Jessica Mulroney Says Her New Series I DO, REDO Has Even More Emotional Impact Than She Anticipated

By BILL HARRIS

Special to The Lede

Jessica Mulroney knew the weddings on her new series I DO, REDO would be stunningly gorgeous – and they are.

She knew the stories from the couples whose original weddings had been ruined would be heart-wrenching – and they are.

But I DO, REDO – which debuts Sunday, March 22 at 7 p.m. ET on CTV – has given Mulroney even more than she bargained for, and she hopes viewers will experience the full array of emotions as well.

“The surprise to me is that the weddings turned out to not be the focus of the show,” Mulroney said. “It was definitely the cherry on top. And every wedding was beautiful. But the focus of the show really is the love that persevered through difficult circumstances, and the journey that these couples went through.”

Starring and executive produced by Mulroney, an internationally acclaimed wedding expert and stylist, I DO, REDO offers couples whose original weddings were impacted by circumstances beyond their control – everything from extreme weather, to disapproving family members, to life-threatening illness – another chance to say, “I do.” Mulroney and Caspar Haydar, a design and floral expert, plan every “redo” wedding, while guiding each couple through a transformative journey toward the special day they always dreamed of having.

“Each one of these couples has been carrying so much weight, and so much guilt, because of what had happened at their wedding,” Mulroney said. “And each one of them didn’t want to complain, because they had found the person that they love, and they were just trying to move on from it. But there’s so much emotion and planning that goes into a wedding, some people have been dreaming about it their whole lives, and then to have it go so terribly wrong, it can be devastating. They can almost start to feel as if they don’t deserve it.”

Mulroney is particularly proud of the fact that all the featured couples were able to shed so much of the baggage they had been carrying inside. So in some ways, I DO, REDO is not just a wedding show, but a psychiatry show as well.

“It’s actually very funny, somebody was saying that I’ve become almost like a therapist, and I said, well, I wouldn’t go that far,” Mulroney said with a laugh. “But I do understand people, and I do understand that a wedding is very meaningful. When you meet these people and hear their love stories, they are so deserving of a wonderful celebration, and they really got robbed of that. That’s what this show is about. It’s about them healing. It’s about them understanding that they do deserve it. And to see them get that second chance will make you feel good.”

Given the subject matter, I DO, REDO was always going to be very relatable to the viewing public. But it’s probably even more acutely true in these current times of coronavirus, with so many events – including weddings – being postponed.

“These couples in the show had unimaginable tragedies and things happen to them, and they got through it because they had each other,” Mulroney said. “So it’s a good positive message for what’s going on right now.”

Mulroney has been personally inspired by I DO, REDO as well.

“I’m not sure if it will change the way I do my business, but it certainly makes me want to do more to help people, that’s for sure,” Mulroney said. “Especially right now, with everything that’s going on. I think finding ways to be kind to each other is the only thing that is going to make it all work.”

billharristv@gmail.com

@billharris_tv