Everyone wishes for a dream wedding, and that implies a special location. Close your eyes and imagine the generous blue of the sea, the view of Brijuni, the peace of numerous olive groves, kažuna, dry stone walls and the remains of ancient oil mills, monasteries and villas, fragrant herbs, the highest bell tower in Istria, the largest number of churches and small churches and medieval white stone architecture. All these dream scenes are quite real, you will find them harmoniously located in the sunny south of Istria.
Back in 1895, they became an inspiration to the great composer Antonio Smareglia for the widely known opera "Nozze Istriana" which takes place in Vodnjan and reflects its heritage and culture. And while he combined love and tradition on the theater stage, the Tourist Board of the town of Vodnjan invites you to visit its official website look for a new one dedicated to weddings and find inspiration for your magical combination of the deepest feelings, past centuries and the future you are heading towards.
Experience Vodnjan as a desirable destination for a wedding through photos and a promotional film created in collaboration with the photographer Anuschkom (Ana Bolobicchio Vidalić), event organizer Ame Amor (Anja Boljunčić Punchikar) and the production company Bear. If you need another argument for choosing Vodnjan for your big day, read about all the ways its natural and cultural heritage can inspire you.
Stand before the altar of one of the numerous churches and chapels
Do you want a church wedding ceremony, a small, intimate church or a grandiose interior of a large basilica, Watery and the surroundings are truly the right place. It is precisely in its territory that most of the churches and small churches in Istria were built, which in their quiet interior preserve tradition from the influence of time rushing outside their walls.
Religion was the backbone of the life of the old people of Vodnjan, and in the past their town was divided into "contrades", a kind of settlement. Each contrada had its own church, so it is not surprising that more than 60 have been built throughout history. Some have been destroyed by time, but most are still there. They bear the names of various saints, hide fairy tales, legends, relics and ancient stones and provide an ambience of intimacy and contemplation.
The most impressive among them is basilica of st. Milder which, due to its dimensions, earned the title of the largest parish church in Istria. And while many are embedded in the stone cores of Vodnjan towns, churches in nature are surrounded by the calming beauty of the Istrian landscape. The most beautiful is certainly the beautiful early Christian one basilica of st. Foske which sprung up in a secluded area surrounded by meadows near the settlement Batvači (Valmadorso). With its floating arcades, stone porch, wall paintings by top masters and unusual serenity, it represents the ideal setting for a dream wedding.
Choose the sea, lakes, olive groves and or the old charm of Vodnjan for your photos
After you have chosen one of the really numerous churches in Vodnjan where the wedding ceremony can take place, it is time to choose the locations where you will shine through photos and videos.
If you want a dreamy, nostalgic atmosphere of an old-fashioned interior with an open fireplace, authentic furniture, yellowed photographs and many objects that will make you feel as if you have returned to the past of everyday life in Vodnjan, "House of Tradition" Ecomuseum Istrian de Dignan in Vodnjan is the perfect choice. A walk through the city center of Vodnjan will give your photos an unexpected dynamic.
Clean lines and white surfaces of Istrian stone decorated with graceful details will make your photos romantic and airy, and the intensity of colors will bring forty street murals. You will also find some of these colors on the main square, which is dominated by the beautiful red facade of the city palace built in the neo-Gothic-Venetian style, and the orange-colored, equally beautiful palace Bradamante. A few steps further you will find the palace Bettica, a representative example of Venetian architecture.
If you want to shoot in nature, there are locations outside Vodnjan that compete with each other in beauty and uniqueness. Not far from the Basilica of St. Foška, there are exceptional examples of dry-wall construction, three stone giants that will be happy to take a moment to rest in the greenery to pose with you. It's about three kazuns which surprise with unusually large dimensions and formation because, unlike many others, they are located next to each other.
In the past, Kažuni was a place for farmers from Vodnjan to rest, take a break, shelter from the sun and rain, a second home in the middle of the fields, and in your case, as an original backdrop for wedding photos, it will take on a new meaning. If you would like to take a walk through the olive grove while the sun's rays break through the olive trees, they will fulfill your wish. barbariga which has another special place for you. On its large pier, spread out like a solemn stone carpet, the star of the photo will be you and the sea, which will generously embrace you with its blueness.
Get inspired by the festive Vodnjan costume, jewelry and hairstyle
Do you know that in this region, girls in costume, including formal ones, are called maruss after the character from the mentioned opera Antonija Smareglije, "Nozze Istriana"? For their big day, the brides of Vodnjan had to go through a long and complex ritual of dressing and beautifying, which can inspire you to add a few traditional details to your look. Theirs formal costumes they are widely known for their beauty, the fineness of the fabrics, the opulence of the colors on the sleeves and vests, and the numerous items of clothing that they carefully dressed and decorated with rich jewelry such as long, gold chains, gold earrings with three pendants (Pyrroles) and rings and brooches enriched with lapis lazuli stones and corals.
A special highlight was the festive hairstyle, which after a long process becomes a real masterpiece of waves, braids and buns, stunning with its delicacy and filigree decorations like decorative pins. Although they wore simple black shoes, it is interesting to note that at the beginning of the 20th century, women from Vodnjan had access to the most modern models in Europe thanks to the success of the most talented shoemaker from Vodnjan Erminija Vojvoda whose footwear designs have found their place in the most important European fashion magazines.
Find an idea for a wedding bouquet and table decoration in the fields of Vodnjanština
Who knows, maybe the fact that Istrian flora counts more than will be the inspiration for your bouquet or table decoration 2000 species of plants while, for example, them throughout Great Britain there are only 1300? Istria is a botanical paradise that absorbs the power of the sun, and this title can be attributed to the interweaving of different influences Alps, Dinarides and Mediterranean. Lavender, rosemary, immortelle, cypress, juniper, fennel, sage, laurel, geranium are just some of the plants that could impress your guests decently arranged on the tables or be part of a bouquet that will be tossed and end up in the hand of a future bride. .
The strong connection and interweaving with the plant world is an important part of the Vodnjan tradition, and it is mostly to be credited for this. Bartolomeo Biasoletto, a native of Vodnjan who made his mark in the world and became one of the most famous European botanists.
Wedding sweets and toasts in the Vodnjan style
A drop of golden extra virgin olive oil, for which Vodnjan is world famous, will enhance the dishes from the wedding menu, and tradition has brought Vodnjan delicious desserts and top wines with which you can celebrate your big day. Torta de mandole, better known as bumbar cake of almonds is the sweet trademark of Vodnjan while Umberto cake of recent date. The guests of Vodnjan weddings enjoyed traditional sweets such as biscuits busolai, grostoli, crocanti and corneti from bread dough.
On all important life events, the people of Vodnjan toasted with something truly special - dessert sweet wine Vin de Rosa which smells like roses and which their ancestors taught them to produce, preserving in it the sweetness of the best bunches of Istrian Malvasia. Of course, there are also top wines that you can taste even before the wedding in wineries, family farms and resorts in Vodnjanština.
Let your wedding bells ring on the highest bell tower in Istria
If you decide to have a wedding ceremony in the grandiose basilica of St. Blaža, know that your wedding bells will ring from the highest bell tower in Istria, which reaches a height of 61 m. If you want to take in the part of Istria where you said the big "yes", you can do so by climbing to its top, which offers a fantastic view. In addition to the magnificent church bells that for centuries follow the beats of life and changes in this Istrian town, your wedding celebration will certainly be accompanied by music, dancing and entertainment until late into the night.
And in the past, music accompanied young couples on their way to a new life, which he recorded Antonio Smareglia in his opera, and especially found inspiration in the wedding procession, which was a real attraction for the locals with its vividness, especially if it took place in the evening lit with torches. At the head were the musicians lerona, traditional folk instrument and violin and cello, followed by the bride and her father, then the groom with his best men and other guests. The wedding dance would be opened by the newlyweds, and dances were danced furlana, polka, sotis and waltz.
Three days of celebrations with lunches, dinners, songs and dances were remembered and retold for generations, becoming deeply rooted in the Vodnjan identity. Therefore, it can rightly be said that it is in Vodnjan and its surroundings that tradition and love come together in a special and unforgettable way in a wedding celebration!
