As the movie begins, Stanley Banks (Spencer Tracy) tells us that he has survived his daughter's wedding. He proceeds to walk us through the pitfalls as he reminisces over daughter Kay (Elizabeth Taylor) and her engagement and subsequent marriage to Buckley Dunstan (Don Taylor). His wife, Ellie (Joan Bennett) will help him plan and survive the economic and logistical problems of hosting the wedding as well as the emotional turmoil of letting go of his little girl. Stanley is faced with the opportunity to support his daughter and wife's dream of a beautiful wedding or he can choose to throw out obstacles in the hopes of keeping his daughter at home and single for a while longer!