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In the world of weddings and events, we’ve seen it all. And by “all,” I mean we’ve seen the colors and extravagance of “loud” luxury where every inch of the space screams “WOW”—and then there’s the serene, minimalistic trend of “quiet” luxury, which basically whispers, “I’m expensive, but I’m not going to make it too much.” It’s safe to say that luxury, in all its forms, is what we know best.

Dubrovnik has thrown us a luxury curveball. We call it Calm Luxury. Don’t be fooled by the name—this isn’t some dull middle-ground between “loud” and “quiet” Oh no, calm luxury is the new “it” trend, and trust us, it’s probably the most exciting thing happening in the world of high-end weddings and events right now.

Dubrovnik: Where Venues Don’t Need to Scream, They Just Exist (Elegantly)

Let’s take on our city and our plethora of venues.

Dubrovnik’s venues are so inherently grand, they don’t need a single touch-up. The city itself is practically begging you to embrace its natural splendor. It’s what we like to call “potential” in event business, meaning; let your imagination go wild! Basically, these venues are so gorgeous, even if you did nothing but show up with your groom (or bride) and a half-decent bottle of champagne, it would still scream luxury.

Calm luxury here means taking that grand, awe-inspiring backdrop and shaping it into your own personal style. It’s more than just plonking down flower arrangements and calling it a wedding. We’re talking about creating an event where Every. Single. Detail. is a reflection of you—right down to the subtitle napkin quote.

Photo: Alyssa Mcelheny

Wedding, 2024 – Dubrovnik Event

Big White Wedding Fatigue? 

Remember, “Big White Wedding” trend is still a craze. The main point is that everyone wants to escape it to be different.

Dubrovnik’s calm luxury, on the other hand, manages to be extravagant and elegant without ever feeling like it’s trying too hard. It’s the perfect middle ground. Imagine a venue like Višnjica, where every corner feels naturally luxurious, and the whole place seems like it’s always looked that stunning—except, spoiler alert: you don’t see the meticulous work behind it to achieve that effortless look.

Photo: PhotoAdria

Višnjica, 2023 – Dubrovnik Event

Nature’s Luxury: Dubrovnik’s Secret Weapon

A huge part of Dubrovnik’s calm luxury appeal is in the nature surrounding it.

Let me break this down. While other destinations rely on pristine, manicured gardens or sterile, ultra-modern venues, Dubrovnik gives you natural extravagance. These venues are already stunning on their own, set against backdrops of ancient walls, the sparkling Adriatic, and those sunsets that make you want to drop your phone because no picture could ever do them justice.

But don’t get it twisted—this isn’t just another form of “quiet” luxury. Oh no. Quiet luxury has this tendency to feel, well, bland—as if it’s trying so hard to be effortlessly chic. Dubrovnik’s venues, by contrast, are effortlessly grand. They’re extravagant, yes, but in that old-money way that whispers “I belong here” instead of “I’m trying to be something I’m not.” It’s not about being brand-new and shiny; it’s about leaning into the authenticity of the place while making it entirely your own.

“What and Where!” – you might ask.

Dubrovnik’s status as a luxury wedding destination is defined by its most exclusive and cherished locations. Among these is MOMAD, also known as the Art Gallery in Dubrovnik. This stunning venue, with its exposed brick exteriors and breathtaking views, offers a versatile canvas where couples can bring their dream wedding to life, using the best of what we have to offer.

Photo: Tomislav Kriste

MOMAD, 2023 – Dubrovnik Event

For the ultimate in exclusivity, Lovrijenac Fortress stands in a league of its own. Its dramatic stone architecture makes it one of the most unique venues in Croatia. The grandeur of this ancient fortress allows for an unforgettable celebration, giving couples the freedom to fully express their vision in a setting steeped in history and majesty.

Photo: Vlasta Weddings

Lovrijenac, 2023 – Dubrovnik Event

For 2025, we predict that the calm luxury trend of our city will grow exponentially and we are so looking forward to creating new and exciting wedding dreams come true.

The Ultimate Personalization Playground

Whether you’re hosting a wedding where the theme is timeless elegance or an event where you want to highlight the incredible natural setting (while sneaking in just enough sparkle to remind everyone this is a luxury affair), Dubrovnik has you covered. It’s a place where the setting is so exceptional, it practically does the work for you, and yet there’s endless room for creative freedom.

Think of it this way: Dubrovnik’s calm luxury is like getting the best of both worlds. You get all the grandeur, all the personalization, without the overwhelming pressure to conform to someone else’s idea of “luxury.” It’s not loud. It’s not quiet. It’s just…right.

So, next time someone asks you about the latest trend in luxury weddings and events, smile knowingly and tell them, “It’s calm luxury, darling. And Dubrovnik has it mastered.”

Introduction

Weddings come in all shapes and sizes, but one trend that’s been gaining traction is the micro wedding—an intimate, scaled-down version of the traditional big wedding. The ongoing trend of small weddings and elopements really gained a new popular best friend – Micro.

This is just you and Dubrovnik.

We understand why someone would choose to come alone and enjoy this breathtaking city and have the best memory ever – eternal love. To help showcase the beauty of this trend we have decided to share one of our lovely clients’ experiences with you.

Today, we’re thrilled to sit down with Devin, who recently had a micro wedding with her husband, John in Dubrovnik, to dive into the details of their unique experience.

This blog is designed to be interactive —I’ll ask Devin specific questions about their journey, and you, our dear reader, can think about how you’d answer them if you’re planning your own micro wedding. Let’s jump in!

The Start

Photo: Fabijan Drnas

What Initially Drew You to the Idea of a Micro Wedding?

We were initially drawn to a micro wedding due to the financial gain of not spending $50-100K in the US to have a wedding and the positive of being able to immediately go on our honeymoon and create such a combined, special experience for just the two of us! I loved the idea of the micro wedding because we took most of a year to tell everyone what we were doing, get them used to or excited for the idea and were still made to feel like a bride and groom the entire experience! I feel like an elopement typically has a hidden component to it. There were components that I felt were necessary for me to feel like we had a wedding which you all were able to assist me with coordinating and creating. Including florals, live music, hair and makeup, photography and videography etc.

Devin, there is an idea of what a wedding is and ‘needs’ to be in our society, it differs in cultures and religions and sometimes even in family opinions. What is a ‘wedding’ to you and what are some of the biggest decisions that you made to make it YOUR wedding.

A ‘wedding’ to me is the opportunity to create beautiful moments, isolating that you have chosen to spend your life with someone and being able to capture that special time. I think the concept of choosing to spend your life with someone is often forgotten with a wedding and the wedding becomes more about what a family wants and needs for the day rather than what you as a couple want. We strongly refused to allow that to happen for our wedding. Some of the big decisions we made were the dress, the veil and the tuxedo. Customizing our own wedding bands and choosing a location that encapsulated European architecture, the beach without sand and gorgeous photo opportunities.

Photo: Fabijan Drnas

I loved your wedding dress and your overall style on your wedding day! It really showed how much time you invested in the wedding to be a special moment for you without having to sacrifice anything or any part of you. Was this really important to you? To find the right dress, shoes and makeup stylist to help bring this idea to life on the wedding day?

Thank you!! Yes, the dress was pivotal to me for our wedding. I think every girl dreams of their wedding dress and just feeling gorgeous on that day so I was sure to make sure I loved it. I bought the dress in November 2023, it arrived in July 2024 from Australia and was handmade. Had it altered and carried it by hand to Dubrovnik from Texas. The drama of the dress was perfect for the stunning setting of Dubrovnik, in my opinion. Shoes wise I went for comfort because of the cobblestone and lots of walking. Makeup styling, I really wanted to lean into warm colors as that’s what matches my skin tone best. I brought some Pinterest inspiration to the team in Dubrovnik (Salon Up – Barbara) and she absolutely crushed it.

Photo: Fabijan Drnas

How did you and John choose Dubrovnik as your wedding destination? How did it differ from what you would have picked for a larger wedding?

We chose Dubrovnik due to the stunning architecture, the access to seafood and the beach with no sand but crystal clear water. The combination we knew would make for stunning photos and videos. Dubrovnik is so beautiful and really Google/online photos don’t even do it justice. It is just a place you have to see in real life and is so magical for a wedding. Since it was just us two, it was so much easier to plan the travel and coming so far from Texas. If we had done a bigger wedding, we would’ve done a destination wedding with a closer destination to Texas to ensure parents and friends could spend less $ on travel and it would be more convenient travel (less time). A prime example of a wedding being about guests/others and not the couple :).

With a smaller wedding, you can potentially save in some areas and splurge in others. How did you and John decide where and how to allocate your budget?

We 100% saved with the decision we made to have the micro wedding and honeymoon combined. I know for a fact we spent 1/4th of what we would’ve originally spent to have a wedding and we got the trip of a lifetime out of it simultaneously. It was a no brainer for us! We chose areas that were important to us to splurge. Our outfits, our custom rings, florals and photography/videography were most important to us and we spent the most money on those things. My dress cost more than both of our round trip flights to Dubrovnik. In total for the wedding and the 12 day trip of a lifetime with stays, excursions, eating, in-home care for our dogs, literally every single expense- we spent $20K and are very happy with that.

Photo: Fabijan Drnas

Now, having done your beautiful ceremony at the Viewpoint with just the two of you, would you change anything about it? Tell us about the moment that was ‘perfect’ in the ceremony for you.

I honestly wouldn’t change anything about the day, except something that is unchangeable, which was the weather the day before our ceremony. The intimacy of our ceremony left us time to focus on just us, which was really special and so rare with a wedding typically. We had zero distractions, frustrations, quarrels, drama- just a wonderful day. My perfect moment was when my chosen song started playing via violin and cello, I saw our beautiful venue and my perfect floral arrangement waiting for me and I was walking down the aisle. I immediately started sobbing!

We had record rain on Monday for Dubrovnik in September and our ceremony was Tuesday. We couldn’t get to Old Town on Tuesday due to the flooding and extreme traffic issues so we had to do the photo shoot Wednesday morning. Ora’s on the spot pivot in plan and getting everyone on board was the reason it was so successful and turned out just fine! I would recommend dealing with more heat and doing April-August for the wedding, if I were to do it again!

From Dubrovnik With Love

Since you had a longer vacation in Dubrovnik, let us know what was your favorite part? We spoke about having a ‘local’ experience, and I shared my Dubrovnik with you, now share yours with us!

My favorite parts were the setting, the Dubrovnik Event Team and your vendors and the excursions we chose to go on and experience. We really had such a wonderful time all around, it’s hard to give one favorite. The setting component- seeing Old Town was, of course, really cool but we also really loved the Konavle area. We got to go horseback riding there with Kojal and the team. Our vendors- Ora, you were a highlight of the trip and created the memories of a lifetime for us. Truly forever grateful. We also loved Fabijan and Ivana- our husband and wife photography and videography team. They were effortlessly our friends from the moment we met them. They were able to coach us properly to get such natural but beautiful photos. We’ve seen 11 in a sneak peak and are already so happy with them. All our friends and family are saying they are magazine worthy! Excursions outside of horseback riding, we zip lined over Old Town with Panoramic Zip line and loved it! We also went to Lokrum island which was really cool for the day. So much to do and see in Dubrovnik!

What Advice Would You Give to Other Couples?

Finally, Devin, what’s the one piece of advice you’d give to someone considering a micro wedding in Dubrovnik?

Trust the Dubrovnik Event Team and their vendors! Do not try and do a micro or macro wedding on your own, if you’re not natively Croatian. They were pivotal to the success and happiness we have around our wedding. Oh and carry your dress, ladies! If you are traveling, do not risk checking it and losing it!

What Was the Most Surprising Thing About Having a Micro Wedding?

For Devin: “Was there something about the day or the planning process that caught you completely off guard?”

How completely comfortable I was just going with the flow. I completely remember the day with pure joy. I was surprised at how not super stressed I was because I knew I had the perfect team to rely on for any issues! Our only issue was the weather and we had an immediate solution all thanks to Ora.

Photo: Fabijan Drnas

Devin and John’s micro wedding is a perfect example of how you can create a truly meaningful and intimate celebration in our Dubrovnik! Devin, thank you for being a part of this amazing story, have a lifetime of love and laughter!

What do you think dear reader?

XO
DE

Hello, darlings! Ready to dive into the sun-kissed, crystal-clear waters of beach wedding planning in Dubrovnik? Well, buckle up, because today, we’re navigating the glamorous seas of love to uncover the hidden gems of beach venues in this historic paradise. You might think Dubrovnik is all about those iconic city walls and charming cobblestone streets, but guess what? We’ve got some stunning seaside spots that are perfect for your dream wedding in Dubrovnik. Let’s set sail!

The Unexpected Beach Bliss of Dubrovnik

First things first, Dubrovnik might not scream “beach wedding destination” like, say, the Maldives or Hawaii, but let me spill the tea—the problem that Dubrovnik faces is that no beach may be privatized! You can hire your beautiful beach wedding while knowing that it is not entirely privatized in the area where people would like to swim. Although this may pose a setback for some, there are ways and locations that offer privatizations of the specific  parts of the beach, listed below.  This Adriatic gem offers a surprising array of gorgeous seaside venues that will make your heart skip a beat faster than you can say “I do.” Whether you’re dreaming of a grand celebration or an intimate ceremony, Dubrovnik’s coastline has got you covered.

Copacabana Beach: Where Fun Meets Romance

Let’s start with Copacabana Beach. No, not the one in Rio, but our very own slice of paradise right here in Dubrovnik. This lively spot offers a unique blend of fun and romance. This beach venue is available for both ceremony and reception part of your wedding!  Imagine saying your vows with the gentle waves as your soundtrack, and the sun setting in a blaze of colors. After the ceremony, keep the celebration going with a beach reception party that’ll have your guests talking for years. 

‘The Reception’ Photo credit: shevtsovy photo

‘The Ceremony’ Photo credit: shevtsovy photo

Vala Beach at Hotel Palace: Luxury and Tranquility

For those of you who crave a touch of luxury, Vala Beach at Hotel Palace is the venue of your dreams. Nestled within the lush cliffside of this upscale hotel, Vala Beach is a serene oasis offering spectacular views of the Elaphiti Islands. It’s the perfect spot for a sophisticated and intimate wedding reception. Enjoy a lavish reception under the stars, with impeccable service and gourmet cuisine that will leave your guests in awe.

Photo credit: Mihoci Studio

Island Escapes: Villa Rose and Lafodia Hotel

But wait, there’s more! Just a short boat ride away from Dubrovnik are some exquisite island venues that are simply to die for.

First, let’s talk about Villa Rose on Koločep Island. This stunning villa offers a secluded paradise with lush gardens, elegant terraces, and breathtaking sea views. It’s the epitome of a fairy-tale wedding, where you can exchange vows in a picturesque setting that feels like it’s straight out of a movie.

And then there’s Lafodia Hotel on Lopud Island. This luxurious retreat combines modern elegance with natural beauty. With its beach and panoramic views of the Adriatic, Lafodia is a haven for couples looking to tie the knot in a tranquil and intimate environment. And guess what? In our next issue, we’ll dive deep into why Lafodia is the perfect island retreat for your destination wedding. So stay tuned!

Your Dubrovnik Wedding Awaits

Whether you’re a fan of vibrant beach parties, historic elegance, or secluded island bliss, Dubrovnik has a beach venue that will make your wedding day truly unforgettable. As your trusted Dubrovnik wedding planner, Dubrovnik Event is here to make sure your special day is as magical as the city itself. So, ready to embark on this romantic journey? Let’s make waves together!

Stay fabulous, and see you at the beach!

XOXO,

Dubrovnik Event

To the readers who look up at the starry sky and everything is more beautiful.

To the dreams, creativity, elegance & practicality; Design.

In the glitzy realm of weddings, design isn’t just about pretty decorations; it’s the soul of the soirée. As wedding planners, we are tasked with taking your vision and turning it into design. Simply we need to connect the venue to you, crafting an event that screams, “This is so your wedding!”

Isn’t there a nicer comment someone can tell you! The location is something everybody will remember, especially if it is a vintage stone house elegantly ‘designed’ to fit you.

Welcome, darling readers, to the world of wedding design! Picture this: a grand entrance adorned with cascading florals, guests gasping in awe at the exquisite table settings, and a bride who looks straight out of a fairy tale. What’s the secret ingredient that ties this all together? You guessed it – design.

Let’s dive into the juicy details, shall we?

First off, why does design even matter? Well, picture attending a soirée where the decor resembles a sad high school prom from the ’80s – yikes, right? Design sets the tone. It’s the difference between “Wow, this is fabulous!” and “Did someone forget to hire a decorator?” That is where we advise you best! We love our venues, these venues have deep history and the importance of design is to make your vision in them.

Looking at design suggestions and inspiration, draw from what you like to do in your everyday life. If you like olive oil and olive colors, let’s combine those. We will make personalized olive oil guest favors and table design and stationary in your favorite colors.

When thinking about design we can divide it into few categories, first is the décor which takes the largest portion of design and which we have a lot of trusted vendors we help guide through your vision. Things like Stationary & Signs are our expertise and we pride ourselves with personalizing all aspects of your wedding and personalizing décor is just one.

Design is in the food, drinks, music, entreatment even light decoration. If you want to have a minimalist wedding with a “WoW” effect, wait until the sunset. Once the last sun rays hit the venue your guest will start anticipating. And, WoW! All of a sudden a spectacle begins! All that bring together the whole event.

If you want to design your dreams, and do stare at the starry sky we can help bring those stars for you.

Catch us next week, where we are going to discuss design further, we will dive into the world of Extras! Hmm, interesting… well, see you next time dear reader.