The Wedding Cottage

8.2 stars.

How about a romance for romance sake? 'The Wedding Cottage', is a passionate romance featuring a wedding planner and a sculptor.

There is absolutely nothing amiss in this story, everything is rational. There are no major squabbles, only true to life disagreements.

Vanessa needs to use Evan's dilapidated old cottage for an upcoming wedding she is planning for her clients, but unfortunately, this once popular wedding venue has deteriorated due to disuse. Evan has lived alone there for years creating masterpieces of art...he might be a certifiable genius. She requests the use of the old cottage, but he is stubborn and will not agree to let her fix up the place, even at her own expense. She pokes and prods at his softer side and still he does not budge, but eventually he succumbs to her charms. Their relationship develops naturally as their curiosity for each other grows.

'The Wedding Cottage' is a very gratifying and passionate love story. You won't have to cover your kids' eyes or send them to bed but you might be tempted to. Don't worry, this is still rated G.

Not to be confused (and not in any way) related to The Christmas Cottage with Merritt Patterson and Steve Lund that aired on Hallmark a few years back.

Lots of Hallmark star power here. When Calls the Heart star (in a rare on-screen moment out of period clothing) Erin Krakow stars alongside Chesapeake Shores alum Brendan Penney, who is a reliable actor, no matter the role. He plays a somewhat curmudgeonly character - at least early on - in direct opposition to Krakow's bubbly, positive character.

After Krakow's character Vanessa promises a couple - competition winners - the dream wedding at The Wedding Cottage, she belatedly discovers that the cottage is in disrepair and must enlist Penney's Evan to assist in getting the cottage ready for the nuptials, which at first proves to be a bridge too far.

There's nothing forced about the chemistry between Penney and Krakow. They are very good in every scene together - but especially the "leaf blower" scene, which was particularly amusing - and The Wedding Cottage is a very entertaining rom-com. It could have been run-of-the-mill with any other stars, but Krakow and Penney definitely elevate the film.

One thing I typically look for in the Hallmark romances is the level of relationship building. Some plots put the main couple together so seldom you wonder how they even remember each other's names.

This movie puts the leads together most of the time, and it works. The plot starts out with a bit of antithetical romance which is quickly stripped away as the lady wedding planner puts a cottage back in order.

Unfortunately the "relationship crisis" is one that's been horribly overworked, when one of the leads thinks the other has betrayed their fame to the press. I had to knock off a star for a lack of originality there.

However, overall we liked the story and the characters, and we're glad we watched it.

This was a wonderfully romantic Hallmark film and I feel like standing up and cheering. It seems like there has been a long dry spell on Hallmark filled with forced box checking and political agendas that really marked a deviation from the romantic films that originally brought me to the channel. This was a film that transcended all of that. It was beautiful, sweet and very romantic.

Erin Krakow, who I love in When Calls The Heart, is wonderful as a wedding guide creator that together with her team gives away a dream wedding to a would be bride and her hero military groom. The problem, they want to do it in the famous Vermont Wedding Cottage which has been out of business for five years and is currently owned by a famous artist who has allowed it to go to ruin. Thankfully Erin's character Vanessa Doyle is a real go-getter and she does what it takes to convince artist Evan Stanford to let her fix up the cottage and hold the wedding there...and bring him coffeee every morning...all quietly, so he can concentrate on his next piece for an upcoming art show.

These two, Vanessa and Evan, fit together like beautiful romantic puzzle pieces. I loved the romance in this film AND Erin's urban wardrobe! Erin Krakow and Brendan Penny have wonderful on-screen chemistry which really makes this film work.

I highly, highly recommend this to all the romantics out there...you will love this film.

Really enjoyed this movie as the characters had real chemistry and a sweetness about them. It doesn't hurt that I love both of the main actors and believe they are talented, so put it in my list because of them. Kudos that Hallmark is using actors that are more mature with real ability.

Only found a few off putting moments- the fact that she had given up wedding planning as she was so busy with her new career was not believable and if course the 'misunderstanding' that seems to be built into so many of their movies. Would such mature characters not actually discuss it? The secondary characters were also great.