My week began with my parents celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary and will end attending the wedding of a cousin of mine. So weddings have been on my mind lately, mainly because they are a great excuse to bring characters together… and allow important plot beats to unfold.
If I started listing the various stories that include a wedding as a major plot point or device, it’ll be a very long list and one that cross many genres. You’re probably thinking about several fictional weddings right now that are pivotal for characters or plot reasons, because weddings are nothing if not memorable Weddings are ubiquitous across fiction, for even if not everyone chooses to get married it’s a common life experience that most people have some degree of familiarity.
So given as weddings on the mind I have a few thoughts in relation when it comes to including them in stories.
1.Weddings make a great setting no matter the genre
Weddings create this liminal space where ritual and tradition arise, and everyone shuffles into familiar but uncomfortable roles, and time acts oddly during the event. Because there are a number of familiar aspects when adding genre aspects like fantasy, mystery, or sci-fi, it’s makes lovely pairing. Because the wedding is a familiar enough other elements can be laid against it as a complement or contrast in tone.
2.Weddings bring out the best and worst of people – and great character moments
Wedding do a number on the emotions. Whether its the stress of wedding planning or the unexpected feelings that arise at seeing others getting married, the idea of wedding has major impacts and can lead to some great character moments. The events around a wedding can reveal surprising hidden depths of snobby unlikable banker whether they’re getting married to the love of their life – or watching their greatest enemy find love.
3. Weddings can act as world building
Particularly for fantasy and scifi, weddings are a window into the world and its customs, especially if the creator takes care to think about what these new customs might mean. Although only given a glimpse, readers can gain a deeper idea of customs of the fictional world. From A Civil Campaign to Andor I love seeing how wedding could be rendered differently. The choices for ritual and symbolism are very interesting to me, and makes the story richer.
4. Weddings puts strangers in a room and shakes up dynamics
There are few events that bring in an assorted cast into a singular location and can make it seem plausible. Weddings are perfect gathering spot especially if it’s a rather large one. The beauty of crowd can allowed for introductions and or different character pairings that might not be easily done elsewhere.
5. Wedding mark major life changes – as well as plots twists!
Outside of Romance, which typically end with weddings, in other stories when weddings appear it marks a pivotal change. Whether it’s getting a mystery solving detective couple to tie the knot as well as they tie up murderers as the climax of their characters arcs, or a glitzy political wedding between two planets to prevent a war, weddings can be big moments in the plot and characters. Making the most of that can lead to some very memorable moments in your story.
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The Starseekers
Head to the 1960s for a Hidden Figures meets Indiana Jones historical fantasy. Cynthia Rhodes is a arcane engineer at NASA, who also co-hosts a magical education show with archaeologist Theo Danner. A series of strange accidents at NASA, and elsewhere, put them on the trail of a mystery that entangles them in both peril and murder most foul.
Arriving 1/6/26
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Nicole Glover is a fantasy writer and the author the Murder and Magic series which includes THE IMPROVISERS. Her next book is THE STARSEEKERS, forthcoming 1/6/26
Nicole Glover 