Exploring Bridesmaids Filming Locations: A Comprehensive Guide

Bridesmaids, the 2011 comedy starring Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy, was primarily set in Milwaukee and Chicago but was mostly filmed in and around Los Angeles and other parts of California. The film's director, Paul Feig, has said that the choice of filming location was challenging, as the production team wanted to find architecture that would give us those Midwestern worlds.

Los Angeles and California

The 2011 comedy film Bridesmaids was primarily filmed in Los Angeles, California. The film is set in Milwaukee and Chicago, but Los Angeles provided the perfect backdrop for recreations of these cities.

The beauty and versatility of Los Angeles enabled filmmakers to create an atmosphere that could easily be mistaken for the Midwest cities featured in the film. Many iconic locations were used as backdrops, such as Universal Studios Hollywood, which stood in for Milwaukee, and parts of downtown LA, which were transformed into Chicago.

The neighbourhood of Pacoima in the San Fernando Valley region also served as one of the filming locations. The scenes featuring the interior of the aircraft were taped at Air Hollywood’s K9 Flight School at 13240 Weidner Street in Pacoima. The production team also chose to film a few scenes at the Spring Street Towers, located on Spring Street in Downtown Los Angeles.

The all-white bridal shop Belle En Blanc in the film is situated on Spring Street in Downtown Los Angeles. The exterior of the shop is a familiar location, having appeared in films such as Se7en, Spider-Man 2, Marathon Man, and The Mask.

The classy modern home of Ted, where Annie gets stranded atop the automated gate, is in the centre of the Hollywood-friendly San Fernando Valley, at 3722 Sapphire Drive, Encino. The tennis court where Annie has a competitive match with Helen is at the Sherwood Country Club, 320 West Stafford Road, Thousand Oaks.

The restaurant to which Annie takes Lillian and the girls to experience authentic Brazilian cuisine is La Sirenita, 14032 Oxnard Street, Van Nuys. It's actually a Mexican restaurant, but don't worry—the food is just fine!

The wedding is finally held at the Los Angeles State and County Arboretum, 301 North Baldwin Avenue, in Arcadia, a 127-acre botanical garden that must be one of the most filmed locations in the world.

Illinois and Wisconsin

Bridesmaids is a comedy film set in Milwaukee and Chicago, but the majority of the filming took place in Los Angeles, California. However, a few days were spent filming minor sequences and establishing shots in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Illinois

The Chicago River and the Navy Pier are two Chicago landmarks that can be seen in the film. The O'Hare International Airport in Chicago was also featured in the film, but it was actually filmed in Los Angeles.

Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin doubled as the filming location for several scenes in the film. The exterior of Cholodecki's Jewellery Store, where Annie spreads her message of disillusionment and gets fired, is an empty store at 1009 Mitchell Street, at South 10th Street, in the Historic Mitchell Street district. The name of the store was changed digitally.

The bar that Annie and Rhodes visit in the film is Norman One Step, located at 3218 West Cameron Street, at North 32nd Street, north of the city near Lincoln Park. Annie's apartment, which she shares with Gil and his sister, is located at 2501 South Kinnickinnic Avenue at East Homer Street, in Bay View.

Annie's apartment

In the film, Annie, played by Kristen Wiig, is a woman in her mid-thirties who is struggling to make ends meet. She is single, has not achieved much in life, and is going through a rough patch. Her bakery has shut down due to the recession, wiping out her savings and causing her boyfriend to break up with her. As a result, she has lost her passion for baking and is stuck in an underpaid and demanding job at a jewellery store.

Annie shares her apartment with obnoxious British immigrant siblings Gil and Brynn. When Annie is unable to pay the rent and keep the apartment tidy, her roommates kick her out, leaving her stranded on the street with all her belongings.

South Kinnickinnic Avenue is a bustling street in the heart of Milwaukee, boasting a plethora of fantastic shops, restaurants, and bars. To get to this location, you need to head about three miles south of the Milwaukee city centre, which takes around 10 minutes by car.

Brazilian restaurant

The Brazilian restaurant scene in Bridesmaids was filmed at Mariscos La Sirenita, a Mexican seafood restaurant located at 14032 Oxnard Street in Valley Glen, California. The restaurant's rear parking lot entrance was used in the film.

In the scene, Annie, who is Lillian's maid of honour, takes the rest of the bridal party to the restaurant to experience 'authentic' Brazilian cuisine. However, the bridesmaids, except for Helen, and the bride get sick after lunch and suffer from food poisoning. As a result, they start vomiting and experiencing severe diarrhoea, which leads to an embarrassing public bowel movement by Lillian, who is still wearing her wedding dress.

The choice of this restaurant for filming contributed to the comedic and crude nature of the scene, as the food served there did not actually make the bridal party sick. The restaurant's menu features Mexican-style seafood dishes prepared with fresh ingredients, and its lively and welcoming atmosphere makes it a popular spot for social gatherings and family dinners.

The Brazilian restaurant scene is one of the most memorable and iconic moments in the film, showcasing the strong female leads and their relatable experiences. The scene also adds to the overall humour and feel-good nature of the movie, which has paved the way for female-led comedies and established itself as a beloved classic.

Engagement party

The engagement party scene in Bridesmaids was filmed at the Sherwood Country Club, 320 West Stafford Road, in Thousand Oaks, California. This is where Lillian and Doug's engagement party was held, and it is the first time that Annie meets Helen, Lillian's new best friend. The country club also provided the tennis courts where Annie and Helen play a competitive and aggressive game of tennis against each other.

The engagement party scene is memorable for the speeches given by both Annie and Helen, in which they subtly (or not so subtly) compete for Lillian's affection. It is also the first time we meet Doug's sister, Megan, played by Melissa McCarthy.

The exterior of the Sherwood Country Club was also used as the wedding venue in the final scenes of the film.

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