For Better or Worse: The Gilmore Girls Weddings
Zero Drama Events
In the Gilmore universe, weddings are a time for joyous celebration, expressing soppy feelings and destroying at least one other relationship to keep the karmic balance.
As you know, there’s a real life Gilmore Girls wedding waiting in the wings [2025 Repost note: Alexis Bledel was due to marry Vincent Kartheiser], where I envision Kirk DJ-ing and TJ wearing tights. But what lessons might be learned from weddings past?
For better or worse, timing is everything. Let’s kick off with Sookie and Jackson’s wedding:
Jackson You won’t let me wear shorts in public and you’re gonna let me get married in this? Christopher This is absolutely unbelievable. I’ve waited years for this, Lor. You, Rory, the whole perfect picture and now… Lorelai Listen, I have to walk down the aisle in a minute and be really happy for Sookie and right now I’m having a little trouble standing so maybe it would be better if you would just go. s02e22 I Can’t Get Started
This episode was a great end to the second season, bringing us ‘Oy with the poodles already’, Rory’s Bambi face, Paris and Rory winning student President and Vice-President, Chris and Lorelai deciding to give it a go for about 6 hours but their timing is bad and Jess returning to Stars Hollow from car crash exile – surprising Rory and getting a kiss in return.
Then there’s Liz and TJ’s Renaissance wedding:
TJ Well I wrote something down but for all the good points about tights and there are a lot, they don’t have pockets. So I gotta go off the cuff… I love ya. Lorelai Aw, that wasn’t so funny. Luke Nah that wasn’t funny at all. You want to dance? Lorelai Really? (Cue Sam Phillips’ Reflecting Light)
Jess You’re ready and I’m ready for this, you can count on me now! I know you couldn’t count on me before but you can now, you can! Rory No! Jess Look you know we’re supposed to be together. I knew it the first time I saw you two years ago and you know it too. I know you do. s04e21 Last Week Fights, This Week Tights
… in which Dean also rescues Rory from an awful date, setting up their poorly timed encounter at the Dragonfly grand opening. Luke, finally, asks Lorelai out and Jess tries to take Rory away, but blows it.
There’s Richard and Emily’s renewing their vows after a period of separation, where Emily’s Machiavellian machinations backfire with Lorelai.
Lorelai [to Emily, with menace] You and me, we’re done. s05e13 Wedding Bell Blues
And Lane and Zach’s two weddings, where Lorelai very publicly confronts not getting married:
Lorelai But, hey, do you know what date I’m not getting married? June 3rd. Do not save the date. Do you hear me? Do whatever you want on June 3rd, because there’s nothing at all happening on that day. s06e19 I Get A Sidekick Out Of You
Lastly there’s Chris and Lorelai’s impromptu French wedding that we don’t see and that nobody is invited to, including Rory. And I guess there’s the wedding we hope for, at the end, when it seems that maybe – just maybe – the planets have finally aligned.
Like I said, timing is everything.
Favourite - or least favourite - wedding moments?
If Lorelai and Luke got hitched, who’d be on the receiving end of the karmic stick?
Most importantly, did Jackson honour the tradition of wearing nothing under his kilt?