Phoebe is a Victorian literature adjunct professor from St. Louis experiencing severe depression following infertility struggles, a divorce, and the death of her cat. Feeling profoundly isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic, she travels to Newport, Rhode Island, intending to end her life. Her unexpected arrival at a hotel completely booked for a lavish wedding forces her into an unfamiliar social dynamic.

Lila is a conventionally attractive, highly organized bride orchestrating an extravagant, million-dollar week-long wedding in Newport. She works as an art curator's assistant for her mother. Deeply afraid of failing to honor her late father's dying wish, she micro-manages the wedding details while masking her anxieties about her upcoming marriage.

Gary is an older proctologist, a widower, and Lila's fiancé. He treated Lila's father for cancer before Henry's death. Heavily impacted by the grief of losing his first wife, he approaches his upcoming marriage to Lila passively, allowing her to make the decisions. He struggles to find joy in his daily life but shows a capacity for deep empathy.

Jim is the brother of Gary's late wife, Wendy, and serves as Gary's best man. He often uses humor to mask deeper emotions and provides a source of levity among the stressed wedding guests. Despite his supportive role for Gary, his presence creates visible friction with the bride.

Patricia is an art gallery curator, Lila's mother, and Henry's widow. Coming from a background of wealth, she spent decades adhering to traditional expectations of motherhood and marriage. Recently widowed, she attempts to reclaim her individuality and desires, causing significant friction with her daughter.

Matt is Phoebe's ex-husband, a tenured college professor who left their marriage after initiating an affair with a mutual friend. He and Phoebe previously bonded over their academic careers before the strain of infertility and professional disparities created a rift.

Juice is Gary's 11-year-old daughter. Still mourning the loss of her mother, Wendy, she feels alienated by Lila's materialism and the extravagant wedding festivities. She uses her phone and a virtual pet as coping mechanisms to deal with her profound feelings of isolation.

Marla is Gary's sister, a lawyer, and her town's mayor. She attends the wedding week while actively managing a marital affair via text messages. She is highly critical of Lila's drink-naming grammar, Gary's childhood, and the overall wedding extravagance.

Wendy is Gary's late wife and Juice's mother. She was an artist who helped Gary see the beauty in everyday life, offsetting the grim realities of his medical profession. Her death from cancer left a lasting impact on her family.

Mia is a successful academic and a mother who previously considered Phoebe a close friend. She eventually initiates an affair with Phoebe's husband, Matt, asserting that their marriage was effectively over before the affair began.

Pauline is a recent college graduate from the Midwest working as a property manager and receptionist at the understaffed Cornwall Inn. She is enthusiastic about her new job despite the pandemic-era hiring shortages and maintains a polite, accommodating demeanor.

Nat is one of Lila's bridesmaids and a friend from her Catholic high school days. Nicknamed "Neck Pillow" by Phoebe, she shares Lila's focus on aesthetics but grows increasingly tired of the bride's negative attitude as the week progresses.

Suz is a bridesmaid and longtime friend of Lila's, mentally dubbed "High Bun" by Phoebe. She splurges on an extravagant vintage convertible rental for the bride. A mother herself, she experiences the tension of balancing her wedding party duties with caring for her sick child back home.

Henry is Patricia's late husband and Lila's father. He owned a waste management company and was significantly older than Patricia. Before dying of cancer, he left Lila a massive sum of money with the explicit dying wish that she marry Gary.

Harry is Phoebe's late cat, who witnessed the entirety of her marriage, infertility struggles, and divorce. His quiet passing serves as the final emotional blow that prompts Phoebe to travel to Newport.