A Walk to Remember Wedding Dress

Who doesn’t love a good early 2000s romance film? This was the era that brought us iconic romantic comedies like How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, romantic teen movies like Never Been Kissed, and heart-pulling romance films like The Notebook. The list goes on and on. One move that had audiences falling in love and also hearts breaking through every rewatch is of course, A Walk to Remember.

The movie A Walk to Remember starring Mandy Moore and Shane West was released well over twenty years ago, and today stands the test of time as one of the best tear-jerking romance films of the early 2000s. The film is based on the novel of the same name, which was written by Nicholas Sparks,( aka the same author as The Notebook, AKA the king of writing emotional love stories.)

There are many reasons why this romantic coming-of-age film is beloved by so many. From the nostalgia of the 1990s, the endearing character development, the gut-wrenching plot twist, and (my personal favorite) the incredible soundtrack. Another attribute that helps drive the plot and story along in this film is the costuming. The costumes in A Walk to Remember, designed by Doug Hall, help depict the time the story takes place as well as key characteristics of the cast. Let’s take a deeper dive into the plot of this movie and reflect on how the costumes play a role in telling this beloved story.

A Walk to Remember follows a similar plot structure as many other romantic films. Boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy loses girl. The boy in this film is Landon Carter (Shane West), a troubled, popular, and rebellious young man who’s landed in some trouble and now is required to complete community service as well as participate in the school play. The girl in the movie is Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore), the pastor's kind daughter who is considered “unpopular” among her peers.

At the beginning of the film, Landon and his friends all at some point bully Jamie, mocking her sweet disposition and the fact that she only has one sweater in her wardrobe. As Landon works to complete his required community service work he finds himself spending time with Jamie, and eventually asks for her help in preparing for the school play. Jamie agrees to help with one condition… that Landon does not fall in love with her. Landon laughs at the possibility of falling in love with a girl like her, and accepts her deal (we all know where this is going next).

When the night of school play arrives, the moment Jamie appears on stage everything changes. This is the moment in the film where Landon finally notices Jamie as something more than just a nerdy reverend’s daughter. Jamie floats onto the stage wearing a light blue silk halter gown. This gown was truly a gown that not only had Landon falling in love with Mandy Moore’s beauty, but the audience as well. After Jamie sings the song “Only Hope” in the play, Landon goes off script and kisses her on stage in front of all their peers and family.

After overcoming obstacles with both Landon’s friends at school and Jamie’s disapproving father, Landon makes it his mission to sweep Jamie off her feet. Landon helps Jamie pursue her dreams whether it’s being in two places at once or getting a (temporary) tattoo. His charm, attentiveness, and care while pursuing Jamie could truly make anyone fall in love. (Fun fact: Mandy Moore has even admitted to having a HUGE crush on him while filming this movie) Once the two are in love, Jamie finally reveals a secret that she has been keeping from Landon, she has cancer.

With this, Landon works even harder to help Jamie achieve all wildest dreams, including her dream of getting married in the church her mother was married in. After asking for her fathers permission, Landon proposes to Jamie and the two get married. Now… the wedding scene for this movie is a real tear-jerker. Jamie’s wearing a mantilla veils and a straight, floor-length, long-sleeve, lace wedding gown that is beautiful, modest, and overall perfect for her.

The wedding scene is the last scene in the movie with Jamie, tears are sure to be flowing as she walks down the aisle, a walk to remember.