The Hallmark Channel’s newest movie, “The Wedding Veil Journey,” premiered on Saturday, January 21, at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central. The movie stars Alison Sweeney, Autumn Reeser, Lacey Chabert, and Victor Webster. As the stars revealed, one of the locations where they filmed marked a historic first in film-making history.
The Movie Was the 1st Production to Ever Film at This Acropolis in Rhodes
The final installment of “The Wedding Veil” series aired its sixth movie, titled “The Wedding Veil Journey.” This time around, viewers followed the sisters all the way to Greece as Tracy and Nick finally go on their honeymoon.
One of the major scenes in the movie was an Acropolis on the island of Rhodes, Greece. And it was an important scene not only because of the beauty of the location, but because filming there was a history-making moment.
In the ITCAF podcast interview with Autumn Reeser, Reeser talked about how lucky they were to film at the Acropolis.
“We are the first production that has ever been allowed to film there,” she revealed.
She continued, talking about how the location was so lovely that she got emotional and cried just being there. She also said the crew was from Bulgaria and when they filmed at the Acropolis there was no access to cars, so the equipment had to be transported on golf carts and carried up multiple stairs.
Webster posted this selfie while filming in the Acropolis.
Director Ronald Oliver shared in a post: “Sir Ronald is the first director in history to film on the Lindos Acropolis. And he’s making a wedding movie,” echoing what Reeser revealed in a podcast.
On Twitter, the cast clarified that they made history by filming at an Acropolis on the island of Rhodes, not the Acropolis in Athens, which is a different location.
Note that there is more than one acropolis on the island of Rhodes, and there has been some debate about whether Sweeney’s tweet was accurate concerning the exact location of filming. Oliver said they filmed at the Lindos Acropolis, which is also located on the island of Rhodes.
According to the Archaeo – Histories Twitter account, “most Acropolis monuments were erected between 447-406 BC.”
‘The Wedding Veil Journey’ Was Filmed in Greece & Bulgaria
IMDb Pro mentions that the movie was filmed on The Island of Rhodes and the town of Lindos in Greece. According to Rhodes Guide, tourists regard Rhodes as being the island’s most remarkable archaeological site.
“At first glance, everyone who approaches the village … (feels) the urge to experience and take in the spectacular natural terrain, with the acropolis standing on a gigantic rock, the white village houses and the crystal blue waters,” Rhodes Guide shares.
In an interview with TV Insider, Sweeney said she loved filming in Bulgaria and Greece.
“(It was) such a fun adventure to … go to Bulgaria and to get to travel to Greece,” she said.
Her favorite scenes included “the day that we filmed in Anthony Quinn Bay. It was this beautiful little bay and it’s meant to be the view that you see from the hotel they’re staying at when they have the scenes looking over the bar. Autumn and Lacey and I could not stand how spectacular this view was.”
She said during filming breaks they took off their heels and ran down to take pictures on the beach.
Reeser shared what was her morning routine like filming the movie.
She wrote: “A day in the life of becoming Emma, filming ‘The Wedding Veil’ series.”
She also commented: “Greece is the word 😉” on a post talking about the movie airing soon.
Young actor Ché Grant posted this next picture on Instagram while filming the movie. Grant wrote: “Had the best time of my life on set filming The Wedding Veil Journey.❤️”
“Thank you all for your love guidance, advice, warmth, laughter…” Grant wrote.
In this next picture, Grant tags Rhodes as the location where it was taken.
“Just finished filming for today! Can’t wait to speak more about it soon 💪” he wrote.
In some saved reels, Grant wrote: “We’ve only gone and sent Ché Grant to Greece and then Bulgaria for a film shoot…” The comment is followed by a ton of behind the scene shots that showcase the beautiful location.
Director Ron Oliver posted this next group picture on Instagram, writing: “And THAT is a wrap on Sir Ronald’s latest epic in Greece. What an adventure, with some remarkably talented people both in front of and behind the cameras, beautiful locations, and plenty of laughs – and a few tears, too.”
In another post, he wrote: “Sir Ronald cannot let the day pass without mentioning that the star of his latest epic – one Che Grant, by name – is turning 15 today, and is celebrating by attending the West End production of ‘Moulin Rouge’ for the first time.”
“Sir Ronald has found himself having brunch on a rooftop in the shadow of the Athens Acropolis,” he wrote while filming.
“Sir Ronald and his young star Ché obviously upstage the Acropolis of Lindos, without even trying,” he shared in another post.
“Sir Ronald is completely and unabashedly in love with his drone crew on his latest epic. This shot will make the movie,” he revealed, sharing a stunning background photo.
Meet the Cast
Hallmark’s synopsis of the movie reads: “Tracy and Nick agree to set aside work to make time for a long overdue honeymoon to Greece. When they are stranded on a secluded island, they confront their life choices.”
Alison Sweeney plays Tracy. According to her bio, her passion for storytelling has led to the authoring multiple books based on her experience in Hollywood. Her earlier works include the books “Scared Scriptless” and “The Star Attraction,” both of which are centered on her experiences. Jodi Picoult, an bestselling author, referred to Sweeney’s book as: “Great fun for any reader who covertly sneaks glimpses at People magazine in the checkout line at the grocery store, and wonders, What if…?”
Autumn Reeser is Emma. According to her bio, she’s had roles in films such as “Sully,” starring Clint Eastwood alongside Tom Hanks, “The Big Bang,” starring Antonio Banderas and Sam Elliot, “Valley of Bones,” starring Rhys Coiro, “Kill ‘Em All,” starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, and “So Undercover,” starring Miley Cyrus alongside Jeremy Piven. She’s well-known among Hallmark viewers for her many movies.
Lacey Chabert, who portrays Avery, is sometimes referred to as the Queen of Hallmark movies. According to her bio, she starred in “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,” along with the very popular “Mean Girls.” She also starred in “Daddy Day Care,” in which she played Anjelica Huston’s daughter, and “The Brooke Ellison Story,” in which she played the lead in Christopher Reeve’s final directorial project.
Victor Webster plays Nick. According to his bio, his first TV role was in the NBC soap opera “Days of Our Lives.” He then shifted gears to star in “The Lot” on AMC and “Mutant X.” Before he got married, he was listed in People’s “50 Most Eligible Bachelors.” Webster is now a well-known Hallmark star and is married to fellow Hallmark star Shantel VanSanten.
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‘The Wedding Veil Journey’ Marks Historic First in Stunning Greece Location