The Red Wedding in the last season of HBO’s Game of Thrones became a huge talking point for viewers with videos of fans’strong reactions to the shocking scenes appearing all over the internet. Th fourth season of the hit series which will air in Spring 2014 is set to have another large wedding, that of Margaery Tyrell to King Joffery Baratheon. Dubbed the ‘Purple Wedding’ the ceremony itself was filmed on set in Belfast while the huge wedding celebration was shot in Dubrovnik’s Gradac Park, just above the Old Town.
Game of Thrones writer Cat Taylor has spoken of the wedding in a recent interview, revealing some of the details around the big event.
“While the ceremony itself was filmed in one of our semi-permanent sets in Belfast, the Sept of Baelor, the reception was filmed in a beautiful outdoor set located in Park Gradac in Dubrovnik, Croatia. The park was transformed by our new Production Designer, Deb Riley, and her team into everything you might desire from a Royal Wedding carnival, with elaborate decorations, an epic feast and the most creative and unexpected forms of entertainment for the guests.
Filmed over a five-day stretch, we waited with bated breath each day for the clouds to roll in and dampen our fun. Weather reports suggested imminent downpours at the end of the week, and only a few days before, water funnels had formed off the coast in the height of a rainstorm. Aside from one short and dramatic burst where Costume scrambled to get all the extras under cover and everyone rushed to protect props, we were spared the worst of the predictions.
In terms of principal cast members in attendance, the Royal Wedding was one of the largest scenes we’ve filmed since the premiere season, with 23 named parts appearing on any given day. In addition, we were delighted to welcome 218 extras as guests to the event, some of them traveling from the other side of Europe and the United States to be a part of the experience. Lookout for some familiar faces in the crowds – Pixie Le Knot is back this year, and one of our crew makes an appearance with the entertainers.”
We can’t wait to see Gradac Park transformed for the royal wedding of the year!
For the original interview with Cat Taylor click here.
