting creation and one you will definitely enjoy if you want some good evening entertainment. This show might not make you imagine your wedding but it will certainly give you peace knowing you aren’t in a relationship like most of these, which more often than not end horribly.
Pros:
- Interesting television – A very unique perspective of what marriage is.
- 7 Seasons – Plenty of good TV.
- Relevant – In a world where looks are so important it is good to take a step back and look at what is important in a relationship.
Cons:
- Not enough couples – With each series focusing on 3 couples you find yourself wanting more people to be introduced.
90 Day Fiancé
90 Day Fiancé is similar to its competitor Married At First Sight in that it doesn’t focus much on the wedding.
Bizarrely this show follows the stories of couples who have 90 days to decide if they want to marry or not. Why 90 days you ask? Well this is where things get super interesting.
The show follows couples who have applied for or received a K-1 visa. The K-1 visa allows foreign fiancés of U.S Citizens to enter the U.S for 90 days – hence the 90-day window.
The dramatic events of the show make it one of the most popular wedding shows in the world. Huge fallout, embarrassing moments and clashes in traditions creates some quality television.
Pros:
- Guilty pleasure – Totally binge worthy.
- Success rate – It makes a nice change to watch a lot of TV marriages work out pretty well.
- Informative – Clashes between cultures highlight just how different people are.
- Follow up episodes – Following up with couples to see how they are getting on is a nice touch.
Cons:
- Returning participants – Occasionally unlikable participants return to the show for another try if it didn’t work out the last time.
Cheapest Weddings
A new and refreshing alternative to TV shows which portray luxurious and expensive weddings is to show how cheap they can be.
Cheapest Weddings does exactly that. The show follows couples as they plan their perfect wedding on a tiny budget. If you’re planning your wedding and want to cut the costs then this could be the show for you!
The show demonstrates what can be done on a low budget compared to the luxury high budget weddings that we normally see on our televisions. Interestingly though, the drama that comes along isn’t any different between the two budgets.
Pros:
- New perspective – Nice to have the focus on smaller budgets for a change.
- Variety of weddings – Shows not all cheap weddings have to be the same.
- Refreshing – Keeps the focus on what’s important, not how luxurious it can be.
- Ideas – Great opportunity to get ideas for your wedding.
Cons:
- Unachievable – The lengths some couples go to to get money off can feel unachievable and makes you wonder if it is all for the show.
Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings
It has always been said that the words “Disney” and “happiness” go hand-in-hand. As a result it’s not surprising to see how many people get married at Disney (We can all dream right!).
There’s probably no place more fitting to have a fairy tale wedding than at Disney World. This show takes a behind the scene look at the couples who plan their weddings at a Disney property. It will let you slip out of reality and into the perfect serene world of magical weddings.
If you’re getting married it will get you in that soppy romantic mood all ready for your big day and if you’re single let’s not pretend you haven’t at least once wondered what it would be like to live in a Disney World.
Pros:
- Escape the everyday – Forget the hassle of planning a wedding and enjoy some fantasy.
- Insightful – Offers a great insight into how to get married at Disney World.
- Magical – Everybody needs some magic in their life.
- Unique – Who do you know that got married at Disney?
Cons:
- Very Similar – All the weddings are in some way similar which isn’t great if you prefer variety.
Buyer’s Guide
You might think that finding the best wedding show is easy because of how many there are out there. However, there are certain things you need to think about when deciding which one to go for and which one suits what you’re looking for.
Below are some key points to keep in mind when looking for the best wedding show to watch. Giving these points a little thought will help you find the perfect show!
Comedy VS Informative
First and probably the most important thing to think about is why you are watching the show. Do you want to relax and watch something that is going to make you laugh or do you want something that is going to help you plan your wedding.
If you’re looking for inspiration and ideas then you are going to want a show that has a variety of weddings at lots of different price ranges. On the flip side if you want to switch off and just enjoy some entertainment then you will want to find a show that is focused more on the comedy and drama value.
Realistic VS Dramatized
Some shows are heavily dramatized whilst others are more realistic. You need to know which one it is you are looking for.
If you want to purchase a show that can be over the top and entertaining and aims to cause a scene then make sure you don’t purchase a show that wants to show you how to plan and organize weddings from an informative point of view. The same applies if you are looking for a realistic show rather than a dramatized one.
Multiple Series VS 1 Series
What are you looking for in a show? Do you want to get invested and watch 5 or 6 episodes a night or are you only interested in some quick television.
Your decision will impact which you choose. If you only want a couple of episodes, don’t purchase a show that has 142 episodes. You will want to purchase the show that has 8. On the other hand if you want to binge watch a series and become fully invested you won’t want a show with 8 episodes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What streaming service do I need to watch the best wedding shows?
This depends on two factors: Where is the show shown? And When was it shown?
Most shows are shown across terrestrial television, Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney Plus. They might be available all the time on demand or have since been moved to a pay per view service. If they are available on the streaming service or on TV then simply purchase them there.
Alternatively, if you don’t want to pay for shows on a streaming service you can purchase most box sets and episodes on Amazon.com.
