Today we are talking about a truly unique wedding we planned in a traditional tavern in Croatia called Konoba Bajso
The story
What started out as an elopement in Croatia, ended up being a small get together full of love, emotions, and occasional tears.
We feel it ended up being absolutely perfect.
Part of it is the laid back attitude of our clients. Their approach was totally stress – free and they were open to different ideas and options. Wes & Tahnee truly are a planner’s dream.
Our bride and groom are so in love that if this was a movie, you would think it can’t be real.
But it was, their love and affection for each other, and overall kindness to their guests but also the staff, made this wedding an event we will remember forever.
It took me the longest time to write this post. I didn’t even know where to start, or what photos to pick since everything was so perfect.
So I’ll try to tell the story as simple as possible:
Getting ready – Villa Tina
Our clients wanted to keep things as simple as possible. They wanted their guests to feel relaxed.
They decided to get ready at Villa Tina they rented, to make things simpler.
While the boys were having fun upstairs, the girls where getting glammed up downstairs.
The story of the wedding bouquet
Our bride wanted to respect her father in a way since he isn’t here with us anymore.
We came up with a medallion with his picture that we attached to the bouquet.
We thought it would be even better if her mother gave her the bouquet, so they can share this special moment together.
Our amazing team of photographers and videographers captured all of it, and it was so beautiful.
The love notes
Wes & Tahnee exchanged love notes while they were “separated” at the villa.
They both read them out loud and made everyone cry happy tears.
It was a truly special moment, and it made everyone in the rooms a part of their love story.
The owners of the villa
Let me start this by saying, Croatians LOVE weddings.
You really need to see it for yourself to understand why I wrote this in caps lock.
Anyway, during the getting ready process, the owners of the villa came by with some presents for the bride & groom and delicious homemade sweets.
It was such a nice surprise.
So yeah, we already cried like three times and we haven’t even started the ceremony.
First look
Our clients wanted to do the first look, so we thought it would be best to do it on the shore.
Since they were losing the direct presence of the sea at the wedding venue (but winning on the view), we thought this would be great to capture this moment right next to the sea.
The groom and the boys went first, and the waited for our bride and her girls.
The moment between the two of them was intimate and filled with emotions.
Later on, their close family & friends were included too.
Ceremony – Konoba Bajso
Okay, so we always like to say every wedding has its hiccups in the planning process.
This time, we had everything run smoothly, thanks to both our clients and the vendors we picked.
Right up until the ceremony spot.
This was something we struggled with from the beginning.
In the end, we decided to do it at the venue, Konoba Bajso.
This was such a good choice since Konoba Bajso has several different areas, we were able to do the ceremony and cocktail hour at one spot, and dinner + dancing at the other.
With some sweet tunes performed by a young guitarist, the ceremony started.
The ceremony was symbolic and lead by a son of the man who married the bride’s parents, which is incredibly sweet.
Just when you think things can’t get any more romantic, Wes and Tahnee surprised us with their vows.
Austrian/German wedding tradition
Since part of our bride’s roots is Austrian/German. By the end of the ceremony the bride and groom where required to do a traditional wedding challenge typical for her roots.
Friends of the bride and groom have prepared a sheet with a heart drawn on it. The sheet is held in front of the couple and they must cut the heart out in order to pass. In order to enhance the challenge, they are typically given the pair of scissors in order to symbolize overcoming the first challenge in their new union. Typically, the husband then carries his new wife through the heart.
This was a great way to cherish the bride’s roots and also introduce the groom and his party to some of the traditions. Also, it was hella fun.
Cocktail & photoshoot
During cocktail hour, the guests were first introduced to the AMAZING food Konoba Bajso offers (more on that in the location segment), while the bride & groom went for a photoshoot.
Everything around them looked like one of those old Italian movie sets, so Tahnee and Wes didn’t need to walk far to get the perfect pictures.
Finding the perfect venue
In this case, we where the ones looking for the location. Even though it’s a long process, it was totally worth it. With patience from our clients, and enough time to do it right we found the perfect spot for their wedding in Croatia.
Tahnee & Wes enjoy all the good things in life, such as food, wine, good music & atmosphere.
Dugi Rat
They also asked for a breathtaking view and a small Croatian town/village that needed to be fairly close to the nearest airport.
After some digging, we found a real gem, close to the town of Split.
Konoba Bajso is located uphill from the town of Dugi Rat.
A sweet, small place between Split and Omiš, Dugi Rat feels like home right away.
This way our bride and groom and their guests could explore the magic of a bigger town (Split) and the amazing beauty of Omiš and it’s river Cetina canyon.
If you’re ever nearby it would almost be a sin not to visit it.
Konoba Bajso as a wedding venue
Anyway, just a short ride away from Dugi Rat, while you’re driving uphill, and you have no idea where you are, your Google maps suddenly tells you you’ve reached your location.
You get out of your car, and it’s almost like you’ve time-traveled to a different, simpler time.
The area around the Konoba (it would translate as a tavern in English), is a mix of nature and old, stone, Mediterranean houses. It is so peaceful and relaxing, you wish to stay there forever, and you haven’t even walked into the restaurant.
Konoba Bajso consists of several parts, all of them give you a breathtaking view. There’s several options for an outdoor wedding, as well as the indoor one.
It’s filled with small details that represent old school Dalmatia in every corner.
One part of the kitchen is open, so you can see the process of cooking.
Since privately and business-wise I travel trough Croatia a lot, I thought I’ve tasted and I’ve seen everything. But, boy was I wrong.
The first magical thing that has blown us away is the service. Young staff and their boss are probably the sweetest, nicest people. Their professionalism and overall kindness is something we will remember for the longest time.
The second thing was the sunset. AND OMG WAS IT AMAZING.
After spending your whole life in Croatia and its coast, you get used to the most amazing sunsets, but this was out of this world.
Add our lovebirds and their magnetic energy to the mix, and well, there was a lot of crying involved.
The third and most important thing was the food & drinks.
The food was so good I have literally no words to describe it.
There isn’t a bunch of stuff on the menu, and at first, the menu might feel simple.
But to us, it was the first indicator that Konoba Bajso is the real deal.
In Croatia, when you find a tavern in stone & wood with a smaller menu, you’ve probably hit the jackpot.
Konoba Bajso respects Croatian tradition in its food. It uses quality ingredients and they are amazing at it. Pair it with good Croatian wine and you’re guaranteed to have a special experience.
Honestly, this was one of the best places I’ve had the pleasure to eat in Croatia, and our clients would agree.
Konoba Bajso is perfect for more intimate weddings. Especially for our clients that are looking for a hidden, traditional place to tie the knot.
Wedding Dinner + party
The rest of the night was filled with traditions such as the first dance, speeches, dinner, cake.
The party was filled with positive energy and fun.
Our DJ made sure the music selection was diverse and on point for all the age groups and nationalities involved in the wedding.
The bride and groom made sure everyone was having a great time. At one point we + other vendors became included in the fun as if we were in fact guests.
The night ended with smiles all over Konoba Bajso. It was time to say goodbye to our lovely couple.
Konoba Bajso was such an amazing choice. I really hope we will have a chance to do it all over again there in the future.
There’s no better feeling than to connect with a couple as we did with Tahnee & Wes.
Finding a hidden gem in Croatia such as Konoba Bajso, is pretty awesome too.
If you want to see more, you can watch the video of the wedding here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p20caddZCl0&t=3s
Special thanks to amazing vendors without whom all of this wouldn’t be as magical:
Venue: Konoba Bajso http://www.bajso.com/en/
Photo: Goran Jovic weddings https://www.instagram.com/goran_jovic_weddings/?hl=en
Video: https://www.instagram.com/jojo_boban/?hl=en
DJ: Peco https://pecoevent.hr/en/
Makeup: https://www.facebook.com/makeupdaniela.split/
Planning, stationery & floral: Tie the knot Croatia
And if you’ll like us to help you plan your wedding, fill out our form here: https://www.croatiaweddingplanner.com/form/