Parks and Recreation Episode 7.07 Donna and Joe

Donna and Joe's big day has almost arrived and the atmosphere is a little tense. Luckily, Donna has chosen April as her maid of honor. She knows April is tough enough to deal with her extended family. Twenty-eight Meagles are expected and Donna warns April that drama, fights, neediness, feuds and more are bound to break out.

Craig is also helping out as a wedding planner - and he's perhaps the most nervous of all. He implores the wedding party to avoid uttering his latest trigger words, including bridge, groom, flowers - and even the name Craig.

Tom's super excited: he knows the wedding is a perfect opportunity to get things started with Lucy. He's picked out a swank brocade tuxedo jacket and taken the liberty of buying Lucy a matching dress. As butler of honor, he knows it's important to look sharp. He shares his excitement with Ron, going so far as to say he could see himself married to Lucy someday. Ron's touched. Despite his gruff exterior, Ron holds a soft spot for romance and weddings; he thinks Tom and Lucy make a fine couple.

We get a look at Ben and Leslie's home life with the triplets. It's a harried scene, especially since they're trying to effect a handoff to their nanny, Roz, who seems even more frazzled than Ben and Leslie. Still, moving ahead with their plans to stay in a hotel to enjoy themselves, they arm Roz with some comforting words and instructions.

But their getaway won't be completely carefree. Jennifer Barkley has called Ben to let him know that there's a local congressional election that she thinks Ben could win. Does he want to run?

The wedding party gathers at Tom's Bistro for a reception. Ron runs into Lucy and can't help but pass along how taken he's noticed that Tom is with her. Flattered, she presses Ron for details. With typical Swanson frankness, he relays Tom's comment that he could see spending the rest of his life with Lucy. She's shocked.

Moments later Tom pulls Ron aside to tell him to fix the problem he's just created with Lucy. This is a relationship that's barely gotten started and Tom scolds Ron for jeopardizing it. Ron's taken aback.

Leslie and Ben try to size up the congressional opportunity. Ben wonders if he's got what it takes, whether the time commitment would be too much and whether he could win. He's truly torn between running or not. Leslie suggests that he give each choice a mental trial run. Tonight, he should act as if he's running, then tomorrow at the wedding he can act as if he's not running.

It's a practical enough plan, but Ben lubricates the process with alcohol, giving speeches and glad-handing the dinner guests. The booze continues to flow and Ben and Leslie wake up in their hotel with terrible hangovers, fuzzy on all that happened the night before. It turns out Ben so enjoyed his mental trial run as a candidate that he phoned Jen Barkley four times in the wee hours to ensure her he would run. She promptly posted a campaign ad. Ben and Leslie arrange a quick breakfast meeting with Jen at J.J.'s to see if the decision can we walked back. It can, but Jen's still convinced Ben could win. She says she's called a press conference for the next morning; he needs to decide.

The big day arrives. Before the ceremony, Donna looks a vision in her white satin dress; she's attended to by April, Craig and her designer, Typhoon. Donna tells her friends how much they mean to her.

Inside the church, Ron talks to Lucy and Tom, telling them he didn't mean to put their relationship on the spot. He was merely expressing that he thought they made a great couple. Ron leaves to discuss the church's limestone with a historian, allowing Lucy and Tom some precious moments to navigate the turbulence in their budding romance.

Tom explains to Lucy that he never meant for Ron to scare her off by oversharing, but that in fact he's "all in." Lucy considers this for a moment, then smiles and rests her head on Tom's shoulder. "I'm only dating you for the free dresses," she tells Tom, with a smile. Love conquers another crisis.

Donna and Joe exchange their mostly heartfelt vows (who knew Donna was the inspiration for Pearl Jam's "Vitalogy"?), then kiss at the altar and enjoy a round of applause. Then it's on to the reception.

Outside, Leslie and Ben scramble to find some stuffed zebras in their car, toys that their kids back home are craving. A gaggle of reporters, seeking confirmation of Ben's congressional bid, sets upon him in the parking lot. Ben begins to shoo them off, then catches himself. He's all in.

At the reception, Donna asks Ben and Leslie about the big campaign news; they'd been keeping it a secret so as not to steal Donna and Joe's thunder. But the word's out now and everyone's excited. The guests toast to Ben's campaign and to the newlyweds.

April notices a strange nameplate at the table in front of Terry: it reads "Garry." Donna explains that it's a mistake, knowing that the gang will seize upon yet another chance to give Terry a new nickname. They begin chanting "Garry, Garry." Donna winks at Garry; she knows that, in fact, Garry has always been his real name. It's yet another gift from the wedding that keeps on giving.

On the dance floor, Ginuwine prepares to sing the couple of honor into their first dance. But Craig upstages Ginuwine, launching into his own take on the classic '50s song, "Oh Donna." He get in just a few notes when Andy stops the music to announce that Donna's estranged brother, Levondrius (played by Questlove), is here.

The room turns quiet as the estranged siblings size each other up. They bark at each other, then Donna brings up "the microwave incident." Levondrius immediately pulls a tabletop microwave out of a bag and slams it to the ground. "Now no one gets any popcorn," he huffs.

April pulls Donna aside. "You said you wanted a little drama," she tells the smiling bride.