‘I felt so reassured throughout the whole process and everything was planned to perfection.’
Venue Sponza Palace & Hotel Croatia Cavtat • Date 14th of June 2019 • Number of Guests 50 • Budget ££
Why did you choose to get married in Croatia, Dubrovnik in particular?
I always wanted to get married abroad from being a little girl, so when Mike popped the question, I couldn’t wait to start venue hunting. We looked at various places including Spain, Greece and Italy but Croatia had that extra special something that we were looking for. It’s a short 2 hour flight from the UK, reasonably priced accommodation for all of our guests and everything is so picturesque. We just loved the idea of combining our wedding and a holiday with all of our closest friends and family.
How long in advance did you book your wedding?
We booked our wedding 18 months in advance.
How many guests did you invite to your wedding and how many accepted and attended?
We invited 52 guests and 50 guests accepted and shared our special day.
Tell us more about your dress….
I actually found my dress during the first shopping trip! I tried on 4 dresses in total and the final one I tried was the one. The dress was the total opposite of what I was looking for but it fit with the venue and location perfectly, I received so many comments on how classy and elegant it was!
What about your shoes and accessories?
My shoes were from LK Bennett and they had 3D flowers on the front which matched the back of my dress. I teamed them with a flower head piece which was perfect for an abroad wedding.
The grooms suit?
Mike had his suit tailor made, he decided on a light cream colour which worked really well with the white washed buildings in and around Dubrovnik.
What did the bridesmaids wear?
The bridesmaid dresses were powder blue. The reason I chose this colour was because it worked perfectly with the backdrop of the sea.
The brides bouquet, what flowers did you choose and why?
I chose Dahlia’s and Gypsophila. I wanted everything white and green which made everything feel so serene.
Did you theme your wedding?
My theme was classic elegance, I didn’t want any of the decoration too over the top because the ceremony and reception venues already had the WOW factor.
We’d love to hear more about the smaller details of the day….
We designed our own wedding menu, we had the option of a BBQ but decided to go down the formal route of a sit down 5 course meal. We gave our guests the option of fillet steak or seabass for mains and a lot of people said it was the best meal they have ever had!
Our favours were personalised hand fans which included the order of service, these came in so handy as it reached 34 degrees on the wedding day!
How did you find the planning experience from booking to the big day?
I found it super easy and stress free. Having both a wedding planner in the UK and one abroad made the biggest difference, I felt so reassured throughout the whole process and everything was planned to perfection.
What’s your best memory from the day?
Everything about the day was just perfect but the two best highlights for me were the boat cruise from the ceremony venue to the reception venue. We actually stopped the boat in the middle of the sea for the speeches, it was such a relaxed atmosphere and that moment felt so surreal. The other highlight was the first dance, it was the perfect song, the perfect setting and watching all of our friends and family join us on the dance floor gave me goose bumps. Mike even shed a tear!!
What do you think makes a wedding abroad stand out from a wedding in the UK?
Firstly the weather, you can never guarantee the weather whichever country you choose but you are more likely to get good weather abroad than in the UK and this can make a huge difference to your wedding photos/videos. Secondly, you are not only getting married abroad but you also have the opportunity to go on holiday with all of your closest friends and family, everyone is relaxed, enjoying themselves and the atmosphere is just fantastic. Lastly, the venues offered abroad are spectacular and we couldn’t have dreamed of a better setting for our wedding day.
I also do believe that getting married abroad is more cost effective than getting married in the UK.
What advice would you give to future brides and grooms who are getting married abroad?
Use a wedding planner! You would think that organising a wedding in another country would be stressful and time consuming but having a wedding planner takes the stress element away and allows you to share all of your ideas for them to bring it to life! The wedding planner was also with us on the day as well as six members of her team, having two separate venues I was concerned that something may go wrong but they had every element figured out which meant we could all relax and enjoy it. I want to say a HUGE thank you to our wedding planners, it was the best day of our lives.
We hope you enjoy reading about Lauren and Mike’s Enchanting Palace wedding in Dubrovnik, here are some of the suppliers involved in the day.
Venue Sponza Palace & Hotel Croatia Cavtat | Brides Shoes – LK Bennett
Budget Key | £ – 10k and under | ££ – between 10k and 20k | £££ – over 20k.
