Diksha Sundriyal
Based on Sherryl Woods’ book series of the same name, ‘Sweet Magnolias’ follows the story of three women- Helen, Maddie, and Dana Sue- who are childhood best friends. The Netflix series follows their trials and tribulations as they try to balance their personal and professional lives. A lot of what happens in ‘Sweet Magnolias’ is influenced by its surroundings. The trio at the center of the story has to make a lot of difficult choices, and they have to keep in mind what their decisions would entail for their family, as all their moves are judged by the small town they live in. This is the place where everyone knows everyone; hence, the smallest thing you do can turn into a big issue.
Maddie, particularly, feels the brunt of it because, suddenly, her love life comes into the scrutiny of the town. Because the place plays such an important role in the lives of the characters, it was essential to get a suitable location for it. Here are the filming locations of ‘Sweet Magnolia’.
Where is Sweet Magnolias Filmed?
The events in ‘Sweet Magnolias’ take place in a town called Serenity, located in South Carolina. But you might be disappointed to know that Serenity is a fictitious place. The actual filming of ‘Sweet Magnolias’ took place in Covington, Georgia. Considered the Hollywood of the South, it has served as a filming location for several movies and TV shows over the years. The show makers also used a couple of the surrounding towns, while also spending some time in Atlanta.
Covington, Georgia
If Serenity feels eerily familiar to you, it is because you have previously seen it in a popular teen drama. Covington stood in for Mystic Falls in ‘The Vampire Diaries’ for seven seasons. Now, it has turned into Serenity for Netflix. The cast was spotted filming all over the place, and a number of local businesses received a makeover to become the South Carolina town. The popular Mystic Grill, which was also a key location in ‘The Vampire Diaries’ was turned into Sullivan’s restaurant, the place owned by Dana Sue Sullivan.
Another important location in ‘Sweet Magnolias’ is Serenity’s Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. Director Sherryl Anderson was very specific about the kind of church she wanted for the show. She spent a lot of time scouting for the location. Just when it looked like she would have to settle for something less, she chanced upon the perfect location while driving down the road. Oakhurst Presbyterian was just what she had imagined, and it served as Serenity’s Lutheran church.
The Corner Spa becomes an important part of the lives of Maddie, Helen, and Dana Sue. They open the place for the women of Serenity, and it plays an important role in turning around their lives. The filming for the interior scenes in the spa took place in a studio. However, the beautiful exterior is of a real building in Covington. The Law Office of Tommy Craig was used to give a beautiful facade to the spa.
Apart from this, several other locations will feel familiar to you, even if you are not a resident of Covington, for example, the Newton County Courthouse, another major location for ‘The Vampire Diaries’, appears several times in the Netflix series. Some scenes have also been filmed on the Square.
After exploring the beauty of Covington, the production shifted to the neighboring towns to expand the scope of Serenity. The crew was spotted filming in Oxford, Decatur, McDonough, and Lithonia- all at a small distance from Covington. For the filming of the school scenes, the production set camp at the Henry County Middle School in McDonough.
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