Secrets behind the filming of ‘Love Is Blind: Minneapolis’

The most daunting challenge facing “Love Is Blind” when it shot in the Twin Cities last winter wasn’t snow. It was the flurry of fans.

Malia Bantz, who worked as a production assistant on the show for four weeks, remembered one evening when one of the engaged couples were out shopping for rings. Five women chased them down the street, trying to snap pictures.

“Minnesota doesn’t get a lot of big productions, so people were leaking information online as soon as they could get it,” said Bantz, one of many local crew members hired by the series that is in the midst of dropping new episodes of the eighth season. “It was a little nerve-racking.”

Locals keeping track of the action only from the comfort of their screens may be disappointed by what they’ve seen so far. Despite that fact all the 32 contestants in Season 8 are from the Twin Cities, the area doesn’t get much of a spotlight in the nine episodes currently available for viewing.

But episodes 10 through 12, which drop Friday, ramp up the local angle, with the five engaged couples covering a lot of ground in the weeks leading up to their planned nuptials. (If you’re someone who hates spoilers, you might want to avoid reading any further.)

365 Nicollet, the luxury apartment complex the contestants called home, looks as glamorous as any high-rise property you’d find on the coasts. Sara Carton, the oncology nurse engaged to Ben Mezzenga, was blown away by the hot tubs, skyline views and top-notch gym.

“I had imposter syndrome the whole time,” she said during a phone interview last week. “It made me appreciate Minneapolis even more.”

TV magic made the digs look even more spectacular. Mike Handley, a local freelance gaffer, said he and others spent two days lighting the apartments. Producers brought in their own furniture and furnishings, including the show’s signature golden goblets. Carton said Mezzenga saved three of them.

One room that doesn’t get much attention is the kitchen. That’s because the couples spent so much time dining and drinking at places like Luna & the Bear, Lush Lounge & Theater and Parcelle, all in Minneapolis. Devin Buckley and Virginia Miller topped off a horse-drawn carriage ride with a meal at Robbinsdale’s Travail Kitchen and Amusements, where chef Mike Brown personally brought them their first course.

But the destinations didn’t always reflect the participants' personal tastes.

Carton had suggested visiting Surly Brewing Co., but producers opted instead for St. Paul’s BlackStack Brewing, a place she had never been before. She also wanted to take Mezzenga to Isles Bun & Coffee, but was told the crew couldn’t film there. (The couple ended up visiting there off camera.)

Logistics often played a role. A bachelorette party at the Mall of America, where the women take full advantage of the amusement park, was clearly shot when the mall was closed to the public. The men’s prenuptials bash took place in the friendly confines of the Minnesota Vikings training facilities, where the grooms donned purple jerseys and subjected themselves to good-natured ribbing from team mascot Viktor.

“I think there was a lot of legal stuff to deal with,” Carton said. “And they were looking for a certain vibe sometimes,”

One bar that doesn’t get featured is Troubadour Wine Bar, which is a bit of a surprise because one of the contestants was co-owner Brian Sumption. According to Sumption’s Instagram, he got engaged to participant Kylie Schuelke, but their courtship was edited out of the series for reasons that are unclear.

Netflix didn’t make any producers available to the Star Tribune, but “Love Is Blind” creator Chris Coelen told Variety earlier this month that two couples’ stories didn’t make the final cut.

“We film everything and then we go back and look at how we got there. We put the pieces together,” Coelen told the trade magazine. “As always, we’re trying to pick the stories that resonate and that we feel are worthy of telling because they lean into authenticity.”

Some local spots, like Puttery in Minneapolis, Roseville’s Smash Park, Grind Mpls and the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in St. Paul are merely backdrops for fun dates. But some become the setting for key moments.

A casual night out at Bryant Lake Bowl for Lauren O’Brien and Dave Bettenburg gets so serious that the bickering couple have to move their conversation to the privacy of the bar’s theater space.

All the weddings take place at Chaska’s Edward Anne Estate, which is just enough out of the way to avoid public scrutiny.

April Hinrichs, the head makeup artist for the ceremonies, said secrecy was such a priority that everyone would have their phones taken away when they showed up for work. But locals worked well with the visitors.

“I think the producers were really pleased,” said Hinrichs, who learned that the national team was moving on to Colorado. “We got a lot of nice compliments. And the venue was beautiful.”

Contestants had to adjust to crew members and cameras being around them, starting with the initial dating process in California, where the could-be lovebirds weren’t allowed to see each other until they committed to marriage.

“You don’t know if they’re going to use stuff like burping and tooting,” said Brittany Dodson who flirted with Buckley in the early episodes, but didn’t end up getting engaged. She makes a return appearance in episode 11. “You’re having these intimate moments while a camera zooms in on your face. But I got used to it.”

Carton said she got hives during the first three days of filming in California. She also admitted to being self-conscious when the setting switched to the Twin Cities and they were out for dinner.

“We’re from Minnesota,” said Carton, who isn’t sure how she’ll react once her hospital patients recognize her from the show. “We’re not used to this.”

Carton was still feeling a bit nervous when she watched the first nine episodes at contestant Taylor Haag’s home the second they became available.

“I threw up because of the anxiety,” she said. “My body didn’t know how to work.”

Overall, the local cast and crew members had positive things to say about the experience. They do wonder, though, if the out-of-towners got off too easy.

“That winter was pretty mild, which cracks me up,” said Bantz, noting that the only significant snow fell on the last day of shooting, a picturesque scene with big, fat flakes and temperatures warm enough to allow a celebratory drink outside. “They kept remarking how everyone was so nice and everything was so green. If it was 10 degrees below like it is today, it would have been a different story.”