Wedding Planner Soundtrack CD

Original score composed by Mervyn Warren.
Recording information: Bastyr Chapel, Seattle, WA; Leapyear Studio, Los Angeles, CA.
Arranger: Mervyn Warren.
Adam Schankman's lighthearted, somewhat goofy romantic comedy The Wedding Planner has an appropriately romantic soundtrack featuring songs by Lisa Stansfield, Sister Hazel, Dan Finnerty, and excerpts of Mervyn Warren's score. Jessica Riddle's "Symphony," Jessica Sheely's "In Good Time," and Mishelle Bradford-Jones' "Life Is What You Make It" are some of the album's pop highlights, but the soundtrack's cleverest touch is the addition of songs like John Denver's "Annie's Song" and Olivia Newton John's "I Honestly Love You," both mainstays of wedding receptions. Though it's unfortunate that The Wedding Planner's soundtrack doesn't include any musical contributions from the film's star Jennifer Lopez, it's still a fairly entertaining collection of love songs. ~ Heather Phares
Director Adam Shankman conceived this Jennifer Lopez/Matthew McConaughey vehicle as an old-fashioned romantic musical comedy in the spirit of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. (Interesting historical note: this is probably the only album ever made that includes--or will include--the phrase "This album does not include a Jennifer Lopez recording" on its back cover).
This commercially canny mix of contemporary pop stylings features Sister Hazel's post-Hootie "We'll Find It," alt-rock/hip-hop fusion in the form of Jessica Riddle's "Symphony," with its sample of Jean Knight's "Mr. Big Stuff," R&B balladry (the Goffin-King obscurity "Somewhere My Baby Waits for Me," sung soulfully by Lisa Stansfield), and sentimental '70s pop hits such as John Denver's "Annie's Song" and Olivia Newton John's "I Honestly Love You." There are also a few selections from Mervyn Warren's original film score, the most memorable of which is "Mary and Steve's Tango," heard during the picture's big Lopez/McConaughey dance scene.