7 of the Most Memorable TV Weddings

Weddings on TV rarely run smoothly, as narrative thrives on conflict. But at the end of the day, these couples still became husband and wife, which is what matters the most in real life as well. The vast majority of wedding episodes are memorable – and there are certainly some classics from series past – but the ones featured below are what have stuck in our minds from shows in this century. Spoiler alert!

Jim Halpert & Pam Beesly - The Office
As one of the most iconic couples in all of television, everyone was excited to see Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) finally tie the knot. After her veil tears, Jim cuts off his necktie so they're "even" and whisks her off to a ferry ride under Niagara Falls to be married by the ship captain. Back at the church, their coworkers reenact the viral wedding video featuring “Forever” by Chris Brown. Jim reveals that he bought the ferry tickets as soon as he saw the video, because he knew he would need a backup. The ferry was plan C, the church was plan B, and plan A was marrying Pam a long time ago. 

Jasmine Trussell & Crosby Braverman - Parenthood
When an old fling shows up and lets Crosby (Dax Shepard) know that he has a child he never knew he had, it naturally changes his life. He does a lot of growing up and is able to restart a relationship with Jasmine (Joy Bryant), the mother of his child. After even more ups and downs, the on-again, off-again couple got together for good and wed in the backyard of Crosby’s parents (Craig T. Nelson and Bonnie Bedelia) while a gospel choir sings "Make You Feel My Love".  

Leslie Knope & Ben Wyatt - Parks and Recreation
While at a gala that Ben (Adam Scott) helped her with, Leslie (Amy Poehler) tells her fiancé that she wishes she were already married to him, prompting Ben to ask her to marry him that night. With just two hours to get everything together, their friends at the Parks Department help with all the planning. The original wedding was meant to take place in three months, so Leslie’s best friend Anne (Rashida Jones) makes a dress with all the bills Leslie ever introduced. Just when it seems like the wedding won’t happen, Ron (Nick Offerman) takes Leslie by the arm and walks her into the office of the Parks Department, which is fully decorated for the ceremony. 

Phoebe Buffay & Mike Hannigan - Friends
While the wedding of Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry) was a beautiful culmination of their relationship, it was Phoebe’s (Lisa Kudrow) marriage to Mike (Paul Rudd) that truly showed how involved the six friends were in each other’s lives. When a snowstorm threatens the cancellation of the wedding, they rush to put together a wintry wonderland in front of Central Perk. Phoebe braves the cold and looks stunning as Chandler walks her towards Mike in her gown, sans winter coat. As he did with Monica and Chandler, Joey performs the service, and Monica, Rachel, and Ross all take part in the bridal party.

Lane Kim & Zack Van Gerbig - Gilmore Girls
Bandmates turned soul mates Lane (Keiko Agena) and Zack (Todd Lowe) had three weddings in one. First, a Buddhist ceremony for the sake of her grandmother, then a Christian service for her mother’s benefit, and final a rock n’ roll reception that matched the couple’s lifestyle. Despite, or perhaps because of, an uncomfortable impromptu toast from Lorelai (Lauren Graham), it was a wedding Stars Hollow is unlikely to forget.  

Liz Lemon & Criss Chros - 30 Rock
Even though Liz (Tina Fey) did not ever want to be married, the desire to adopt a baby with Criss (James Marsden) caused her to acquiesce to his casual proposal. She rejects all the classic wedding traditions, but still finds herself upset when things are going wrong, finally admitting that there is still a tiny part of her that wants to be a princess when she gets married. And even though they had items from a police auction instead of wedding rings (Criss got grills for his teeth), Liz was still a princess: Princess Leia.

Howard Wolowitz & Bernadette Rostenkowski - The Big Bang Theory
When Howard (Simon Helberg) finds out he will be going to space, his fiancée Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) tells him she wants to get married before he goes. Unfortunately, city hall won’t be open again until after he leaves, so they are left scrambling. With Leonard (Johnny Galecki), Sheldon (Jim Parsons), Penny (Kaley Cuoco), Raj (Kunal Nayyar), and Amy (Mayim Bialik) all ordained as ministers, they perform the ceremony on the roof of the apartment building as Bernadette’s father and Howard’s mother look on.

For more television and film inspiration, watch the best proposals from TV shows, see which movie wedding ceremonies were interrupted in the name of love, listen to these songs from wedding-themed films, and see our favorite bridal gowns from movie weddings.