‘Bridgerton’ team details iconic season 3 moment: ‘There’s no CGI’

Bridgerton production designer Alison Gartshore opened up about the efforts and hard work that went into making of the botanical ball garden in season three episode six.

Season three of the hit Netflix series follows the love story between Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).

In conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Gartshore said that they only had three days left to complete the set ahead of the two lead characters dance in front of the opened floral pop-up garden.

"Every time the special effects people needed the box opening, we couldn’t work on the outside to get it ready," Gartshore explained.

"We had to work with them and stand off when they wanted it open, and then when it was closed, we all jumped in with our paintbrushes and scalpels and glue, and it was just one of those things that we had to get done," she said.

As per the outlet, the team chose florals specifically from the 18th and 19th centuries, painted 12 different pieces and tiled them with variation, making sure they didn’t distract from the actors’ performances.

From start to finish, it took approximately 10-12 weeks for the set to build. Initially, the ball room was supposed to be called the butterfly ball, however, Gartshore explained that showrunner Jess Brownell “dropped a bombshell that she also needed a moment of spectacle when the queen arrives.”

Gartshore used faux florals for the set, explaining, “We shoot a scene for roughly a week, so maintaining florals over that period of time in hot studio conditions wouldn’t work.”

That’s where the idea for the pop-up floral centerpiece was born. The unfolding petal centrepiece was supposed to be straightforward, but “of course, the simplest things are never easy to do”.

The structure took a week to assemble. It was built out of painted paper petals that would unfold and reveal a whole garden inside, and the special effects team engineered all the mechanics to ensure that the leaves opened at the same time. 

"There’s no CGI. It’s all practical effects," she added. "It pushed everyone to the limit."

The upcoming season of Bridgerton focusing on Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek love story is set to release in 2026.