Say “I do” to the best fiction books about weddings. These novels form a curated list of books I read and recommend about the biggest day in everyone’s love lives. You’ll find romance, drama, and even thrills here, so let’s get literary!
List of the Best Fiction Books About Weddings
- Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand
- The Grace Kelly Dress by Brenda Janowitz
- The Guest List by Lucy Foley
- It Had to Be You by Georgia Clark
- Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
- The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
- The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
- The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
- The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
- The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Reviews of the Best Romance Novels Set at Weddings
Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand
In Beautiful Day, when the Carmichael matriarch Beth was living her final days, she detailed instructions for young daughter Jenna’s wedding in a “Notebook.”
Years later, she has passed away and Jenna is planning her Nantucket wedding in the backyard of the family home per her mother’s very specific wishes, which are sprinkled throughout the story.
Along the way, there are “outtakes” by the guests and all the wealthy family drama that comes along with Elin Hilderbrand books (and weddings themselves), to keep you entertained and wondering how (and if) the wedding will play out.
It’s an easy, breezy, and fun read to escape into.
Related Post: Elin Hilderbrand Books Rated
The Grace Kelly Dress by Brenda Janowitz
In The Grace Kelly Dress, three generations of women are inspired by one wedding dress worn by one American princess – Grace Kelly.
Each of these three women is uniquely tied to “the dress.” First, there’s a seamstress who designs a Grace Kelly replica dress for a bride as she begins to fall in love with the bride’s brother.
Second, there’s Raquel (“Rocky”), a modern, non-traditional bride who has unhappily inherited the wedding dress of her mother, Joan, who is the third woman in the book.
As the three women’s lives become further intertwined and Rocky’s wedding date approaches, the reader uncovers the love and heartbreak in the history of “the dress.”
This book celebrates both individuality and tradition, and I couldn’t recommend such a sweet story more highly. It’s a satisfying, light read brimming with heart.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
The Guest List is a “death at a wedding” thriller. It’s an Agatha Christie-style mystery in which someone is dead at a coastal wedding in Ireland, but the reader doesn’t learn who or why until the end.
Everyone is a suspect! This one is both engrossing and suspenseful, as dark secrets are revealed. Years later, it remains a memorable read for me.
Related Post: The Guest List Book Club Questions
It Had to Be You by Georgia Clark
It Had to Be You intermixes the romantic comedy stories of several members of a wedding planning group, along with their clients (and maybe even a guest or two). It begins at a wedding gone wrong, where a middle-aged Liv learns that her business partner (and husband) has abruptly died.
The kicker? He bequeathed his half of the business to his mistress. Savannah is young and full of Southern charm, and with Liv, they must start over in more ways than one.
As they plan several weddings, they and their entourage experience everything from second chances to secret romances and changes of heart… including some diverse storylines. It’s simply filled to the brim with both love and weddings.
Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
Meet Me in Monaco is another book about Grace Kelly’s wedding. As Hollywood stars and paparazzi descend upon Cannes, France, actress Grace Kelly takes shelter away from British photographer James Henderson in Sophie Duval’s failing perfume shop. This single meeting forms bonds between Sophie and Grace, as well as Sophie and James, that span several decades.
The lives of these three characters continue to intertwine as Grace meets, becomes engaged to, and then marries Prince Rainier of Monaco in a grand royal wedding, to become Princess Grace of Monaco.
It’s a glamorous escape read with heart and hope, and a few unexpected twists!
The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
The Perfect Couple is another “death at a wedding” mystery beach read, and it transports the reader to Nantucket during a wedding week.
The reader must figure out whether the death was an accident or murder (and if so, whodunnit). In the process, all of the characters’ secrets are revealed, making their glossy, privileged exteriors appear darker than at first glance. There’s so much drama and intrigue!
As it turns out, the bride and groom at this wedding may not be the “perfect couple” after all, but this is still the “perfect” wedding mystery.
Related Post: The Perfect Couple Review
The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
In The Spanish Love Deception, if there’s one person Lina can’t stand, it’s her co-worker Aaron. But, when he’s her only option to bring to her sister’s wedding in Spain, she drags him along as her fake boyfriend.
There, she begins to see him in a new light, and things get very steamy. The problem is that this charade is all seemingly for pretend and that once they get back to New York, the reality is that he’s her new boss.
If you love slow burns and/or spicy enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, or workplace romance books, you’ll probably love this book as much as everyone else!
Related Post: The Spanish Love Deception Summary
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
The Unhoneymooners series is one of the best love stories because it will remind you of your favorite romantic comedy movies. Olive is the perpetually unlucky twin sister. Naturally, her sister is about to have her dream wedding for free.
As Olive spends the wedding day with the unlikeable best man, Ethan, the remainder of the wedding party gets food poisoning in a truly hilarious sequence of events. What remains from this disaster is an all-expenses-paid honeymoon that the happy couple is too sick to attend.
So, Olive and Ethan begrudgingly head for paradise together. When Olive runs into her future boss, she tells a little white lie and desperately needs Ethan to be her newlywed. Their “fake” relationship starts to show them that the time they spend together isn’t all bad after all.
The sequel takes place at another wedding too!
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
In The Wedding Date, Alexa, a successful attorney, is stuck in an elevator with Drew, a charming pediatric surgeon. Drew asks Alexa to be his date to a wedding that same weekend to avoid an awkward family event.
Their fake relationship begins to blur the lines between pretend and real as they navigate the wedding festivities.
The novel is both sweet and spicy! It combines humor and heartwarming through the eyes of diverse protagonists.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
The Wedding People brings together two unlikely women at fancy Rhode Island nuptials. Phoebe, the only hotel guest not attending the wedding, is actually there to end her life after a terrible divorce. The problem is that this imposes on spoiled Lila’s perfectly planned day.
Lila and the other guests begin to confide in Phoebe, which thwarts her plans. While this may sound sad and depressing, it’s not! This book is so sharply written, and the cast of wedding guests is a joy to get to know.
It has so much humor and heart alongside its contemporary takes on life and love. I highly recommend it.
Recap
TOP 3 PICKS
Feel the love and get started with the best fiction books about weddings:
- The Unhoneymooners: best for fans of romantic comedies
- The Wedding People: best for fans of razor-sharp fiction
- The Perfect Couple: best for fans of dramatic murder mysteries
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