The Date Lorelai Got Married

Lorelai Gilmore, the fictional character from the popular TV show Gilmore Girls, had a tumultuous romantic history. From her on-again-off-again relationship with Rory's father, Christopher Hayden, to her brief engagement to Max Medina, a teacher at Rory's school, Lorelai's love life was full of twists and turns. However, it was her relationship with Luke Danes, the owner of Luke's Diner in Stars Hollow, that fans were most invested in. After years of will-they-won't-they, Lorelai and Luke finally tied the knot in the 2016 Netflix revival of the series, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.

Lorelai Gilmore and Luke Danes' wedding date in 'Gilmore Girls'

Lorelai Gilmore and Luke Danes's wedding date in Gilmore Girls was November 5, 2016. The wedding took place in the final moments of the four-part revival Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.

The wedding, in its entirety, wasn’t seen by fans due to budget constraints. However, the wedding date was revealed to be November 5, which was also the wedding date of Rory Gilmore's best friend, Lane Kim, who was based on showrunner Amy Sherman-Palladino's real-life best friend, Helen Pai. Pai and her husband, Dave Rygalski, shared a wedding anniversary with the fictional couple, having married on November 5, 2000.

Lorelai and Luke's road to the altar was a long one. The pair first met when Lorelai, in a hurry and frantic for coffee, stormed into Luke's Diner and interrupted his daily service. They became friends and Luke was consistently there for Lorelai as a loyal friend and surrogate father to her daughter, Rory. Lorelai dated several other men before she finally admitted she had feelings for Luke, including Rory's father, Christopher Hayden, and Luke's nephew, Jess Mariano.

Luke and Lorelai confessed their feelings for one another during season 4 and got engaged in season 6, planning to wed on June 3, 2006. However, they broke up before the wedding, and Lorelai even married someone else—Christopher. Fans only got closure on Luke and Lorelai’s relationship in the show’s final moments when their happy future was hinted at. In the revival, the two were living together but not married. They eventually wed in the finale, in the town's gazebo in front of just a few close friends.

The couple's original wedding date

Lorelai Gilmore and Luke Danes's original wedding date was June 3, 2006. Lorelai, one of the main characters in the WB dramedy television series Gilmore Girls, was engaged to Luke, the owner of Luke's Diner in her hometown of Stars Hollow.

In the sixth season of the show, Lorelai planned their wedding down to the daisy invitations. However, the couple broke up instead of getting married, due to the discovery of Luke's long-lost daughter, April Nardini, which threw their plans into flux. The couple eventually got married on November 5, 2016, in the final moments of the four-part Netflix revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.

The fall wedding date felt more authentic to fans, as Lorelai's good life experiences happened in the cooler months, and her more troubling life events occurred in the warmer weather. For example, Rory Gilmore's court date after she was caught stealing a yacht, which led to a rift with her mother, occurred on June 3, 2005. Additionally, Lorelai's first engagement to Max Medina was presumably supposed to take place in the summer, and her first big argument with Rory also occurred during the summer.

The couple's eventual wedding date of November 5 holds special significance, as it is the date of one of Lorelai's favourite childhood memories of a snowstorm, and her daughter Rory was born in October.

Why the actual wedding date was more fitting

Lorelai Gilmore and Luke Danes' wedding date in the series Gilmore Girls was November 5, 2016. This date was more fitting than the original date of June 3, 2006, for several reasons.

Firstly, June 3 was a date marred by bad memories. The previous year, on June 3, 2005, Rory Gilmore had a court date after being caught stealing a yacht, which led to a rift in her relationship with Lorelai. A summer wedding also wouldn't have suited Lorelai, as her more troubling life events occurred in warmer weather, and her good life experiences in the cooler months. For example, Rory was born in October, and one of Lorelai's favourite childhood memories was of a snowstorm.

Secondly, a summer wedding would have been similar to Lorelai's previous wedding plans with Max Medina, which she called off. After calling off that wedding, Lorelai and Rory went on a road trip, indicating that the wedding was supposed to take place in the summer. Additionally, Rory and Lorelai's first big argument also occurred in the summer, when Rory slept with her married ex-boyfriend, so it's not surprising that Lorelai would have wanted to avoid a warm-weather wedding.

Finally, a November wedding suited both Lorelai and Luke's characters. Lorelai loved the snow, and although Connecticut doesn't usually see snow in early November, the changing weather towards winter would have been more fitting for her than a summer wedding. Luke, meanwhile, didn't seem like a warm-weather guy either. He preferred flannel and was never seen wearing shorts, so it's hard to imagine him at a beach wedding.

All in all, the couple's actual wedding date of November 5 felt much more appropriate and authentic for the famed Gilmore Girls characters.

The couple's relationship timeline

Lorelai Gilmore and Luke Danes's relationship timeline is a long and tumultuous one. The pair first meet in 1996 when Lorelai, a frequent customer at Luke's Diner, harangues a busy Luke for some coffee. They become close friends and Luke becomes a surrogate father to Lorelai's daughter, Rory.

During the end of season one, things become more than platonic between the pair, but when Lorelai's former partner and Rory's father, Christopher Hayden, shows up in Stars Hollow, their relationship is put on hold. Lorelai and Luke's relationship becomes serious towards the end of season four, and they date for a year before Lorelai proposes to Luke.

The wedding is postponed when Lorelai discovers Luke has a daughter, April, from a previous relationship with Anna Nardini. Luke also requests that Lorelai has no contact with April, which causes Lorelai to grow impatient and resentful. She gives Luke an ultimatum, and when he is unable to answer, she ends up in bed with Christopher. Luke appears on her porch the next morning with plans for their elopement, but Lorelai is forced to tell him about her night with Christopher. Luke drives away, and the pair break up.

Lorelai and Christopher eventually marry, but their marriage ends with both conceding that they were never meant to be. In the final season of the original series, Lorelai and Luke get back together, and in the 2016 Netflix revival, *Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life*, they are living together and have built a stable relationship over the past decade. In the revival, Lorelai and Luke finally get married, on November 5, 2016.

The wedding's notable absentees

While the wedding of Lorelai Gilmore and Luke Danes in the final episode of the Netflix revival miniseries, 'Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life', was a joyous occasion, there were some notable absentees. The ceremony was much smaller and more intimate than expected, with only a few close friends and family members in attendance. This was likely due to the reported budget constraints and scheduling conflicts that plagued the production.

One notable absence was that of Emily Gilmore, Lorelai's mother. Emily's absence was particularly surprising given that she had always wanted to be included in her daughter's major milestones, and it seemed strange that she would miss Lorelai's second wedding. In the original series, Emily was crushed when she found out she had missed Lorelai's wedding to Christopher Hayden because they had eloped.

Another person missing from the ceremony was Sookie St. James, Lorelai's best friend and executive chef at the Independence Inn. Sookie's absence was especially conspicuous considering her strong support for the relationship between Lorelai and Luke in the original series. It is reported that Sookie's absence was due to scheduling conflicts with the actress, Melissa McCarthy.

Jess Mariano, Luke's nephew, was also notably absent from the wedding. Jess was in Stars Hollow specifically for the wedding and was presumably supposed to be Luke's best man. However, when Lorelai and Luke decided to elope, none of the characters present thought to call Jess to join them.

Luke's sister was also not present at the wedding, meaning that Luke had no family of his own in attendance. This imbalance between the bride and groom's sides was unfair and made the wedding feel unsatisfactory for some viewers.

Frequently asked questions