Clumsy Raif Moyle returns to Cheshire for the wedding of his elder brother Tim to Saskia, their old school-friend, who was something of a wild child in the past. To the mild consternation of Saskia's socially-conscious mother Alex Raif proposes that, in addition to his duties as best man, he will make a video of events leading up to, and including, the wedding. This means he spends a lot of time with Saskia and begins to realize that, beneath the surface, the happy event may turn out to be less than happy for all concerned. Fortunately a wedding does eventually take place with surprises all round, the biggest one coming from Alex.

Beth, a bookish teenager, befriends Emilia, an aspiring novelist who has just arrived in town. Emilia soon begins an affair with Beth's father that threatens to have devastating consequences.

Poppy Cross is happy-go-lucky. At 30, she lives in Camden: cheeky, playful, frank while funny, and talkative to strangers. She's a conscientious and exuberant primary-school teacher, flatmates with Zoe, her long-time friend; she's close to one sister, and not so close to another. In this slice of life story, we watch her take driving lessons from Scott, a dour and tightly-wound instructor, take classes in flamenco dance from a fiery Spaniard, encounter a tramp in the night, and sort out a student's aggressive behavior with a social worker's help. Along the way, we wonder if her open attitude puts her at risk of misunderstanding or worse. What is the root of happiness?