Wedding Farm: Hawaiian Wedding; Zach's Announcement

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I was surprised when I heard that this episode would feature the final wedding of the season for the Roloffs, but I'm sure that not all brides want to be filmed for television, so no big surprise there. I wonder how bookings for the next season are going - if they even decide to continue!  I had mixed feelings when I saw the preview for the next episode, featuring Matt and Amy's 25th wedding anniversary event, because you just know they're going to butt heads! Speaking of which, I thought that their attitudes toward Zach deciding to move out were interesting... it seems that he's kinda been directionless for some time now, especially if he's really stopped taking classes. I hope that this is just the step he needs to make some decisions about what he wants to do and he doesn't come running home before long. Besides, some coverage of how the three oldest Roloffs are doing off the farm could be cool, although I don't see Molly really giving the public much of a view of her life. I guess we'll have to wait and see!

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com
I didn't see any episode-specific images available for this one so I thought I'd share a map of the farm.

Little People, Big World: Wedding Farm "Matt Versus the Volcano" (S01E05): Matt has been trying to get Zach or Jacob to help around the farm but neither is really interested, especially Zach, who admits to his father that he's not really planning to make his life the property. [kudos to Zach for being honest.] In fact, Zach takes his parents to lunch to tell them that he wants to move in with some friends. Matt is surprised that Zach is willing to make a one-year commitment and Amy asks if he's planning to re-enroll in school. Privately, both wonder if Zach's ready to move out, with Amy figuring he'll return in six months and Matt thinking Zach's just wasting money. [you know what the family hasn't talked about in a long time now? Those LPA conferences. I wonder if they go and they're not filmed or if they've just been busy with other things. Maybe it could be helpful to Zach to see what other LPs are doing without his parents hovering.] 

Anyway, on with the wedding! A bride named Shannon wants a Hawaiian-themed wedding because her plans to marry in the Aloha State fell apart. The couple has been together for about seven years and have a six-year-old daughter together, though they've only been engaged for about a year. They want to invite 125 but the event is in just ten days so they estimate that only 80 or so will show. [that's crazy short notice!] Matt books a fire dancer and wants to build a beach, though he's thinking bigger than is needed. [as always, LoL!] He also wants to build a volcano, which Amy is okay with until he wants to add napalm to make a "boom." [I can't blame her!] He also wants more than baking soda and water, though the "lava" doesn't really end up working so they stick to fire and a fog machine instead. [I thought it was pretty neat, though I'm not sure it was as impressive in real life as it was on television.]

The big day-of struggles for this wedding includes kicking out a photographer whom wouldn't confirm with the couple in advance and the bride's gown being MIA for a while, causing the ceremony to start late. [I'm not sure how any period of time went by without someone realizing the dress wasn't there... either a bad wedding planner or bad bridesmaids, LoL! and what was with those leafy suspenders??]