'Bride & Prejudice: The Forbidden Weddings' Episode Synopses

Grant and Chris

Pictures Supplied

Against all odds, 

these couples will aim to prove that 

their relationship was what it takes 

to build the foundation 

for a long lasting marriage.

  

Bride & Prejudice: The Forbidden Weddings follows five couples as they decide to make a life-long commitment and get married in the face of staunch opposition from their family and friends.

This controversial new show was filmed under a veil of secrecy and will send shockwaves across Australia. The emotionally charged fly-on-the-wall series features real people tackling real issues on their path towards marriage and love.

EPISODE 1: Love and Conflict

Three couples, each are carrying the burden of conflict with family members who oppose their relationship, prepare to reveal to them their plans to get married.

Adelaide couple, Marina and Donny is in an interracial relationship; Marina’s background coming from the former Soviet Union and Donny, born and raised in India before settling in Australia. But simmering tensions exist between Donny and Marina’s mother, Natalia who, while civil to Donny in person, has laid concerns about his colour and culture to her daughter.

In Sydney, young lovers, 20-year-old Brad and 18-year-old Courtney are newly engaged and while they enjoy support from Courtney’s mum, Sheena, the task of telling Brad’s mum Sherrie fills them with dread. Sherrie has never liked Courtney and believes the pair is too young and immature to get married as well as harbouring the fear of losing her son.

In a harbour-side park, Chris drops to one knee to propose to his American born partner, Grant. It’s a yes and support comes from Grant’s parents in the US. But Chris has endured an 18-year estrangement from his deeply religious mother, Yvonne and war veteran father, Geoff. Telling them fills Chris with anxiety; neither of his parents agree with his relationship and believe homosexuality to be wrong and immoral.

Grant and Chris 

EPISODES 2: Telling the Haters

Our three pairs, interracial couple Marina and Donny, young lovers Courtney and Brad and gay couple Chris and Grant now have to confront the conflict head on and tell their respective disapproving parents the news of their upcoming wedding.

Brad’s Mum Sherrie is brought to tears; a mix of repulsion, sadness and frustration as she is faced with a marriage she won’t give her blessing to and the possibility her son will be gone to her impetuous, soon to be daughter in law; not even a meeting with Sheena to validate the love Brad and Courtney share will change her mind.

Donny and Marina expose Natalia’s duplicity and offer her a chance to come clean about issues she may have with Donny’s Indian culture and the colour of his skin. Her assurance that there is no problem is met with suspicion and a family get together reveals the reasons behind her prejudice.

Chris is forced to face his parents alone and it doesn’t go well. Yvonne’s strict beliefs won’t allow her to agree with or attend his wedding and Geoff blames his upbringing for his homophobia. Chris is left hurt and sobbing by his parents continued rejection but finds solace and acceptance in Grant’s parents who have arrived from the US to meet him.

EPISODE 3: The Cracks Begin to Show

After and awkward family get together, Marina debriefs with her mum Natalia who sees no problem with prejudices with Donny’s culture. The stress of the underlying tensions and the upcoming wedding is becoming too much for Marina making Donny realise that he must again confront Natalia, this time to convince her to let go of her issues once and for all. After a nervous drive and a meeting in a park, the relationship between Donny and Natalia is left in tatters.

Chris, Grant and his parents Dana and Pam find suits for the upcoming Palm Springs wedding in California. Chris is encouraged to find support from other members of the family which leads him to Queensland and a reunion with his Aunt Alison. There he decides to keep the channels of communication open to his parents in the hope they will change their mind and come to his wedding.

With demands from Courtney for the perfect engagement ring, Brad spends big to make her happy. Meanwhile at the nail salon, Courtney puts on the charm offensive in a bid to convince Sherrie that she’s now a mature young woman and a good match for her son; but mum’s not taking the bait, now more suspicious of her than ever. Not even shopping for a suit with her son Brad for the ceremony is enough to get her support; she’s resolute, she won’t give up her son and doesn’t want the wedding to go ahead. The pressure is too much for the young lovers and the couple is left fighting and apart. 

Charity and Phoebe

EPISODE 4: The 1st Wedding

Melbourne couple 24-year-old Garrad and 40-year-old Liz have an age gap of 16 years and Liz’s sister doesn’t approve; concerned that Garrad is too immature and that Liz has rushed into the relationship. While Garrad’s country town family is supportive and accepting, the pair knows that when they tell Katerina their happy news, she’s not going to react well, at all.

Chris visit’s his dad Geoff for a second time in an effort to open up more about Grant, get his dad’s approval and get him to change his mind and come to the wedding; it doesn’t go as planned. Chris can’t get the words out and the meeting is an awkward couple of beers and a game of pool, with nothing accomplished. A second attempt, this time surfing the next day with mum Yvonne has the same result and Chris is left feeling defeated.

Youngsters Courtney and Brad reconcile after their fight, blaming the stress of the wedding as the cause. Brad’s mum Sherrie is conspicuously absent from visiting the wedding venue but does attend the engagement party where she witnesses another fight between her son and Courtney, validating her belief the wedding shouldn’t proceed and inspiring her to make a plea to Brad to call the whole thing off.

While a fiery encounter between Donny and soon to be Mother in law Natalia ended in a storm off, the couple head to their wedding Venue in the country. It’s the last chance for Donny and Natalia to sort out their differences before he and Marina tie the knot. Among the vineyards, they emotionally recite their vows, committing to each other for life. As the newlyweds bask in the happy occasion, Natalia finally concedes, welcoming Donny to the family with a warm embrace.

EPISODE 5: New Love

Charity and Phoebe are in a committed relationship and want it to be recognised by marrying in New Zealand. They call family and friends to a gathering to announce the plans but Charity’s parents don’t show up. Both are pastors of a local church and despite the love they have for their daughter and Phoebe, cannot support their same sex relationship.

Having given Brad strict instructions to avoid girls and stay out of Kings Cross for his buck’s night and with constant texts and threats to break up with him, she has travelled there to confront him with accusations of lies over his choice of venue.

Not giving up on his parents, Chris returns to the Sunshine Coast in another attempt to connect with is Dad. Asking if he would change his mind and come to the wedding, his answer is the same; he won’t change despite a hug and admission of love for his son. In tears, Chris hands his father paid airfares to the US if he changes his mind. The ball is now in dad’s court.

Courtney and Brad

EPISODE 6: The Breakup

After Charity’s parents didn’t show up for the announcement of her engagement to Phoebe, the girls travel to their house to break the news but are left bitterly disappointed when told they won’t be attending the wedding. Despite the setback, they continue with the wedding plans and send an emotional note with invitations to Charity’s parents in the hope they will come.

Liz is joined by sister Katerina to look at dresses for the wedding. There, Kat tries to convince her sister that marrying Garrad would be a mistake. Later, Liz tells Garrad who takes the news badly and there is a tense drive to Katerina’s house, after she summons them to make an announcement.

Angered by the mistrust and intrusion on a lad’s night out, Brad stands up to his young fiancé and calls off the wedding. The next day and with a clear head, Brad is convinced he has done the right thing and with a feeling of relief, moves back to his mum’s house, breaking the news that not just is the wedding not going ahead but their relationship has ended entirely.

Chris and Grant have arrived in Palm Springs for their destination wedding and have mixed emotions; happy anticipation that they will soon be married but sadness that Chris’ parents might not be there to share it with them. Later, the pair is left with hope when Aunt Alison and Uncle Barry arrive with suggestion that Yvonne and Geoff might change their mind and come to the wedding.

EPISODE 7: The 2nd Wedding

With the arrival of Grant’s parents, Dana and Pam in Palm Springs, Chris hopes of his Dad coming to the wedding continue to rise. But later, the thought that either of his parents coming starts to worry him; would they sabotage it and ruin his big day? On the morning of the wedding, the boys wake, having stayed away from each other for the night. There’s a mix of excitement and trepidation and as Aunt Alison and Barry arrive to see Chris, he’s left hanging as they prepare to make a big announcement about his parents.

Charity’s final dress fitting is a teary one and as her and Phoebe prepare to leave for their wedding in NZ, Charity makes one last emotional video plea to her parents and brother to change their mind and support her on her special day. As the big day arrives, it appears that her pleas haven’t been met. Putting the disappointment behind them, the girls are surrounded by supportive friends and family and joy at every moment of the occasion, committing for life to each other and looking to a future together.

Liz and Garrad have been summoned to visit Katerina so she can make an important announcement to them; she won’t be attending their wedding and won’t support their relationship, the age gap between them is too great. There’s a mix of tears and anger and later at a dress fitting, Liz pleads with Katerina to try to get to know Garrad so that she can see that he’s the man for her sister. But with the right intentions to meet each other and find some common ground, their get together quickly becomes heated ending in Katerina storming off.

EPISODE 8: A Happy Ending

There’s a rift between Garrad and Liz and her sister Katerina after her refusal to come to the wedding and a heated exchange with Garrad.  But Liz isn’t giving up and writes and emotional letter to her sister to change her mind. Despite the happy occasion, wedding rehearsals and preparations without Katerina are a cruel reminder that she’s not coming to the wedding. But a last minute change of heart from Kat, arriving with minutes to spare, has Liz in a mix disbelief and overwhelming happiness that her special day is now complete.

On the morning of their wedding day, Chris and Grant are hanging off an announcement from Auntie Alison about Chris’ parents. Unfortunately, it’s not what Chris wants to hear – they’re not coming to the wedding and instead have sent him a video message that crushed Chris on his special day. After time to process and a nervous wait from Grant at the altar, Chris makes it to his wedding. After an emotional ceremony, the boys can now enjoy the party and Chris makes a speech, letting go of bitterness and thanking his parents. But he’s learnt that his family is really with Grant and their future together.

Stay tuned every week for the reactions of family members in this controversial new show Bride & Prejudice: The Forbidden Weddings which will be broadcast every Wednesday from 13th February at 7:30 on SABC 3, “The Stage Is Yours.”