It’s happily ever after in the opening moments of Virgin River Season 6, but not for Mel and Jack — not yet anyway. Though the bride and groom we first see on-screen might appear from a distance to resemble our favorite couple, if you walked near the waterfront in West Vancouver on a drizzly June day, you might’ve spotted multiple actors who look suspiciously like Alexandra Breckenridge and Martin Henderson filming the scene. But only two of them were the real deal. 

“This is a beautiful red herring,” teased Henderson from the cast’s makeshift gathering area in a boutique across the street from the faux wedding. It was the final day of filming for Season 6 — that’s right, they filmed the first scene on the last day. TV magic! — and the close-knit cast and crew were all excited to see each other for one more afternoon of work before scattering across the world. And they were also very ready for a break. 

Earlier that day, they’d spent a few gorgeous but muddy hours dodging rain showers at a picturesque waterfall. Now, they were filming a few more scenes from the very beginning of the season before wrapping for the year. 

“Mel and Jack are going for a stroll on their way to the bridal boutique to have her dress fitted with the sewing circle ladies, who are very generously giving their time and energy to help make the most beautiful dress possible for her on her wedding day,” Henderson told Tudum on set. “They come past a newlywed couple who, at first, we are led to believe might actually be the Mel and Jack wedding. And of course, the limo goes by and reveals that Mel and Jack are just in their regular clothes, that it wasn’t actually them.”

The scenes, which you can watch above, are the beginning of “all the milestones” showrunner Patrick Sean Smith tells Tudum will occur throughout the season. “The pre-wedding planning, the bachelor and bachelorette party, the rehearsal dinner” all precede the grand finale, a two-episode wedding extravaganza, he says. 

“This is setting up for the season,” explains Henderson from his chair in a back room of the boutique. “Three weeks from now, the event of the year is going to take place and all of the community comes together to celebrate the union and [Jack and Mel’s] love.”

That’s three weeks in Virgin River time, which we all know follows its own speed. The first five seasons took place within the course of about a year. In real time, Season 6 will debut Thursday, Dec. 19 on Netflix — meaning you can watch all 10 episodes at any speed you want. Until then, teases Smith, “you’ll have to wait and see!”