Niek Vermeulen of the Netherlands has 5180 airline sickness bags from 1003 different airlines which he has accumulated since the 1970s. Over the past 17 years Robert Begley of Chambersburg, United States has accumulated 2372 bar towels representing 27 different countries. David Morgan from Burford in the UK has a collection of 137 different traffic cones.

And Jane (Katherine Hiegl) of New York has amassed 27 bridesmaid dresses. Sure, that might not seem as impressive as Brent Dixon's 41 418 keychains, but there's a catch ? all the outfits are hers. You see, when she's not organising her boss George's life (or secretly pining for him), or reading the bridal section of the local paper, Jane's planning, running or attending a wedding.

The kind of person who scrambles across town trying to fulfil maid of honour duties at two concurrent ceremonies, she's just a little too obsessed with other people's nuptials. Which, of course, means that her own love life is as empty as her social calendar is full. But when her supermodel sister Tess (Malin Akerman) sweeps into town ? picking up George's (Edward Burns) heart along the way ? Jane is left to consider her own role as the eternal bridesmaid.

Enter Kevin (James Marsden). A reporter on the bridal beat, he considers Jane and her 27 dresses the perfect subject for an article. Although, at first, they don't exactly hit it. He's cynical about weddings. She (clearly) isn't. And you can almost hear them saying "I do" already.

But it's not over until the confetti's thrown and before anybody walks down the aisle there are cakes to be chosen, dresses to be altered and a few minor questions to be answered. Will Jane be able to hide her feelings for George as she organises his and Tess' wedding? Will George discover the truth about Tess? Will Jane and Kevin remember all the words to Elton John's 'Benny and the Jets'? Will Kevin get his story?

All are deftly posed and answered by writer Aline Brosh McKenna who, as in her screen adaptation of 'The Devil Wears Prada', keeps things suitably light while doing her best to add a touch of flair to her formulaic story. Smatterings of witty and (occasionally) insightful dialogue — primarily reserved for the always reliable Judy Greer as Jane's shameless friend Casey — and a few genuinely charming moments between Heigl and Marsden ensure that '27 Dresses' doesn?t hang right at the back of the romcom closet.

But one question remains unanswered — how long will it be before people realise they've seen this film (or something just like it) at least 27 times before?