Amour versus glamour

I really loved this one - somehow have missed it for the past 5 years but am glad I caught it now! Autumn Reeser is 100% adorable - I'm not familiar with her, but really enjoyed her performance - and I always appreciate Jesse Metcalfe's movies but was happy to see him displaying new talents here. As much as I love Hallmark coming out with new movies frequently, when I see one of the older ones before they started really cranking them out I can see such a difference in quality. This movie is heartwarming, funny, entertaining, charming, just plain good! I recommend it wholeheartedly.

This is a great classic Hallmark country romance and Autumn Reeser is fantastic! This is the story of famous country singer Bradley who has just gotten engaged to his famous Hollywood actress girlfriend Catherine and they are planning a small private wedding in Italy, but first he is going to go home to his small town to sell his childhood home. Once Bradley gets home he connects with his childhood friend and neighbor Sarah. As Bradley slows down he starts to write music and appreciate his home and home town. He decides he wants to marry Catherine in the old barn which leads to striking a deal with Sarah. He will help her mend her fence and she will help him plan his barn wedding while Catherine is finishing the film she is working on in Hollywood. Through the planning process Sarah figures out Bradley doesn't seem to know his bride to be very well...doesn't know her favorite flower, her favorite color, what flavor cake she likes, etc. It starts to become very obvious that Sarah and Bradley are meant to be together.

Sweet sweet romantic story that I recommend to all the romantics out there.

The fiance had the worst dye job ever. the person responsible should never be allowed to work on another live being ever again.

Although this is a 2015 Hallmark TV movie, it just recently came into my local library in the DVD format.

The film is as schmaltzy and predictable as can be, and makes no apologies for it. So if you want to get away for a while from the violence and explicitness of so many of today's movies, then the escape into this feel-good sugary sweet fantasy may be just what the doctor ordered.

Expectations were mixed here. Music is a big part of my life and this is the sort of story that is relatable to me. While country is not my favourite style of music, there is still a lot of love for it. Autumn Reeser and Jesse Metcalfe have both been good in other things, particularly Reeser who has been in a higher number of good films. Am not a fan of most of Hallmark's June Weddings films and that seasonal block has always been one of the more up and down ones every year since it was introduced, but there have been some decent and more ones.

Following on from the mediocre 'Perfect Match' and the pretty good 'Love, Again', 'A Country Wedding' is a winner. It is for me the best of the 2015 June Weddings films, helped by that it had the most appealing premise of the three, and also among the better June Weddings Hallmark films overall. Not to mention proof that Hallmark and country music do mix very well, which was also proven more than once since in other music-themed films of theirs.

It is not perfect, with some of the dialogue sounding a little awkward and sappy.

The film maybe could have gotten going a little quicker.

'A Country Wedding' has a lot of good things though that balance those not so good ones out. The best aspect is the music, which is just great. So infectiously uplifting and soothing on the ears and both Reeser and especially Metcalfe have very pleasant singing voices. The lip sync is also a lot better than most music-related Hallmark films, with there being a number of ones where this aspect has been sloppy. Reeser is like a ray of sunshine, while Metcalfe is a subtle easy going contrast. Really liked their truly endearing chemistry, that amused, charmed and heart-warmed. The supporting cast are all solid and the characters never bored or irritated me.

Furthermore, it looks good. Especially the scenery. The script has some awkwardness but is suitably light-hearted, the rapport between the two leads made me smile. The story may be formulaic and not exactly original, but its energy, charm and ability to lift the spirits more than made up for that. Not to mention that it was to me easy to relate to. The ending, though foreseeable, is sweet and doesn't ring false or feel contrived.

Overall, very nicely done. 8/10.