This “Father of the Bride”-Inspired Renovation Is the Most Stunning Makeover I’ve Ever Seen

Written by

Olivia Harvey
Olivia Harvey
Olivia Harvey is a freelance writer and award-winning scriptwriter from outside Boston, Massachusetts. She’s a big fan of scented candles, getting dressed up, and the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley. You can make sure she’s doing okay via…read more
published Jul 15, 2024
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FATHER OF THE BRIDE, from left: Steve Martin, Kimberly Williams, 1991
Credit: ©Buena Vista Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection

After Emily and James Riter decided to move their family of four into a larger home before their third child entered the world, they landed on a 1970s Colonial-style home in a neighborhood with “kids playing in the street on their bikes,” Emily told People. It was the perfect area for a growing family, as was the house itself — especially as a starting point to craft the Father of the Bride-inspired home of their dreams.

“While I was pregnant with our third boy, we set out to create a home fit for many memories,” Emily wrote in a caption on her Instagram (@emily.riter). “We wanted to curate a home that could accommodate many opportunities for hospitality as our family continues to grow and even as our kids become adults and have their own children. We dream of even hosting our boys’ rehearsal dinners one day.”

“The Colonial and Americana inspired design elements of the Father of the Bride home provided much inspiration for our Colonial Revival Remodel,” she continued. “From the front elevation and the shutters, to the formal interiors and the traditional landscape — this home is ready to be a place for many priceless memories and experiences.”

Why Father of the Bride, though? Emily told People that the film was just so nostalgic to both her and James.

“It was appealing to us for two reasons,” she said. “It’s a classic aesthetic and Father of the Bride illustrates what really makes up the home — the people, the memories, the experiences, all the suffering and joy that life can bring.”

And although the film starring Steve Martin and Diane Keaton came out in 1991, the Colonial style of the family’s on-set home remains timeless.

“We also both do genuinely love the movie,” Emily said. “We would watch it together. For years, I watched it myself and it’s been my dream since my own childhood to create something similar.”

Now pregnant with their fourth child, Emily and James are proud that they have crafted a warm and welcoming space where their kids can grow up, come home to, and maybe get married in the decades to come!