Real Life Weddings in Dubrovnik- an enchantingly romantic story of Kellie & David

7 years ago Kellie and David met on a street corner after a night out, very spontaneously and he walked her home. The rest is history....

I have to be honest and tell you that this is one of those couple that when you see together you feel like they truly are each other's other half they were so lucky to find in this world. He makes her genuinely laugh, and he is not a loud person so this tells something. And she makes him strive for the adventures in life, their honeymoon took quite a long time, much longer than the average (we wont be telling how long exactly :)) though they'll say it could never last long enough and they went to Bali, Singapore, Hong Kong and Bintan. Fantastic choices, fullfiling, energetic and interesting, warm and adventurous, just like the two of them....

I met them last year, about 1 year before the big day and I have to admit that I, in  a way, fell in love with both of them. Their simplicity, warmth of the heart and sincere personalities completely amazed me. One simply doesn't meet a lot of people like the two of them today....
Often I get disappointed by couples and Brides of whom I had a grat feeling at start sometime during the wedding planning process. After all, we are all people. But with Kellie and David- not in a second. Planning, organizing and coordinating their wedding truly was a genuine pleasure and an honor.

It is with great pride I present you their story, told by the two of them. Enjoy! I truly did, it broughts loads of great wedding memories even for me (you dont hear this a lot from a wedding planner, trust me! :))

OUR DUBROVNIK WEDDING STORY: Kellie & David, married July 12th 2011

St Blaise church, Boat cruise with cocktail aboard, dinner and party at Villa Ruza on island of Kolocep

David and I had our hearts set on a wedding in Dubrovnik – we had visited before and fell in love with its beauty, and its sunshine! However we were nervous about the process of organising the wedding abroad and we contacted a number of planners to see what packages they offered.  As soon as we heard from Ines, we knew we had found the one.  From the beginning her emails were professional and prompt, but also so warm and with a real passion for weddings that came across in every line. We emailed daily (and still do after the event!) and every mail no matter how trivial was responded too quickly, and always with love and humour. Knowing that Ines and her husband Marin were looking after us gave us so much confidence in how the day would run.

We flew to Dubrovnik the year before our wedding to meet with Ines and all our earlier impressions were confirmed. As well as a truly outstanding wedding planner, who paid meticulous attention to every detail, in Ines and Marin we also found life long friends.  She had a real understanding about my vision for the big day, and we exchanged lots of ideas, pictures and stories from our own lives. Nothing was too much trouble, and the planning process was a real joy.

When we finally arrived in Dubrovnik in preparation for the big day, we met with Ines and Marin to go over the practicalities.  It remains one of my favourite memories of the week as we sat in the sunshine and set the wedding and the world to rights over a nice cold drink! We were so relaxed and confident about the day itself because we knew that Ines and Marin were in charge of every detail.

From start to finish the wedding day was the best day of our lives.  The hair and make up artists were amazing, and getting ready with my two best friends was so much fun.  My two nieces were gorgeous in their flowergirl dresses, and standing on the balcony looking out at the old town before we left for the church is a memory that will stay with me for a lifetime.  The flowers were so beautiful, real vintage blooms that matched my vintage shabby chic theme. When I finally walked through the gates of the old town I felt like a princess! Nothing prepares you for the warmth of the Croatian people, who clapped me on my way too, and from, the church.  It really made the whole day feel so special, and I as I walked towards the church arm in arm with my big brother it felt absolutely wonderful!

St Blaise was decorated beautifully, and was the perfect size for our small intimate wedding.  The musicians were spectacular, and to this day when I hear ‘Song for Sienna’ I am transported back to that moment of standing at the church door, waiting to walk up the aisle.  We had met Father Frano the day before and he was so kind, it really felt that we were being married by a friend, not a stranger.  The ceremony was lovely and I felt so emotional seeing all our friends fill the church and reading for us. 

Our guests then had an after ceremony drink overlooking the old port whilst we had our wedding photo shoot! We dreaded this part but our photographer Veronica was amazing and put us so at our ease! The album is stunning, so many people have complimented us on it since then.  Afterwards our  guests were delighted with our surprise boat trip – we had worked hard to reveal no details of the reception, and their faces when we sailed to Kolocep and arrived at the stunning Villa Ruza will remain with me for a lifetime.  

Ines was waiting for us on the docks, and it was like seeing one of your best friends :) I had brought some decorations with me from Ireland, but the credit goes to Ines who decorated the venue beautifully!  The food and setting were amazing, and the wine was flowing! The Villa is easily the most beautiful reception venue I have ever seen, and the food was absolutely spectacular. Hearing the speeches as the sun set over the water was something that will stay with me for an absolute lifetime.   All of our guests said it was the best wedding they had ever been to, and many of whom are already planning their own trips back to Dubrovnik in the future. Every single detail had been thought of, and it was all so much more romantic and perfect than we could have ever dreamed of.

The wedding was truly the happiest day of our lives, and I know the friendship we found with Ines and Marin will last a lifetime. We can never thank them enough for their love and support, and everything they did to make all our dreams come true.

By Kellie & David McAleese, happily married in Dubrovnik, July 12th 2011



****Photography by Veronica Arevalo, photographs under author rights and owned by Client and Dubrovnik Event. Any unauthorized use of them is strictly prohibited.