Today’s destination wedding in Hvar, Croatia is an absolute beaut! It’s been a while since I found it difficult to edit a wedding and I seriously thought about splitting this one into two separate posts but decided instead that an extra long feature would be a really nice treat this morning. Not quite a secret but not really an obvious choice for a destination wedding either, Croatia has so much to offer those looking for heaps of culture, old world romance and breathtaking coastal views. One of over 1000 islands in Croatia, Hvar is simply idyllic and even though it’s barely 70km long, away from its blue waters you’ll find everything from lavender fields to olive groves and vineyards. Croatia has soared to the top of my destination wedding list and it’s all thanks to this awesome couple, Foret and Richie and their FAB destination wedding photographer, Sarah Falugo.  Foret and Richie flew over from Ireland and in the old Dominican monastery of St. Mark’s, with their family and friends by their side, they said “I do”. I love the light. I love the imagery. I love that Foret wore aviators on her wedding day. I love this wedding.

  

This handsome couple were engaged on the beach in Ireland so it’s not really a suprise they chose to be by the sea for their wedding day, but we wanted to know how they decided on Hvar;

“We never wanted a traditional wedding so going abroad opened up more opportunities for something really different, especially considering the weather we would be leaving behind. We were on holidays in Croatia when we came across Hvar and we both fell in love with the island straight away. We really didn’t have a theme or style in mind when we were planning, we just wanted to keep everything as laid back as possible and to create a relaxed holiday vibe.”

What was the biggest challenge you faced?

“We sent our invitations 6 months in advance so that our guests would get a chance to look up flights and accommodation. Despite being well organised, our biggest challenge ended up being airlines going under and flight routes being pulled last minute. It turned in to a big trek for all our guests but thankfully, most of our family and friends stayed for at least a week which made it very memorable wedding, especially for us. 

I was also worried about getting the wedding dress there but turns out all the airlines are really nice to deal with, it’s just their customer service calls are recoded so over the phone so they didn’t seem helpful but when we were face to face, there were no issues and I got the dress over with no problems.”

  

Despite what you might think, it’s hard not to fall for every couple you blog about, especially when you get to know a little about them.  It’s no different with Foret and Richie except that I want to high 5 Foret for  wearing shades. While I’m not one of those who goes around nightclubs with them on, I don’t leave the house without my aviators. For me, it has nothing to do with wanting to look cool and everything to do with the fact that I have a squint that I can’t control in the heat or the light!! I’m positive Foret isn’t wearing them for a medical reason but I’m so happy she looks incredibly cool and not naff in them as it has crossed my mind about what the heck I’d do on my wedding day. I’m definitely ok about wearing sunglasses when I need to now! Didn’t really mean to go there with the personal stuff but now you know!

How amazing does that sea look? It could be the Maldives!

Finally, what were the best decisions you made that other destination couples might find helpful?

“We used a planner to sort out the legalities for us as we didn’t know where to start. We also hired a mini bus for our guests. They really appreciated that. But by far, the best decision that we made was holding the ceremony late in the day. The midday sun would have been too hot to hold the ceremony!”

A big congratulations to Foret and Richie. What a beautiful wedding it was. A special thanks to Sarah Falugo. We are delighted she has made her long awaited Fly Away Bride debut and are certainly looking forward to the next time we can feature her work. Pop over to her blog for some more destination wedding magic.

Photography; Sarah Falugo | Ceremony Venue; St. Marcs | Reception Venue; Bonj Les Bains | Wedding Planner; Suncani Hvar | Wedding Planner; Croatian Moments | Florist; Hvar Rooms | Cake; Bonj Les Bains | Stationary; Invitations by Dawn | Wedding Dress; Pronovias | Bridesmaid Dresses; Faviana | Grooms Suit; Hugo Boss  | Shoes; Guess | Car Hire; Car Trawler

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