Her surprise Dubrovnik Wedding & a Unique Honeymoon idea- Sail around the Adriatic

I remember when I was planning my wedding, that took place up in northern Croatia, my hometown, which was in a way a destination wedding for us, being 800km away and planning everything via phone (they are not too friendly with email communication just yet over there : )), being a wedding away from where we lived, I completely forgot about booking our honeymoon. Oh how I wish we had my dear colleague Mary Anne there to help us arrange the most romantic honeymoon of them all, and at a reach of your hand just after your Dubrovnik wedding...

I would face this then such a difficult question asked by our clients so many times- Where do I recommend them to go for their honeymoon, before it dawned on me, with a great help of a dear colleague today- Mary Anne Pulizzi who has shown to be my partner in crime for creating some pretty amazing weddings whose couples then went to the most amazing honeymoon of all times- sailing around the Adriatic....

Just think about it- crystal clear blue seas, sunsets and sunrises, every second of it, just yours to enjoy. Freshly caught fish by yourselves even; or a differently located restaurant every day on one of beautiful Croatia islands.... The choice is all yours, to enjoy and indulge in what you are most certainly entitled to, after your beautiful Dubrovnik wedding.....

So, you know how I always like to share a little wedding story with you in my blog posts, so I will do the same, from a bridal perspective again, this time you are in for a very special treat indeed- an amazingly emotional story of Her Surprise Wedding, by Kisha Coleman..... (when my husband read this story, he said Kamau should get the movie rights on this : )))) Kamau, we hope there are more men like you are out there! Kisha, you lucky woman! : )))
ENJOY!!!

Surprise Italian Vacation!

My boyfriend, Kamau and I were on our way to the airport for a week-long vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico that Kamau had planned.  As we stood in the passenger check-in line, the ticketing attendant asked, “are you flying to London this evening?”   It didn’t register in my mind that she had said “London” for a couple minutes, since as far as I knew we were going to Cabo.  I turned to Kamau and said, “did she say London?  I thought you had booked a direct flight!” Kamau smiled a strange smile and said, “Yes, we’re going to London tonight, because our vacation is in Italy, not Cabo!”  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing; I was completely shocked and surprised because this was going to be my first trip to Italy and to Europe!

Once Kamau and I got in out seats, I had a million questions like, “How were you able to keep this a secret?? How did you plan this? Where are we going in Italy? Are we staying longer than a week?”  Kamau was amused by my excitement and told me that we were going to Rome, Florence and Venice for the 1 week vacation…3 days in Rome, 3 days in Florence, and 2 days in Venice.   I had just enough time to text friends and family that we were going to Italy and off we were off!!!

The Proposal

During the first two days in Rome, I had talked to my sister and girlfriends back home and hoped that maybe Kamau would finally propose on this Italian trip, but since this was day 5 and we were headed back home in just two days, all hopes that Kamau might propose had long since been extinguished. 

After finishing a delicious Tuscan dinner in the hills overlooking Florence, we were on our way back to our hotel when we crossed a bridge.  Kamau stopped half way accross and pointed out the next bridge over from us, the famous Ponte Vecchio.  Kamau “popped the question” and asked me to marry him and said he had brought me to Florence so that we could buy our rings from the shops on Ponte Vecchio.  I didn’t believe him first and thought that he was playing a joke, but he finally convinced me that he was serious and I accepted in a daze.  He told me that we weren’t leaving Europe yet, because we were getting married in just 10 days in Croatia.  Later, he explained that the whole wedding had been planned with the help of two ladies; one in Italy (Mary Ann - our travel consultant) and one in Croatia (Ines - our wedding planner), and that it would be just the two of us.  I was in shock for the second time on this trip; completely blown away that Kamau had planned a surprise vacation, and a surprise wedding!!!

How was all this possible?  As I began to ask him about everything, I discovered that Kamau had picked out my wedding dress, had it shipped to Italy and with the help of Mary Ann, had arranged for it to be waiting for me in our hotel room.  Later, I found out that Mary Ann had arranged all of our travel, had advised Kamau on the purchase of the rings from Ponte Vecchio; and had planned our honeymoon!

Mary Ann had also connected Kamau with Ines to plan the wedding and to take care of the logistics of paper work, hair, nails, makeup, flowers and everything else.  And it was all done without my knowledge Amazing!!

Next, we went to Venice and from there we took a high-speed ferry to Croatia and spent the next 10 days traveling from the coast city of Rovinj, to a small spa in Bartonigla, then to Zagreb (to get our marriage permits) and finally to Dubrovnik, where we would be married.

After we were engaged, each hotel knew that we were getting ready to marry and they all had champagne and chocolate waiting for us in our rooms.  So romantic!!   

Radisson Blu Resort and Spa Hotel, Orasac, Dubrovnik, Croatia, accommodation hotel of Kisha and Kamau during their stay in Dubrovnik.

The Wedding

Two days before the wedding we arrived in Dubrovnik, Croatia.  Shortly after we arrived to our apartment, my hair stylist came over to give me a trial hair run, my make-up artist came over to give me my trial make-up run, and the tailor came over to do my final dressing fitting and adjustments.  I felt like a princesses!! I didn’t have to lift a finger.  

Kamau had already picked my flowers… Calla lilies with lavender…. Exactly the flowers I would have picked.  There wasn’t anything for me to do, but relax.

On the warm summer day of June 24^th 2011, we were married on beautiful pier in the old walled part of the city of Dubrovnik.  We had a perfect and intimate wedding, just Kamau and I, the ministers and our two witnesses (and now new friends), Mary Anne and Ines.   

The Honeymoon

For our honeymoon, Kamau and Mary Ann had chartered a 55 foot yacht and we went sailing through the Dalmatian Coast for the next 5 days.  The yacht was gorgeous and the Adriatic Sea was beautiful.  Our honeymoon was incredible and relaxing, and each day we planned our excursions with our skipper Goran.  

We would have breakfast and lunch on the yacht, and we explored the coast and towns as we headed up to Split.  Goran taught me to sail and taught us more about Croatia, the coast and the sea.  Each night, dinner was on a new island where we chose to anchor for the night.  The best part?  I had two men waiting on my every beck and call; and I kept thinking that the whole thing was a dream.

Our wedding and honeymoon truly was a fairy tale come true.  With the help and expertise of Mary Anne and Ines, Kamau and I had the most amazing wedding, honeymoon and vacation.

We thank them sincerely and want them to know that they will always be a part of our life together.

Kamau & Kisha Coleman  - Married 6/24/2011

** **

You must admit this was quite a special story right? And that Kamau is setting new standards for men worldwide - don't read this to your fiance unless you want him to do something similar : )

Next week we are bringing to you a whole new concept, in line with the sail boat ideas and romantic gullets we spoke about today- weddings in Dubrovnik on a boat, a yacht or an old timer gullet.... Stay tuned!

for your special wedding story ideas, please contact us at info@dubrovnikevent.com and for more info on us visit www.dubrovnikevent.com 

HAPPY PLANNING!!!!

****Photography ownership of Dubrovnik Event, all rights reserved and couple's private album.