This little introduction is a great starting point to pitch Croatia as a wedding destination to your partner and/or guests at the wedding.
Croatia has always been a country that thrived on tourism.
And now we see Croatia as a top wedding destination for many couples.
Why should you pick Croatia as your wedding destination?
Well, Croatia is one of the sunniest places in Europe.
It’s also one of the craggiest coastlines in the world.
If you choose Croatia as your wedding destination,
You can choose from:
- Over 1000 islands (1244 islands, islets, and crags, to be exact) 48 of are inhabited.
- 8 national parks
- 11 Nature Parks
- 2 nature reserves.
Not to mention many coastal and inland towns and villages that are surrounded by nature (hills, rivers, lakes, woods, sea, and beaches).
So this is just the basic reason. When you dig deeper, you’ll find Croatia has an amazing history and historical treasures that will intrigue even those who aren’t history buffs.
Add into the mix a lot of music festivals, bars, a party island, and many cool activities, and you get why it’s so popular.
The people who come back, mostly come back for the clear sea and clean beaches, nice locals, amazing food, and even better wine.
Many tourists are so blown away by our hedonistic and laid-back lifestyle, that they come back year after year just to live it, at least for their vacation.
The fact that Croatia is extremely safe helps too.
If you read in depth about all the options you have, you might get overwhelmed.
And here’s the good news: Croatia is fairly small and it’s easy to travel from one place to another, so you can visit all the different places during your stay. YAY!
Croatian regions
And if you just want to visit one part of Croatia, think about what regions would suit you best.
When it comes to Croatia as a wedding destination, we divide it into two regions (even though we have many more than that)
The Istria region and the Dalmacija region.
1. The Istria Region
is close to Italy, so it has its vibe. A lot of locals speak Italian as well as Croatian.
It has amazing coastal and inland towns and villages.
They are by far the most laid-back part of Croatia, known for truffles, winemaking, and their preserved gladiator arena in the town of Pula.
They are great gastronomers, and you can find some really good, respectable restaurants in the region.
When it comes to weddings, if you’re looking for an alternative to Italy, a winery for a venue, and a relaxing, hedonistic stay, this is the place to be.
Istria offers many different venues besides the wineries even though they are the most popular for weddings.
You can easily find historic locations, marinas, hotels, bars, and restaurants.
2. The Dalmacija region
is very Mediterranean and this is the place with all the popular islands such as Brač, Hvar, Vis, etc.
Some of the most popular venues are also located here, such as Villa Dalmacija in Split.
The food is local and consists of fish and meat options along with pasta, vegetables, and many more.
Since Dalmacija has a lot of sunny days, their wines are sweet and of good quality.
The people are passionate and welcoming.
In Istria your stay would be more relaxing and slow-paced, while Dalmacija is more crowded, and since it has so much to offer, it’s almost impossible to stay in one place.
So here are some great sites that can help you get to know Croatia.
This one is a personal favorite because it has everything lined up in categories: http://croatia.hr/en-GB/Destinations/Regions
To read more, click here: https://www.tietheknotcroatia.com/post/croatia-must-see-list
And for those who want to learn more, here are some useful videos:
What to know before visiting Croatia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqPk_fkkC7A
The don’ts of visiting Croatia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em5lUKr7iWM
10 best places to visit in Croatia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XggH-avvMjM
If you want to start planning your Croatian wedding today, fill out our form here:
https://www.tietheknotcroatia.com/form
Or simply email us at: contact@tietheknotcroatia.com
Croatia as a Wedding Destination
Why couples choose Croatia for their wedding day?
From our experience, a lot of our couples choose Croatia as their wedding destination for one of these reasons:
1. The gastronomy and wines.
Yup, a lot of our clients choose Croatia as their destination only because they’ve heard, read, or watched a lot about our local cuisine and local wines.
And who could blame them? Our local cuisine is mostly made with amazing local produce.
We Croatians live for food, wine, and good company. So logically, throughout our history, we have advanced our culinary skills to perfection.
The cuisine varies from region to region, but it always amazes our tourists.
In the last couple of years, we had an explosion of great young chefs that are taking our gastronomy to another level. This resulted in several Michelline stars and recommendations of restaurants (you can check them out here: https://guide.michelin.com/hr/en/search?type=restaurant&q=croatia)
You can have your wedding in some of these places, such as Meneghetti, Boškinac, San Rocco and many more.
The wedding menu prices vary, but for example, at San Rocco average wedding menu price is around 120eu per person, which isn’t at all bad for this type of restaurant.
The late gastronomy expert Anthony Bourdain traveled through our country to taste some of the gems, You can see the full video here: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xqcg4o
And yes, you can have your wedding in some of these places, such as the Bibich winery in Skradin. They offer a high-end location + food and wine experiences. Their price consists of the privatization price for the location + the menu price.
2. The presence of Croatia in films or TV shows
To some this reason seems silly, but to true fans of Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Mamma mia, and many more this reason is enough to get married in Croatia.
And we get it, especially since you can get married in some of the locations used for filming.
The Game of Thrones set is the most popular. While most of them are in Dubrovnik, there are some in Split as well.
The most popular Croatian wedding locations in the theme are Lokrum Island near Dubrovnik and Villa Dalmacija in Split.
We did posts about both of them, which you can find here:
Villa Dalmacija wedding: When it comes to Villa Dalmacija, it’s one of the most popular venues in Croatia.
Since it’s a historical venue, with a large space, the rental fee isn’t as high as it is in some other places.
There are some regulations to be respected, though: The music can play up until 2 in the morning, and the villa needs to be cleared out until 3 in the morning.
Everything around the villa can be used (such as the peer and the garden) but getting into the sea is strictly forbidden for safety reasons.
If you’re booking this venue, you need to pay two fees: 1. for the rental and 2. for cleaning.
The exact cost can be given to you via email request: contact@tietheknotcroatia.com
If you’re a fan of Mamma mia (and if you aren’t), make sure to check out the Vis island since this is the location the sequel was filmed:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/5196180/mamma-mia-2-filming-locations-vis-croatia/
The most popular location on the island of Vis to get married is Fort George.
3. It’s a popular destination but still unique when it comes to weddings.
Even though Croatia has seen a boom in destination weddings, it’s still pretty unique to get married here.
Destinations such as Greece, Italy, and France are still way more popular for destination weddings.
This is the reason many couples choose Croatia, It’s still a hidden gem for weddings, and it guarantees a special experience for your guests.
I will dare to say, the one they’ve never had before.
And if you REALLY want to be totally unique, looking beyond Hvar, Dubrovnik and Split will give you plenty of options for a special location based on your style.
4. The nature
Nature lovers are obsessed with our little country, and they have every reason to be.
As we mentioned, the clear sea to swim in and sail at, the mountains to hike, and the national parks to visit are just some of the reasons that Croatia is a dream wedding destination for couples that enjoy the great outdoors.
When it comes to weddings, you can have yours on a small island with privacy and guaranteed clear seas, or in one of our national parks.
The two that come to mind are The Plitvice Lakes and Brijuni.
You can check them out here:
The Plitvice lakes: https://np-plitvicka-jezera.hr/en/about-the-park/general-information/
Brijuni: https://www.np-brijuni.hr/en
If you choose Croatia as a wedding destination, I’m sure you’ll find plenty of options that go hand in hand with your style and wishes.
Welcome to our beautiful country, and we hope you have an amazing stay and an even better wedding day!