Romantic comedy, two lovely and accommodating writer/directors to interview, two days on set during filming, cool cast and crew…sounds like a walk in the park.

Leave it to me to make it a complicated process. Truth be told – for me it is.  See, I am just not a ‘rom-com’ kinda gal. Sure there are some I have a somewhat reluctant affection for… you know the ones you first watch when in a certain emotional space so they become a touch stone for you every time you rewatch it. In general though, it’s just not my genre.

I could have dashed out a fluff piece about this indie romantic comedy that has the unique aspect of being a fully female crew…. but see… I don’t know how to do fluff. I think I am actually allergic to fluff.  But this movie for various reasons, deserves more than the cotton candy review approach.

Similarly I could have approached it from a feminist slant, focusing on the deliberately all female crew and ‘girl power’ message of the film. Cliché and just political-social focused enough to suck the fun right out of it.

This took some consideration. I mean why was I – a self professed non-rom-com viewer, not so eager to chat social politics, LA chick even interested in this film? Many reading this will THINK they know… so to clarify… the way I found out about this movie is not the reason I got so personally intrigued by it. Just one of those 'found this new thing of interest due to that awesome person' scenarios. So… what DID hook and keep me?

Fact is, this little female fueled indie rom-com is rather multifaceted in its own way. While it targets a specific audience demographic, as all movies do, it really holds appeal for folks of various interests. Which is why I just bored you with my personal route in all this.

The Wedding Invitation is indeed a romantic comedy…with a few twists…some on screen and some off.

The story is not the typical damsel in distress meets irritating yet studly guy who ends up being her soul mate. No. Not this story.

The Wedding Invitation follows three women – close friends – as they choose to take matters and their dating destiny in their own hands. They take the initiative, get creative, proactive, and pursue who they want to date, instead of waiting to be asked, all with the looming deadline of a wedding they must attend WITH a date. Cliché encounters, hit and miss attempts, all seem to strengthen their resolve, even as it tests their belief that the right guy – a worthy guy – exists.

SO… humor, love, romance, empowered femmes, sisterhood and friendship. Already worth the watch.

With an attractive yet very relate-able cast, this film is certainly easy on the eyes. Familiar faces like Camille Guaty (Scorpion, Happyland), Eoin Macken (The Night Shift, Merlin), and Christina Ulloa (Charmed), act side by side with (Wedding Invitation) writer/director Rainy Kerwin and other talented folks that we come to know in this film.

For me, I wanted the story behind the on-screen story, so I sat down with the minds that created The Wedding Invitation - Rainy Kerwin and Narmar Hanna, and dug a little deeper on a few key aspects.

Rainy wrote this film some time ago, and had gone the expected route of pitching it to the usual suspects. Finding that the predominantly male studio execs neither grasped nor had interest in producing her movie, her vision, and the message of it, she set it aside. It was a little while later, triggered in part by her friend Narmar’s award winning short “The Diner’s Club” (view it here) that Rainy realized Narmar would be the perfect partner and co-producer on this film. Narmar clearly had the skills, and was a friend that shared Rainy’s vision, not just for this movie, but also for women in the film industry as well.

Determined to make this a female driven film, this determined duo vetted numerous candidates for every position on their film and production crew. Financial backing was covered by a crowd funding campaign and a few sponsors, and The Wedding Invitation was a go.

With the theme being ‘female power(ed)’ I had to ask….

Was the reason for an all female crew to get it made and their male counterparts were unwilling to give it a shot?

Was it for the sake of an all female utopia – very a la Wonder Woman’s Amazon origins in Themyscira?

Was it to prove women could do it just as well as… or even without men (exclusive of males necessary to plot characters of course)?

No…none of that… which was what I hoped would be their answer.

In their own journey to make this film and then further enhanced by hearing the experiences of the women they interviewed, the glaring reality for women in this industry crystallized for Rainy and Narmar, even more. There are simply far too few opportunities open and granted to women. From female focus films not being written from feminine perspective, to opportunities to direct, produce, or hold any given role in a film production crew not being filled by women….it all added up and told its own story. A story of inequality that Rainy and Narmar wanted to at least begin to rewrite by showcasing the extraordinary work and teamwork of the women they brought on board.

This woman written, women directed and produced, and crewed, and predominantly cast indie film is a little diamond in the rough. In its own unique brilliance, The Wedding Invitation, tells a story on screen, as well as through its creation, of women taking the necessary steps, supporting each other, to not just find their voice and power, but also to bring their creativity, their form of intellect, humor, challenge, and heart to the forefront – equally side by side – with that of their male counterparts.

Due to be released later this year, The Wedding Invitation is a fabulous viewing choice for those who do love a romantic comedy, for those who have struggled through dating, found love, endured uncomfortable social opportunities to looking for that one person who they can share a genuine laugh with, who have needed a date and then discovered they actually wanted one as well…. For women, for men, for feminists, for film folks who want their eyes opened to a new way to create and produce. 

Like I said… this film holds appeal for many and for many reasons ranging from entertainment, to emotion, to social awareness and beyond.

So, I ‘invite’ you to eagerly await the release of The Wedding Invitation… with me…. unless of course you have a date.

Purchase from  Amazon HERE on Blu-Ray, DVD, or Prime Video
Click HERE for the film's IMDb page.
Click HERE for The Wedding Invitation Facebook Page.
Follow on Twitter for the latest news on this movie... @WeddingInvMovie

That beauty, in front of Camille, is my youngest daughter, Samantha, being 'carded' at a club.