June has always been about weddings, and Hallmark is kicking off their annual “June Weddings” with Wedding Season.
Stephanie Bennett and Casey Deidrick star in this cute Hallmark original about a journalist standing up at three of her best friends’ weddings. She pairs up with her best friend’s brother when she can’t get a date. There is an instant connection.
We chatted with Stephanie about the scoop on the movie, working with Casey, and the chaos of wedding planning. Check out the interview below.
Hi Stephanie. So, Wedding Season was such a fun movie. What attracted you to the film and the character of Trish?
I love the many different storylines and the idea of three weddings. I felt like I related to Trish. She’s got this dry sense of humor, which I also have. She’s very driven in her career, which I like.
The ensemble cast, different storylines, and different types of weddings made an entertaining movie.
It did. And how accurate did you find the chaos of wedding planning?
I’m getting married in a few weeks, so I understand how chaotic it can be. It was also a lot of fun, wedding planning and trying to find those little fun moments in the chaos. I can relate to how crazy it can get. I think I say that in a movie, this crazy wedding season.
Understandable. Why do you think Trish is so cynical about weddings?
It has to do with not finding the right person and being so career-oriented that she has yet to find someone who understands her passion for her career.
Watching her friends, there might be a point of pain for her, seeing them all having found love.
She uses this cynicism to cover the pain of not finding the right person who truly understands her. So, when Ryan comes along in time, it turns out he understands who she is, and they have a connection. She can finally eliminate that cynicism and let herself be in love.
What was it like working with Casey Deidrick?
It was great. Casey’s a very talented actor. He’s a lot of fun. We definitely had a lot of laughs on set.
He’s also very tall, so he’s 6’5, and I’m 5’3. We had a bunch of dancing scenes, so you can imagine I was staring up at him the entire time. He’s a great guy and fun to work with.
You mentioned the whole cast ensemble. Did you all become friends?
I knew some of them since they were Vancouver actors, and I’m local to Vancouver, so I was lucky enough to have worked with and met several of them before. But then there were some I had never worked with or met, and we all got along really well.
It felt like the casting was perfect because we were already friends on that first day, with all of us sitting together. We had a bunch of scenes together, and it felt very natural.
I enjoyed working with every one of them. There were some fantastic separate storylines; they all were excellent actors, and they sold them.
What do you think it was about wedding planning that caused these three couples to reevaluate their relationships?
They each had their own struggles, but when things get stressful, people’s true colors come out, and sometimes they aren’t as patient with one another.
Each couple’s struggles came out in the stress of it all. Lack of sleep and scrambling to get everything organized can cause strain on anyone’s friendships or relationships.
But it also brought them closer together and highlighted what they love about each other and why they chose to marry. So, that was nice to see: the difference in each couple and how they all had their own unique way of coming together.
I liked this movie because while it’s a romance, it also highlights Trisha’s growth.
Yes, absolutely. There’s definitely a great character arc for Trish from start to finish.
She seemed to spend just as much time with her friends as she did her leading man.
I can relate to that. My friends and my life are essential and complement my life with my partner. So, having those friendships is important, and I really liked that part of the movie.
How do you think meeting Ryan changed Trish’s view on relationships?
Ryan’s passion for love and the unexpected element of how he’s so romantic allowed Trish to open up and let herself be a romantic too. Eventually, it helped her to see what those little moments in the relationships mean, how important love is to her in her life, and that she was missing it.
I would agree with that. Why do you think, uh, people should watch Wedding Season?
There is something unique about this movie. As we talked about the friendships between Trish and her friends, they all feature different unique qualities of her friendships.
That’s really important. It’s a great message, but I also love the character of Trish and her dynamic with Ryan.
There are a lot of enjoyable moments, and they’re very different, but they’re very similar in many ways as well.
There’s something unique about this movie. It’s a feel-good movie, but there are also a lot of challenges that the characters go through, and it’s an incredible journey.
Wedding Season airs on Saturday, June 3 at 8/7c on the Hallmark Channel.
Laura Nowak is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.