Island Wedding In Croatia

We’ve just got back from our wedding on the island of Lopud just off the coast of Dubrovnik. After looking and almost booking our wedding in the UK we decided to look abroad as we feel the wedding industry in the UK is tired and many of the wedding venues we looked at seemed to lack the personal touch we wanted so much for our wedding day.

Croatia seemed an obvious choice as it is a country my parents visit often and speak highly of it. One rainy day I randomly typed weddings in Dubrovnik into a search engine and the website http://doyouwed.me/ appeared. I sent a quick email enquiring about whether the company knew of the island Lopud and the response we got was phenomenal.


Right from the start Kristina Skvrce the main wedding planner and company director couldn’t do enough for us. She answered all of our questions (and trust me there was a lot) many in the evenings and weekends. Now we were very fortunate to be able to visit Dubrovnik and meet Kristina before we made our final decision about booking our wedding with her, for couples who are not lucky enough to do this we cannot speak highly enough of Kristina and the do you wed team.

Planning a wedding in any country is not easy but I can honestly say Kristina made the process almost stress free. Every detail of our wedding was planned down to the smallest detail beforehand and the day ran so smoothly.

All the services recommended and provided by Kristina and her team where of an impeccable standard. The hairdresser and makeup artist, the flowers and decorations, the boat and crew, the fantastic photographer Veronica Arevelo, the hotel Villa Vilina everything was perfect and coordinated down to the last minute.

Now I am a person who is often described by family and friends as a control freak and rather stress full lady. People commented how calm and relaxed I was in the run up to the wedding and on the actual wedding day. This was down completely to the confidence I had I Kristina and her team.

I am so unbelievably happy we stumbled across the website that day. Anyone wanting a recommendation about a wedding in Dubrovnik only need to speak to us or one of the 30 guests that joined us for our wedding day.

Review source: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g295371-i1555-k3525152-o20-Weddings_planners_in_Dubrovnik-Dubrovnik_Dubrovnik_Neretva_County_Dalmatia.html#4170

Beach weddings in Croatia (part II)

Here is the follow-up on two years old Beach weddings in Croatia post.

So here are a few images-speak-louder-than-words to describe best what was going on in the meanwhile:

No one there ( A and C wedding, Sep 2011)

Peninsula Peljesac and island of Mljet in the background.

 Beach ceremony detail

And now a few shots to describe how the reception looks like:

Wedding dinner tables setup

Next-to-the-sea wedding dinner

Wedding party

Church wedding in Croatia

Our church weddings in Dubrovnik last year were hosted on various venues: a few town locations, a few islands and a few Cavtat weddings.

The central Dubrovnik venue is the St. Blaise church.

Church wedding in Dubrovnik, St. Blaise church  

Other really good in-town alternative is St. Ignatius Church. Architect Ignazzio Pozzo was inspired after Rome's Chiesa del Gesu.

Church wedding in Croatia, Church of St. Ignatius, Dubrovnik
(our we loved-so-much-bride E.R. from Dublin)

Out of town churches we like the most are St. Nicholaus Church in Cavtat. It's a typical Mediterranean church, charming and very intimate located right in the center of small coast town of Cavtat:

Irish church wedding in Croatia, wedding in Cavtat 2011

Church weddings in Croatia are fully recognized in Ireland. Check some further info at church weddings in Croatia.

Now something really special. A wedding on island of Lopud in Croatia, close to Dubrovnik (June 2011):

Church wedding on island of Lopud

Check here for civil weddings on island of Lopud, Croatia.

Make sure to check an excellent post from the blog by Dick and Jane in which they cover many Dubrovnik churches through great photos.

Wedding ceremony in Croatia

Just stumbled upon this nice video of Alice and Michael. Their wedding in Croatia took place in beautiful Sponza Palace in Dubrovnik last year.

Here you may check how the wedding ceremony in Croatia looks like. Ceremony excerpt you can follow is completely translated in English by an authorized interpreter. Duration of the official part of the ceremony is about 20 minutes.

Complete paperwork is handled by a wedding planner, through local Registry Office. General list of documents that are required is (example for UK citizens):

• A copy of a birth certificate issued within three months of the date of submission (if UK birth certificate the long version is required);
• A valid passport;
• A confirmation by each party of No Impediment to Marriage issued by their respective domestic authorities. This is a confirmation that a couple is free to enter into marriage, must show a name and citizenship of the intended marriage partners and ensures that a marriage in Croatia will be recognized as valid in the UK

(this is not an official list of documents as in certain circumstance additional paperwork may be required)

For a U.S. citizen to marry in Croatia, Croatian authorities require the following:

• Valid U.S. passport.
• U.S. birth certificate translated into Croatian by a sworn court interpreter (PDF 851 KB); the U.S. birth certificate must bear the apostille of the competent authority of the issuing U.S. state and must be a new copy issued within the past 90 days. Obtaining the apostille and/or new birth certificate may require several days or weeks, depending on the state. For addresses of relevant state apostille authorities, click here.
• A sworn statement, made by the American citizen before a U.S. Consular Officer, stating that the person in question is an American citizen, that he/she is free to marry, and that the marriage contracted in Croatia will be regarded as valid by U.S. authorities. This document is available at the U.S. Embassy in Zagreb upon presentation of an American passport. The fee is $50 payable in cash (dollars or kuna equivalent) or by major credit card.
• The document supplied by the U. S. Embassy also must be authenticated Consular Section of the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, located at Petreticev trg 2, 10000 Zagreb. The contact number at the Ministry is +385-1-4599-410. The government fee (biljeg) is 60 kunas (approximately $10).
• If an American citizen does not speak Croatian, he/she will have to obtain the services of a court appointed translator for the marriage ceremony. A list of court interpreters is available by clicking here (PDF 851 KB).
• If one of the marriage partners is divorced or widowed, proof of the dissolution of previous marriage (i.e., divorce decree or death certificate) is required; similarly, an apostille is required on those documents.

Source: Embassy of the United States in Croatia

(this is not an official list of documents as in certain circumstance additional paperwork may be required)

Winter Weddings in Dubrovnik

Yes it is true! Croatia is the land of sun, and Dubrovnik is at its south: meaning even more sun!

Months starting from mid October and ending by the middle of April are considered low season months in Dubrovnik, that means:

Lower prices
Expect discounts at the venues, for accommodation (up to 35%), from most of the suppliers that will take part in your wedding day.



Less people
You would have all the city just for you and your guests sharing it with very few people.

Greatest photos
Sharp air, good sun angles, nice sea reflection - it all makes for an unforgettable wedding album.


Which month would you suggest?

The best, in my experience is the period around central Dubrovnik feast (st. Blaise - the city protector) which is February, as the city becomes cheerful, central day and the procession are not to be avoided.

October has been a great choice too: back in 2010 our guests were taking baths until 15th November, many wedding reception at the beginning of October were held outside.

April is another great choice, in "good years" you may also expect to take a few baths on the beaches that are deserted.

Wedding in Rixos, Dubrovnik

Check the story briefly here.

Bröllop Dubrovnik

Vår dag blev oförglömlig, inte bara för oss två utan alla gäster som var med på vårt bröllop. Hela dagen var som hämtat ur en saga, med regn och åska på morgonen, som sedan sprack upp till en härlig sommardag.

Vi var i Villa Splendid, där både vigseln och festen ägde rum, platsen är helt underbar, ett ställe man bara drömmer om att gifta sig på. Vår dröm blev sann! Vår bröllopsdag blev en lång fest med familj och nära vänner, tillräckligt liten för att det skulle kännas intimt, och tillräckligt stor för att ha med de allra viktigaste personerna i våra liv.

Kike är en specialist som jag inte sett hittills, det fanns ingenting som vi önskade som hon inte kunde ordna, och det med råge. Bröllopskoordinator är något som hon föddes till att göra tror jag. Vår tacksamhet till henne och hennes team sträcker sig mer än ord kan beskriva, jag tror att vi har i henne hittat en vän som vi resten av livet kommer att minnas med glädje, precis som vi kommer att minnas vår bröllopsdag.