“NEVER USE YOUR REAL NAME”

With the cast in place, producers then had to address another difficult challenge – the film’s location.

“One of our biggest challenges early on was that the movie was initially written for Boston and Cape Cod,” reveals producer Peter Abrams. “We were always going to shoot a small portion of the film in Los Angeles, and the majority on location, but the availability of our actors was something we couldn’t control, and our window was March, April and May, which meant shooting in Boston wasn’t going to work. I grew up on the East Coast, and the beginning of April on Cape Cod can be freezing cold, so we needed to find a location that was going to be warmer.”

It was David Dobkin who initially suggested moving the setting a little further south to Washington, D.C.

“Since one of the characters in the film was the Secretary of the Treasury, I said ‘Let's shoot it in Washington,” says Dobkin. “It’s a city that is typically used for political films and thrillers, but rarely is the backdrop for a comedy. The other advantage was that I grew up in Washington, so I knew exactly where I wanted to go for everything and could shorthand the scouts and get the locations very quickly. We ultimately decided to shoot the Maryland Eastern Shore instead of Cape Cod and make Washington a character in the film.”

Wedding Crashers began principal photography on March 22nd, 2004 at the Wilshire Ebell in Los Angeles. The mood on the set was very festive due to the filmmakers’ decision to shoot the crashing montage of five weddings and receptions – Jewish, Italian, Chinese, Irish and Hindu – during the first week of filming.

“The wedding crashing montage only lasts a few minutes at the opening of the film, but I wanted the movie to start with energy,” explains Dobkin. “I also wanted to establish that same frenetic energy on set right off the bat, so we set up the first week of shooting real commando style, gunning with lots of cameras and pushing the guys through the crashing sequences.”

Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson got on board with Dobkin’s vision for the initial crashing montage.

“When the movie opens, John and Jeremy have crashed over 300 weddings and it’s been good for them in many ways,” says Vaughn. “It’s not just meeting the girls – which they do enjoy – but they love the party atmosphere, the food, the drinks, the music, the dancing and the fact that love is in the air. They relish the whole event and feel that it’s the best party anyone can go to.”

Wilson adds, “We also like to spread the wealth around and be multicultural, so we crash many ethnically diverse weddings. Italian, Jewish, Hindu, Chinese - it doesn’t matter - we just come in, take over and are the life of the party. If I personally were at a wedding, I would probably try and hide in the corner, but John and Jeremy get in the center and take the opposite approach of blending in by sticking out. It’s the idea that these guys are so obnoxious that they have to have been invited, because no one would act like this much of an idiot if they weren’t.”

“DANCE LIKE YOU MEAN IT”

John and Jeremy use their secret language and proven “rules of wedding crashing” in order to successfully execute their “blend in by sticking out” mantra. From toasting the bride and groom in their native language, to dancing with the flower girl, performing magic tricks and playing with the kids, John and Jeremy never miss a beat and always get the crowd moving when they lead the room in singing a rousing rendition of “Shout.”

“If you’ve ever been to a wedding, you’ve probably had to dance to this song,” laughs screenwriter Bob Fisher. “It’s an awful and embarrassing ritual and I, for one, would totally favor legislation outlawing it, but it’s definitely a cross-cultural constant. The fact that it’s so embarrassing is ultimately what’s pretty cool about it. The song also made for a natural, effective transitional device and the thought of what Owen and Vince could bring to it always struck us as extremely funny.”

Vaughn adds, “It’s almost like we do them a favor at each wedding because we get everyone on the dance floor, sing ‘Shout’ and whip everything up into a complete frenzy. There’s nothing casual about it, the champagne is flying and everyone is jumping around screaming and yelling.”

For director David Dobkin, “Shout” was not only fun to shoot, but also served as a barometer of how adept John and Jeremy are at taking over a reception and bringing it to the next level.

“I don't think Owen, Vince or myself liked the song all that much, but I knew watching these two guys perform the song would be hilarious,” says Dobkin. “We also needed something that was high energy and could elevate everything to a raucous crescendo as if these guys had pushed these weddings into a feeding frenzy.”

Producer Andrew Panay suggests that the sequence has the potential to spawn a whole new resurgence for the song and dance.

“The fact that ‘Shout’ is played at every wedding could propel the song back into the pop culture mainstream much in the way that Animal House did in the late 70’s,” says Panay. “No matter how many times Owen and Vince had to dance to it, they performed it like it was their first time and were so committed to it that it made the sequence believable.”

In addition to performing “Shout,” Wilson and Vaughn also had to be light on their feet in performing all the different types of traditional dances their characters use at the weddings to woo their prospective dates for the night.

“I’ve always liked dancing,” says Vaughn. “We started it with Swingers and I think that style of dancing is romantic, very cinematic and there is just something elegant and cool about it. I’ve learned over the years that if you can dance, it’s very helpful in meeting girls, especially in situations where dancing is paramount. In the film we do some swing dancing, a little salsa and the fox trot, but with a little bit of comedic element injected into each of them.”

Choreographer Ina Haybaeck-Rogers helped organize the dance scenes in the film. “When John and Jeremy are at the different weddings, dancing is a big part of how they pick up girls,” she says. “The most important element in dancing is unspoken communication. It doesn't really matter which steps you do, as long as it comes from inside you. So in essence, dancing is a big part of how they communicate with the women they meet.”

Although he has never danced on camera before, Owen Wilson surprised himself with some of his moves on the dance floor.

“I had to dance with a lot of girls and I actually discovered that I may not be the greatest dancer, but I can do all right,” laughs the actor. “Slow dancing is my specialty though, because I like to get in there close with the ladies, mix it up and let them feel the music.”

Although co-star Rachel McAdams didn’t get to participate in the festive atmosphere of the various wedding receptions shot during the initial stages of production, her first day on set found the young actress sharing the dance floor with another accomplished dancer - the sure-footed Christopher Walken.

“My first scene was dancing with Christopher Walken – no pressure, right?” laughs McAdams. “I had been practicing with a choreographer during pre-production because I knew he was a really good dancer, but it was so nerve- racking on the day because I assumed there would be a whole bunch of people dancing and it turned out it to be a whole ballroom full of people watching us dance the polka. I did encourage him to do some solo work and he broke out a few times, which made it a lot of fun for me.”