'Sabrina' Gets Sent Off in Satin

[Brett Ferino]

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - On Monday, April 21, Lucy Camden (Beverley Mitchell) gets hitched on The WB Network's "7th Heaven," and then on Thursday, April 24, "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" signs off for good on the same network with a wedding for Sabrina (Melissa Joan Hart) and fiancé Aaron Jacobs (Dylan Neal).

"You think maybe it's getting ready for May sweeps or something?" quips Neal between takes on "Soul Mates," which, as it turns out, airs on the first day of the ratings period.

Unlike the "7th Heaven" wedding shoot, which took place during torrential downpours only a few miles away in Southern California's San Fernando Valley, brilliant sunshine blesses the "Sabrina" shoot.

As it's midafternoon on a Thursday, there are few onlookers around, which is fortunate, since the scene involved culminates the episode, the season and a few hanging plot threads.

Gathered on the church steps are Sabrina's friends and family, including her witchy Aunt Hilda (with Caroline Rhea reprising her role). Also on hand is longtime, on-and-off Sabrina love interest Harvey, played by Nate Richert, looking fit and buff in a black T-shirt and jeans.

"A wedding is either a good place to start a story, or end a story, or I might be starting a new story," says Hart, during a break in her trailer.

"Or it might be starting a whole new chapter," adds her mother, Paula Hart, also one of the show's executive producers.

The action then moves into the church -- a charming New England-style chapel just perfect for the show's Boston setting -- where guest stars include Robert Picardo and Faith Prince (as Aaron's parents).

Filled with giant bouquets of spring flowers, the church is packed with extras, who break out in applause when Prince, a Broadway star, lets out a bit of a song.

It's warm inside, to the point where filming pauses to allow a light to cool off, but Hart looks fresh and relatively unwrinkled in her white dress, a lace-trimmed, off-the-shoulder satin gown with a long, sheer veil.

Dressed in pale blue are her bridesmaids: roommates Roxie and Morgan (Soleil Moon Frye, Elisa Donovan), and cousin Amanda (Hart's sister, Emily Hart). Hart's half-sister, Samantha Gilliams, plays the flower girl.

In real life, Hart is set this summer to wed musician Mark Wilkerson of the rock band Course of Nature (a poster of which adorns the wall of Hart's trailer).

Camera crews are capturing the whole wedding process -- from trying on dresses to saying "I do" -- for a future special on ABC Family Channel. But don't expect Sabrina's wedding dress to be a preview of things to come.

"Mine's a little more princess," Hart says, "more dramatic. This one's more sweet, a little more innocent. Everything for the 'Sabrina' dress has to be, 'OK, what's different from mine?' This has lace; mine doesn't have lace. This has sleeves; mine doesn't have sleeves. My hair is mostly down today, whereas on my wedding day, it will be part up and part down."

The real wedding will take place in Italy, possibly Tuscany, with the TV production deal helping to foot the bill to fly Hart's and Wilkerson's friends and family in for the celebration.

"I wanted to help my guests," Hart says, "make it more realistic for them to get to Italy. And I thought, 'I'm going to have a videographer there anyway, so why not have a professional?' It was another opportunity for us to produce and have some fun."

She's hoping for a villa in the mountains. "I want the little girls with the streamers, leading the wedding party, maybe the cake on a pole. I'd like to have it be among rolling hills, outside, have everybody stay in one place, then be able to venture out from there during the days, go on trips, wine tours, play golf. It's really camp. It's wedding camp, that's how I'm looking at it."

The planning, though, is producing some busy times for Hart. "I triple-booked myself at lunch," she says. "I had three meetings: one with bridesmaids, one with my fiancé about the new house, and the wedding planner, and I totally forgot about all three of them."

"I just bought a house the other day, so I'm trying to sell mine. And we're going to Italy this weekend to scout wedding stuff. I'm trying to pack up my house, pack for Italy. It's just a little hectic."

Just before putting on his tux, Neal takes a few minutes to reflect on the future of his TV bride. "I've been observing Melissa very closely," he says, "and I think Melissa has a really interesting window opening up for her after 'Sabrina.' She's very talented. One doesn't want to say child actress, but she's had this huge career, been around for a long time. Now, as a young woman, she's on top of her game."

"Comedically, she's very strong. She also has a complete, commanding authority when she's on the set. She's very confident in herself, and it really shows. On top of that, she can't help but be likable. She could be a complete diva and a monster off-set -- she's not, but she could be -- and it wouldn't matter, because as soon as she's on camera, she's instantly likable."

"And she has this real feisty, fiery side to her. If she gets into a vehicle that combines that element of Melissa with her comedic ability and instant likability, she's got real potential."

"There's no stopping her. She's ready to move beyond 'Sabrina.'"

"It could be the end," says Hart. "I'm looking at it that way. Yesterday, I had a scene in bed with Salem [the cat]. I turned around, and the cat woke me up, and I thought, 'This may be the last time I see you!'"

[Frasier W. Crane]

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