A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the 'Crazy Rich Asians' Wedding Scene

Since the plot of both the book and subsequent movie is based around a luxurious wedding, we asked Nelson Coates, the production designer of Crazy Rich Asians, to share some behind the scenes details about the making of the extravagant wedding scene, as well as the inspiration behind the design and some insider bridal fashion information diving deeper into the costume design by Mary Vogt.

Read our Q&A to find out more about the wedding scene and inspire your nuptials!

IW: Was the wedding designed as it was detailed in the book, or did you create the wedding décor scheme from scratch? 

NC: The wedding décor is basically from scratch, though the over-the-top bespoke qualities of the wedding and Kevin Kwan’s meticulous attention to detail in the book definitely influenced us to go even further in the film.

To keep chair backs from interrupting the meadow look, we built freeform unholstered benches in moss green velvets to look high-end yet disappear into the grass. Bromeliads, orchids, and truckloads of tropicals, heliconias, and gingers were located and rented or purchased from nurseries all over Singapore. 

Like with any wedding venue, we faced a scheduling crunch. CHIJMES, a church fixture in downtown Singapore since 1904, was classic and beautiful, and said yes to filming, but only had a five-day window available during the Singapore portion of our shoot... Only five days to install the set, dressing, and greenery, rehearse actors, film the wedding, wrap the interior, and film exterior wedding arrivals. Every constructed element was fabricated at a soundstage where we rehearsed the grass installation and moon gate assembly.

IW: What is your favorite wedding from another movie?

In addition to traditional tropical florals, the wedding needed a focal point unlike any I had seen inside a church. I pitched Jon (the director) the idea of a classic stone Chinese moon gate for the center of the stage, flanked by eight-foot oversized “bamboo” fans. The constructed fans include traditional Chinese dragons serving as the background for the musicians and groomsmen. 

We also fabricated numerous bamboo and linen fabric lanterns adorned with traditional patterns and ancestral illustrations related to blessings of fertility, prosperity, and happiness. Artisans still practicing the centuries-old craft fabricated and painted [them] by hand, each lantern requiring two to three weeks to complete.

IW: What was your favorite detail from the wedding or walk down the aisle that you hope viewers will appreciate? 

NC: Our props team fabricated hundreds of copper wire handcrafted butterflies and fireflies on artificial “branches,” highlighted with LEDs, for guests to lift out of the grasses as the bride walked down the aisle. The lighted branches created a special moment [and] made the reveal of the bride “walking on water” look even more breathtaking.

For more wedding inspiration, check out hundreds of real weddings from across the country, start putting together your wedding team here, and view inspiring photos from real weddings by your desired color palette.