Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding" Film Locations: Exploring The Show's Backdrop

My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding is a reality TV series that follows the lives and traditions of Romani-Americans, also known as Gypsies. The show is a spin-off of the British series Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, which aired on Channel 4 and explored the marriage customs of British Traveller families. While the original series primarily focused on Irish Travellers, the American version showcases the lives of Romani-Americans, who are allegedly members of Romanichal clans. The series has faced some criticism from the Romani community for its portrayal of their culture and traditions.

The show was filmed in various locations across the United States, including Boston, Massachusetts; Atlantic City, New Jersey; Martinsburg, West Virginia; Princeton, West Virginia; Douglasville, Georgia; and Atlanta, Georgia. These locations were chosen to represent the diverse communities of American Gypsies, who live in campers, trailers, and homes across the country.

Boston, Massachusetts

Celli's connection with the gypsy community began when she was working in New York, Italy, and Hong Kong, designing sweaters and blinging them with beading. She started receiving orders from gypsies, who appreciated her funky and blingy style. Celli's gowns are a favourite among gypsy brides, who save up to buy her dresses, which are known for their use of Swarovski crystals.

Celli also played a key role in the show by introducing the producers to most of the families featured. David Herman, the executive producer, said that Celli started making introductions after they had spent about three months unsuccessfully trying to get access to gypsy families in the United States.

Atlantic City, New Jersey

My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding is an American reality television series that debuted on TLC in April 2012. The show revolves around the marriage customs of Romani-Americans, allegedly members of Romanichal clans, although some are of Irish Traveller descent. The series has faced some criticism from the Romani Gypsy community for misrepresenting the ethnic minority with non-Romani characters posing as "Gypsy".

The show was filmed in various locations across the United States, including Atlantic City, New Jersey. In Atlantic City, four gypsy teens looked for love at the annual Romanichal masquerade ball, an event that promises plenty of family drama.

The series offers an insight into the world of American gypsies, their traditions, and their celebrations. From birthdays to weddings, no expense is spared and it's all about the bling. The show delves into the culture and lifestyle of gypsies, exploring their social circles, workplaces, and homes.

In Atlantic City, the focus is on romance and drama as gypsy teens attend the masquerade ball, a highlight of the gypsy social calendar. The ball provides an opportunity for young gypsies to meet potential partners, with women dressing up in their finest and most extravagant outfits to lure in the boys.

The show also highlights the strict rules and expectations within the gypsy community, especially for women. Girls are expected to drop out of school at 12 and marry between 14 and 16 years of age. They are not allowed to date without supervision or talk to boys outside of designated events like the masquerade ball. This creates a sense of intrigue and anticipation around events like the ball, where strict rules and social norms are temporarily relaxed.

Atlantic City serves as a backdrop for the drama, romance, and cultural traditions of the gypsy community, showcasing both the similarities and differences between gypsy life and mainstream American culture.

Douglasville, Georgia

The city of Douglasville, Georgia, is located 20 miles west of Atlanta and is part of the Atlanta Metro Area. It is the county seat and largest city in Douglas County, with a population of 34,650 as of the 2020 census. The city was founded in 1874 with the construction of a railroad in the area and was named for Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois.

Douglasville has been a popular filming location for various productions, including Netflix's Stranger Things (2016), The Founder (2015), and Kill the Messenger (2014). The city's historic downtown district, with its Victorian-era brick structures and railroad right-of-way, provides an attractive backdrop for film and television productions.

While I cannot confirm if any episodes of "My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding" were filmed in Douglasville, Georgia, the show has featured weddings and celebrations of different traveller groups distributed throughout the Southern United States. The show often includes sub-plots and main plots revolving around celebrations other than weddings, such as birthday parties, Halloween parties, and family reunions.

Princeton, West Virginia

The Boswells were featured in an episode of the show that aired on April 28, 2013, in which they were planning a party to cheer up their matriarch, 74-year-old Mildred, who had recently lost her husband and a daughter. The Boswells were worried that the Smalls would crash their party, and the Smalls were equally concerned about the Boswells ruining their own celebration.

The Boswells' party was a blowout birthday bash for siblings Jackie Dee and Pookie Small, who were considered unofficially married. Pookie's unofficial wife, Nukkie, the 14-year-old daughter of AGW and Gypsy Sisters star Nettie Stanley, was being ignored by her beau at the party.

The episode also featured the story of Tammy Boswell, one of Mildred's eight children, who had married into the enemy clan, the Smalls. Tammy's son, Elvis Boswell, had also remarried.

In addition to the family feuds and lavish parties, "My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding" also addressed more serious topics such as gender roles, respect, and domestic violence within the gypsy community. One cast member from West Virginia, Mellie Stanley, shared her experience of abuse in her first marriage. She described the physical violence she endured and her difficulty escaping due to the trailer home's locks being changed. Mellie also discussed her second marriage, which ended after she suffered a miscarriage following her husband's demands for an abortion. She decided never to marry another gypsy man and was dating an Italian man at the time of filming.

Ohio

My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding is an American reality television series that revolves around the marriage customs of Romani-Americans. The show features members of Romanichal clans, as well as some individuals of Irish Traveller descent.

In Ohio, the series featured the first gay gypsy wedding in the episode "Kissing Cousins". In this episode, Gypsy Annie marries her first cousin with a "blingtastic" winter wonderland ceremony and an outrageous fox fur wedding dress. Meanwhile, Ana breaks all the rules by following her heart and having the first gay gypsy wedding in the state.

American gypsies live all over the United States, including in Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, and West Virginia. They live in campers, trailers, and homes, and work in various occupations alongside non-gypsies. However, their lives are quite different, with a strong focus on tradition and closely guarded families to preserve gypsy culture.

Frequently asked questions