'You May Not Kiss the Bride' will open Sept. 2 at Pearlridge

Rann Watumull and the rest of the folks at Hawaii Film Partners are ecstatic because they finally have a release date for their locally made feature film "You May Not Kiss the Bride": Sept. 2 at Consolidated's Pearlridge 16.

The romantic comedy, which began filming here in early 2009, will then head overseas in distribution deals that will screen it in 200 Russian theaters as well as in Romania, Hungary, Canada and Latin America, said executive producer Watumull, a co-founder of the Hawaii-based film and television company.

It was a long time coming and hard work, too.

"It's tough being an independent outfit," Watumull said. "We are not a studio, and this is not an artsy film. We are a mainstream, wacky, romantic, adventure comedy that is going head to head with the big studios."

The film's international release has the potential to give serious exposure to several Hawaii musicians in the all-local soundtrack. Hawaii Film Partners couldn't afford expensive licensing fees for mainstream musicians and instead went for home-grown tunes, Watumull said.

Ben Vegas and Maila Gibson, Tiffany Thurston, Imua Garza, Afatia Thompson and Willie K all have music in the film. Garza's "Smile" is the film's title song, but with a new approach that exchanged ukulele for saxophones in order to create a big-band feel, Watumull said.

"You May Not Kiss the Bride" stars actor-comedian Rob Schneider of "Deuce Bigalow," "The Hot Chick" and "The Animal," as well as Hawaii's Tia Carrere, the actress-turned-singer who won a Grammy Award earlier this year.

It's the story of a pet photographer — played by Dave Annable of ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" — who accidentally maims a cat belonging to the wife of a Croatian mobster. He ends up marrying the mobster's daughter, who is played by "American Idol" runner-up Katharine McPhee.

The film was directed by Rob Hedden, who directed "The Condemned" in 2007 and, years ago, "Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan."

Watumull would like to screen the film in additional theaters closer to home and said Hawaii Film Partners recently created a Facebook page ( www.facebook.com/YouMayNotKissTheBride ) to collect public support.

Why William won't kiss the bride | Jitgroups.com

LONDON–Even being the future king of England and the co-star of one of the most viewed weddings in history will not spare Prince William the frustration of being denied one typical marriage custom.

Sorry, William, you may not kiss the bride.

As he watches Kate Middleton walk down the aisle at Westminster Abbey on April 29, William will have the traditional groom’s checklist stashed in his memory. He will surely mentally admire Kate’s dress, nervously go over his vows one final time in his head, and prepare to listen to the solemn words of the archbishop of Canterbury in his final seconds as a bachelor.

But once the ceremony is complete and the rings have been exchanged, there will be no royal smooch at the abbey altar for the benefit of the 1,900 guests in attendance. Church of England protocol expressly forbids such behavior, especially in a hallowed site such as Westminster Abbey, one of the world’s most famous churches.

“There will be no kiss during the wedding ceremony,” explained the Very Reverend Dr. John Hall, the dean of Westminster and the man responsible for overseeing the spiritual life of Westminster Abbey. “We don’t do that in the Church of England. That’s sort of a Hollywood thing: ‘ You may now kiss the bride.’ It doesn’t happen here.”

For the royal family, too, kissing, it seems, is serious business and must be undertaken only in appropriate situations. When William’s mother, Princess Diana, wed Prince Charles in 1981, the pair also did not kiss in church. Instead they produced an iconic moment on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. As thousands of well-wishers screamed for the newlyweds to pucker up, Diana said to Charles: “Well, what about it?”

Photographs of the resulting kiss were splashed across the front page of every British newspaper and seen around the world. That balcony moment is due to be repeated by William and Kate, although this time it will be scripted and part of the carefully planned event.

There is even an allocated time for the kiss, 1:25 p.m. London time. Several publications reported this week that William and Kate have gone so far as to practice the act to ensure the camera angles are right for the international press.

Perhaps it is just as well there is to be no kiss in the abbey to distract William and Kate from the procedure of their big occasion. With eight days to go, the archbishop–the principal leader of the Church of England–added some welcome words of wisdom as they prepare for a day where every move will be scrutinized in minute detail.

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