In light of Donna and Joe’s wedding on Parks and Rec season 7, episode 7, it’s time to honor all the other weddings in Pawnee history.
TV shows love weddings. They’re an easy emotional shortcut for the best day, or even potentially the worst day, of a character’s life. At the very least, it’s an excuse to get everyone together to get a little tipsy and interact.
But few shows love weddings quite as much as Parks and Rec. It’s a show built around relentless positivity and characters find their soul mates with ease. Now that Donna Meagle is the newest betrothed spouse in Pawnee, we decided to look back at the show’s previous weddings. Hell, let’s rank them, too, as that’s always fun.
4. April and Andy
If not for the week’s prior promos spoiling it, April and Andy’s wedding would have been a huge surprise. April and Andy merely invite their friends over for a party with no mention of a wedding. The name of the episode is even “Fancy Party.” The two get married in perhaps the smallest possible ceremony, surrounded by their friends (and Andy in a Reggie Wayne jersey). They’re far too young to get married and haven’t been dating long at all, but they set an important precedent for the series: trust your heart and follow your bliss.
3. Donna and Joe
We covered this quite a bit already, though it’s worth saying again that despite the episode having little to do with Donna and Joe’s actual wedding, it’s still quite a nice affair that allows each character to shine.
2. Leslie and Ben
Leslie and Ben are a tremendous, believable couple. The real emotional moment of the episode, however, belongs to Ron. When a drunken Councilman Jamm threatens to overshadow the ceremony with his antics, Ron punches him out and ends up in a holding cell. Rather than continue the ceremony, Leslie decides to hold the wedding at the parks and recreation offices so Ron can walk her down the aisle. It’s a helpful reminder that weddings don’t just mean the marriage between two people; it means the coming together of many families and friends.
1. Ron and Diane
Ron and Diane had the perfect Parks and Rec wedding because, like Ron himself, the union was a fan of brevity. The entire ceremony occurs before the opening credits of the episode even begin. Parks and Rec can and will go big with its emotions and spectacles, but small moments like this are just as good and show that it’s not necessarily the wedding that’s important — it’s the years spent with each other afterward.