The return of Friends is quite possibly the best news we’ve ever had. It was one of the first 90s sitcoms to challenge the status quo - most of the cast went through several jobs, they all had plenty of love interests, and it was way more open about sex than was usual when it first aired. It also reshaped romanticism in the 90s. Ross and Rachel’s relationship was more erratic than Phoebe, Chandler and Monica dated each other in secret and Ross and Rachel had a child together after a one-night stand. The traditional wedding trajectory was also thrown into question with everything from Rachel jilting Barry at the altar to Ross walking his lesbian ex-wife down the aisle. At the time, we hadn’t taken much notice, but this has certainly shaped society today. So in honour of the reunion, take a look back at the best Friends wedding moments, where their love lives certainly weren’t D.O.A.
WATCH: The best Friends wedding moments
The One In Vegas
Ross and Rachel tying the knot under the influence in Vegas marked Ross’ third wedding and subsequent third divorce, and earned him the nickname Ross, the Divorce Force.
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The One With Barry and Mindy’s Wedding
Rachel bit her tongue and served as bridesmaid for her former fiancé Barry and former best friend Mindy. Of course, on-off boyfriend Ross was there to save the day with a speech of support.
The One With The Lesbian Wedding
Though Carol and Susan didn’t actually kiss, Friends made headlines for being one of the first mainstream TV programmes to depict same-sex marriage. The episode also upended social equilibrium when Ross walked his lesbian ex-wife Carol down the aisle.
The One With Monica and Chandler’s Wedding
Despite the fact that Monica and Chandler were considerably more stable than Ross and Rachel, their wedding didn’t go without a tread on tropes; Chandler freaked out and tried to run away and Joey officiated in a WW1 soldier costume.
The Pilot
The sitcom pilot set a precedent for ensuing series when Rachel abandoned fiancé Barry at the altar because he “looked like Mr Potato Head”. Naturally, she headed to Central Perk in her wedding dress.
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The One With Ross’s Wedding
Not only did Chandler refer to ex-girlfriends during his Best Man speech, Ross went on to call Emily Rachel. Emily subsequently locked herself in the bathroom for the rest of the night and so came Ross’ second divorce.
The One With Phoebe’s Wedding
There’s a blizzard, Mike’s dad tells him he put pills in his wife’s drink so she would accept her son’s wedding, Chandler ends up officiating their nuptials and Phoebe and Mike say ‘I do’ outside of Central Perk.
Friends – The Complete Series 1-10 is available now on Blu-ray and DVD.
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