It seems that once a sitcom sees characters reach the age of 30, wedding bells aren't far off. If the main characters aren't getting married, their friends are getting married, and weddings, dresses, and gifts become a big part of the show. With New Girl focused on what growing up means for four adults sharing a loft in Los Angeles, weddings are a part of the story early.
The first episode to feature a wedding occurs at the start of the first season with the final wedding episode the next to last of the entire series. Some of the wedding focused episodes concern the antics before the walk down the aisle between happy couples, while others show a walk down the aisle never happens. Fans all have their favorites, but these rankings of New Girl wedding episodes are according to ratings compiled through Internet Movie Database.
S1E03 Wedding (7.6)
It's not surprising to see the very first wedding episode of the series ranks so low despite some hilarious moments and connections between the characters. The series is still finding its footing at this point, so some of the character dynamics aren't yet solidified, making the episode not quite as smooth.
In this, Nick and his roommates are attending the wedding of one of his old classmates. Schmidt, afraid of what will happen when Nick runs into his recurring ex-girlfriend Caroline, enlists Jess to pretend to be his date. Nick rejects Jess' help at the wedding, leaving himself open to heartbreak, and having to apologize to Jess through a memorable chicken dance.
S2E22 Bachelorette Party And S5E17 Road Trip (7.7)
These two episodes, both set right before very different weddings, are about Cece's bachelorette party and Schmidt's bachelor road trip, respectively. There are some missed opportunities for hijinks when everyone isn't together, so it's not surprising to see it at them at the low end of episodes.
Both are tales of best friends trying to do right by the person about to tie the knot. In the season two episode, Jess tries to give Cece the party she's been dreaming about since she was a teenager, but Cece is nervous about Shivrang and his family, and nothing goes as planned. When Schmidt goes on a "manly" road trip courtesy of Nick for his bachelor party three seasons later, everything that can go wrong does, leading to some hilarity, but also some serious bonding between the guys.
S4E01 The Last Wedding (7.8)
When season four begins, the residents of apartment 4D have been spending the time between seasons going to wedding after wedding for their friends and acquaintances. They've also all been trying to get lucky at these weddings with mixed results.
In the last wedding of the season, the group decides Jess needs to really get back out there after her relationship with Nick crumbled. She competes with guest star Jessica Biel for the attention of the best man and even gets a little advice from Nick while hiding in the men's restroom.
S5E01 Big Mama P (7.9)
All of the energy of Cece, Schmidt, and their friends is focused on preparing for their wedding in season five. Cece asks Jess to be her maid of honor while Schmidt makes Nick his best man, but those moments aren't the big ones in the episode.
Jess surprises Cece with a visit from her mother - and plans an elaborate engagement party with the hopes of wowing Mama P. Despite a standout musical performance by Schmidt to evoke Cece's mother's memories of her days as a Bollywood dancer, she doesn't approve of Schmidt, creating a layer of unease throughout the season as Cece continues to prepare for her big day.
S5E12 D-Day (7.9)
Schmidt, being the meticulous planner he is, is the one in charge of planning his wedding to Cece. When he becomes overwhelmed Jess offers to help out, but she ends up taking over.
Schmidt is so stressed that he has Jess wear a bike helmet with a camera so he can keep an eye on everything she's doing. Jess eventually sings him to sleep through the camera so she can get things done without him. That leads to her making a connection with the vendor she approaches about champagne - who ends up being Schmidt's estranged father. The episode starts another emotional through-line for the rest of the season.
S7E07 The Curse Of The Pirate Bride (8.0)
Despite fans wanting Nick and Jess to get together since the first season of the show, their wedding episode doesn't come out on top. Perhaps that's because only a few episodes are devoted to the pair's nuptials as the series came to an end. "The Curse Of The Pirate Bride" still holds a respectable spot in the rankings.
Nick and Jess decide to spend their wedding night together, ignoring the warnings of their wedding being cursed. On the big day, everything goes wrong. Jess scratches her eye, Nick gets in a fight with Jess' ex Russell and breaks his hand, and they end up getting married in a hospital. It's kind of perfect for their story.
S5E18 A Chill Day In (8.1)
Jess and Cece learn from their first attempt at a bachelorette party. Instead of Jess trying to throw Cece a wild night with the girls, they decide to hang out at the loft watching movies and doing something Jess only does once every ten years - getting high.
The two lose track of what they're doing and break the bread maker gifted to Cece and Schmidt for their wedding, forcing them to attempt to replace it. When they run into Aly, they desperately try to hide that they're high from her and accidentally rope her into helping them steal the floor model of the bread maker. It's a great episode for fans to get to know Aly better, and a reminder of just how close Jess and Cece are.
S5E21 Wedding Day Eve (8.3)
The day before Cece and Schmidt's wedding, familiar faces return to the show for the big day. Schmidt's mom, Sam, and Coach are all there for the impending nuptials. Everything should be centered on the bride and groom, but Jess has a big revelation that gives her pause.
When Jess finds a ring in Sam's jacket pocket, she realizes she doesn't want to spend the rest of her life with him. She panics. Trying to buy Jess time to think, Cece calls on everyone to play one last game of True American before the wedding, risking them all being hung over. Sam, as it turns out, isn't proposing; the ring actually belongs to Schmidt's mom. Sam understands Jess' feelings better than she does as he reveals to her that she's not over Nick.
S2E25 Elaine's Big Day (8.7)
Cece's first almost-wedding to Shivrang gets the second-best spot in wedding-themed episodes. It features a lot of what makes New Girl great as the relationships in the show are messy, things go wrong, and there's plenty of strange hijinks.
Nick and Jess finally decide to try being a couple, while Schmidt is sure Cece doesn't actually want to marry Shivrang. He enlists Winston to help him pull enough pranks to stall the wedding, and Jess, livid, blames Nick before she discovers the truth. Ultimately, Schmidt is right in that Cece doesn't want to get married, but neither does Shivrang. He's still hung up on his childhood sweetheart, played in a cameo appearance from Taylor Swift.
S5E22 Landing Gear (8.9)
The best wedding episode of the series couldn't go to any other one. Schmidt and Cece finally tie the knot, but it takes an awfully long time to get there.
When Schmidt decides to fly to Portland to convince Cece's mom to come to their wedding, he ends up stuck on a plane, prompting Jess to have Winston, back in pranking mode, stall the wedding. The stalling tactics don't work, however, and the gang goes on with the reception while Schmidt communicates with them on his phone. It's not until the very end that Schmidt makes it back to the loft to marry Cece - with her mother deciding to join them for the ceremony. He even gets to use his infamous jar as the broken glass, symbolizing their union as well as him growing up.