Newlywed Laura popped down from cloud nine in the wake of her dreamy big day in Croatia to share her top tips for planning a wedding abroad
Laura Gibbons and Alexander Deas, now Mr and Mrs Deas
Croatia wedding 3rd May 2024; Scotland party 25th May 2024
Croatia venues | Ceremony at Sponza Palace; reception at the Lounge Terrace at Royal Hotels Dubrovnik
Photography | Tara Pusic Weddings
Laura and Alexander’s toddler son, Alexander Jnr, had already melted hearts as he walked down the aisle at Dubrovnik’s Sponsa Palace in a cute little tuxedo and sunglasses. Then he had everyone in stitches when, totally unprompted, he shouted, “Yay!” as his mum and dad were declared married.
“He stole the show,” laughs Laura. The little boy’s elation was not out of place – after all, his parents had had to wait quite a while before they could officially tie the knot. The couple, who’d met in 2011, got engaged on New Year’s Day 2020 and started planning as January got under way, with an overseas wedding on the cards from the outset.
“The weather was our main reason for thinking about marrying abroad, but we also loved the idea of having the chance to spend time with everyone on holiday,” Lanarkshire-based Laura tells us. “We’d visited Dubrovnik the year before and figured the Old Town was the perfect setting.”
“It has all the history, character, art and architecture we love, and it’s right next to the sea.”
After securing the services of wedding planner Katarina at Dukata Weddings & Events, they set a date of September 2022 and booked their venues, the impressive Sponsa Palace for the ceremony and the smart Lounge Terrace at Royal Hotels Dubrovnik for the meal and reception.
However, a global pandemic, followed by the birth of their son in July 2022, turned their plans upside down, and they didn’t reschedule until almost 18 months later.
“Thankfully, Katarina was meticulous, creative and brilliant in all our communications with her,” says the bride. “Having someone like her ‘on the ground’ is crucial if you’re thinking of getting married abroad.”
Croatia permits foreigners to have a legal marriage ceremony in the country. It is usually officiated in the Croatian language, with a court translator present.
There’s a mountain of paperwork too: you have to apply for certificates of no impediment three months ahead of time and have all your documents ‘apostilled’ (i.e. legally certified).
“It was an expensive process,” Laura recalls. “We also had be in Croatia at least three days ahead of the wedding in order to file the required documentation (including birth certificates and ID). Thankfully, our planner and court translator kept us right.
“I’d urge others wishing to marry overseas to allow plenty of time to investigate the legal and visa requirements, and to check how many days in advance of the wedding you need to be in the country.”
Laura works for the Scottish Wedding Show, so knows the industry well, but she feels she gained even more knowledge from her own experience.
“Ask your guests to make sure their passports are valid well ahead of the wedding. We included a prompt on our invites (along with a cute poem asking our 41 guests to stick to a dress code of tuxedos or neutrals to complement our colour palette).
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“Check your destination’s weather for the time of year and, importantly, the hours of daylight – especially if you’d like to dine outdoors. Our reception setting had an incredible sunset vista, so we planned the running order of the day to dine outside as the sun went down,” she adds.
“Find out if your airline has restrictions in place for hand luggage."
"I bought a special fabric-lined box to protect my dress on the journey. Keep anything valuable or irreplaceable – especially paperwork – in your hand luggage. Don’t risk things getting lost en route,” she suggests.
Flights between Scotland and Dubrovnik only operate in summer, so Laura and Alexander couldn’t get out to recce their venues or meet their planner before the big day, but they were confident in the work of the suppliers that Katarina had helped them select and felt she was completely on the same page in terms of their vision.
“Croatia’s wedding suppliers are trend leaders. I spent a lot of time researching them on social media before booking and felt they suited the style of our day,” says Laura.
“Our aesthetic was romantic minimalism with some historical influences."
Laura drew ideas from Aussie wedding portal The Lane; her favourite film, Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet; and Mary Queen of Scots: “We incorporated her emblem, the Luckenbooth, in our stationery."
"I loved the idea of a contrast between clean, modern floristry and the beauty of the ancient stone of the Old Town. Katarina helped us achieve an aesthetic that featured texture, draping, fabric and lots of candlelight.
"We had lots of reflexed white roses. Our dinner set-up was quite unusual: everyone was at one long, wave-shaped table. We also had to have anchors installed in the ceiling of the ceremony venue to bring together our vision for draped fabrics.
Laura wore a Jane Hill gown from Pretty Woman Edinburgh, customised by Catriona Garforth. “In the evening, I removed my veil and sleeves, put my hair up and layered on some Vivienne Westwood ‘broken’ pearls to create a second look,” says Laura. Alexander had a made-to-order suit from Slater Menswear, and the eight bridesmaids wore neutral-toned dresses from Pretty Lavish Bridal.
As for the wedding itself, it was everything they had dreamt it would be, and more. “Alexander and I had written personal vows to each other, so the ceremony was heartfelt and sincere. One of our guests, Rebecca, sang for us accompanied by violin and cello as we walked down the aisle and while we signed the register. That was so special.
“Our siblings also surprised us with an upgrade to the honeymoon suite in our hotel, which was so kind.”
The newlyweds were supposed to travel home on the Wednesday after the wedding but ended up intentionally missing their flight and staying longer with their son. “It was the perfect minimoon,” laughs Laura.
Later that month, rather than deal with any post-wedding blues, the new Mr and Mrs Deas booked a function room at a local hotel, the Tudor Hotel in Airdrie, donned their wedding finery again and threw a party. “We laid on a buffet and about 200 people came,” says Laura.
“Our band, The Phat Cats, were outstanding. They helped make the evening almost as memorable as our Dubrovnik trip.”
Top tip: “Invest in good wedding and travel insurance, and use the WISE international money transfer app to make payments abroad, as it allows you to track payments in both currencies,” suggests Laura. “Pack several clothes steamers and take up your suppliers’ offers to provide as much decor as possible to save you having to bring it with you.”
Laura and Alexander's highlight reel created by Amas Films
Croatia suppliers
Ceremony venue Sponza Palace, Dubrovnik
Reception venue and food The Lounge Terrace at Royal Hotels Dubrovnik
Accommodation President Valamar Collection Hotel, Dubrovnik
Wedding planner and venue decor Katarina, Dukata Weddings & Events
Photography Tara Pusic Weddings
Filmmaker Amas Films
Officiant Local registrar and court translator
Wedding dress and veil Huntleigh by Jane Hill from Pretty Woman Edinburgh
Alterations and customisations Catriona Garforth
Shoes and accessories Jimmy Choo shoes, Vivienne Westwood jewellery and Zara bag and sunglasses
Bride’s robe Nola Grey
Bridesmaid dresses Pretty Lavish Bridal
Hair Kerry at Icon Hair and Beauty, Airdrie
Bride’s makeup Kate Ramic
Bridesmaids’ makeup Maris Makeup
Nails Debbie at Icon Hair and Beauty
Groomswear Suit from Slater Menswear made to order, Tom Ford bow tie and shirt and pocket square from Charles Tyrwhitt
Page boy outfit Next
Mother of the bride’s outfit Dress from Carolyn Baxter; hat by Stephanie Gallen Millinery
Mother of the groom’s outfit Hat by Ella Bulloch Hats; bespoke dress
Engagement ring Tiffany & Co
Wedding rings Cartier and Chisholm Hunter
Cake Rego Slastice
Flowers Flower Design PatRea
Stationery 2Flux Stationery Studio
Favours Sparklers with personalised tags
Ceremony music Best man’s partner Rebecca, accompanied by violin and cello
Drinks reception music El Samba Duo
Reception music DJ Miro
Start the search for your own wedding suppliers here
Scottish wedding party suppliers
Venue and buffet Tudor Hotel, Airdrie
Photography Megan Brown Photography
Bride and groom’s outfits Same as Croatia
Venue decor Thistle Flower Weddings by Yvonne MacDonald
Cake Kaur Bakers
Band The Phat Cats
