'To All the Boys I've Loved Before 3' Features a Dreamy Backyard Wedding

The team behind To All the Boys I've Loved Before 3 wrapped filming prior to COVID, but they nailed a rather large wedding trend in 2021: outdoor, tented, backyard weddings. "We shot it 18 months ago, but we were ahead of the curve," costume designer Lorraine Carson tells The Knot. Adds set designer Chris August, "We liked the idea of it being a backyard wedding."

The third film installment, based on Jenny Han's bestselling YA novel, follows the relationship progression between Lara Jean Covey and Peter Kavinsky through their senior year of high school. As they receive college admissions updates, Lara Jean (Lana Condor) imagines a perfect life with Peter (Noah Centineo), beginning with Stanford and continuing on as young professionals with dream jobs and a picturesque wedding. (Spoiler alert: a lot happens to disrupt these plans.)

Instead, the third installment of the series features the engagement and wedding of Dr. Daniel Covey (John Corbett) and his girlfriend, Trina Rothschild (Sarayu Rao). It surprisingly has, however, most of the trends seen with COVID weddings in the last year. Here, the crew shares details for how to throw a beautiful backyard wedding just like the film's featured event.

Start With Your Outdoor Wedding Vision

Katie Yu / Netflix

According to Pinterest, the "small backyard wedding" search term experienced an explosive 160% year over year increase in 2020. The Knot has also found that the vast majority of couples have pivoted their weddings to address health and safety concerns, including event formats, guest count and more.

With couples seeking low-key, backyard ceremonies for minimonies and microweddings, the Coveys were ahead of curve by hosting a smaller-size event in their very own backyard. "We felt that we wanted to open the show up because we spent a lot of time in the bedrooms and at school," says August. "There was a certain levity and a less-serious aspect to an outdoor wedding. To give it a fresher approach, we wanted that in the film."

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The team ended up unintentionally taking a crucial step in the wedding planning process: they consulted with an actual wedding professional to help build an accurate and aesthetically-pleasing representation of an outdoor, tented event. If you're planning a backyard event, research and narrow down your dream vision prior to meeting with your vendors. They'll help you execute the various trends you may be seeing, even turning those into something of your own.

Implement a Coordinated Dress Code

Sarah Shatz / Netflix

Watch the film carefully and you'll notice a general color palette (on par with some of our 2021 trends) that coordinates brilliantly throughout the film. With the wedding scene, you'll catch pops of pinks, magentas, cayenne and yellows that work well with the bridesmaids' blue dresses. Each character was tasked with selecting her own dress, and in Lara Jean's case, the costume department found her showstopping piece, a Mac Duggal gown, off-the-rack at Nordstrom. "With the bridesmaids, we had three different body types," explains Carson. "So that's why we gave color as the connection between the bridesmaids that reflected their individual style."

Often, it's best to craft a dress code around the overall vision. In this case, a backyard wedding is an opportunity to go fresh. "We did that with Trina, this was her moment. We reflected on who she was as a person: elegant," says Carson. "With the backyard, we wanted to keep it simple. We kept Dr. Dan within the palette of the wedding in a cream suit. It was fantastic. The girls, meanwhile, gave a pop of color."

For those wondering, the bride's gown was designed by BHLDN. "We wanted it to be beautiful for Trina's skin tone, gorgeous for her second wedding, so elegant and sophisticated," says Carson. "We found that on BHLDN's website… We had 20 dresses and she put this one on, and we all went, 'That's the one.' It was beautifully beaded and very expensive looking."

Lean Into Fabrics and Twinkle Lights

Lighting is critical with outdoor events especially for building a romantic ambiance when the sun goes down. "For everyone who does it, it's about lighting to create an atmosphere as well," says August. "[With wedding scenes,] you have to take into consideration that you'll have a nighttime version and you need to prepare for that."

The team was able to transform the aesthetic of the film without compromising too much of the budget with one solution. "We used a tremendous amount of twinkle lights to create a 'starry sky feel' to the whole tent," August says. "It's a fairly inexpensive way to go, but you need the labor to accomplish it. It helps because it creates a sense of being outdoors under a night sky with a softness and a freshness to it as well."

The team consulted with their wedding experts to source the proper fabrics and drapings to add a dreaminess to the overall aesthetic. The end result included soft pink and neutral curtains offsetting the greenery and pops of florals decorating the surrounding areas. "It was a bit of a character in itself," notes August of the wedding setting. "We were able to add a softness overall to the wedding by having an outdoor service and a reception in a tent with draping, without the hard structure."

Go Ahead: Be Sentimental and Romantic

Katie Yu / Netflix

Though a backyard wedding is often considered more casual, there's a sweetness about allowing your love to shine in its simplicity. "Even though it's a second wedding for the key players there, we wanted it to be exceptionally romantic," muses Carson. "The whole story of 'To All the Boys,' and Lara Jean with her writing, comes from a romantic place. The wedding is about second chances and everything like that."

Even assigning immediate family members with specific tasks adds a layer of sentimentality to the overall production of a backyard wedding. Take, for example, Lara Jean preparing batches of taste profiles for her dad's wedding cake. She wants to get it right and there was something very charming about the Type A, middle daughter of the groom lending her talents to support the couple on their wedding day. But oddly enough, the true intimacy and romantic essence of the event shines brightest when Lara Jean returns to the empty tent in her backyard only to find a surprise. In this moment, after the hullabaloo of the day and post-party, the intention for the event shines through the most: that when everything is stripped away (the music, the guests and the flurry of excitement), there's a steadiness and soft illumination that simply remains.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before 3 is now streaming on Netflix.