We live just 10 minutes away from Makarska Riviera and we know everything there is to know about this heaven in Croatia. When it comes to weddings and elopements, let us just say that Makarska Riviera is the perfect wedding destination if you seek a great sea and mountain combination, one that you won’t find anywhere else in Croatia.
Through the years of living in this area, we explored pretty much everything there is to explore when it comes to Makarska Riviera wedding or elopement. We’re writing this guide to answer all the questions you might have regarding the Makarska wedding or elopement. Continue reading, this will be a visually stunning journey through one of the best landscapes in Croatia.
A bit about Makarska Riviera
Makarska Riviera is located in southern Croatia and it’s part of the Dalmatia region. Makarska is the main city of the Riviera and the reason why it is called that. Makarska Riviera is considered to be one of the most beautiful parts of the Croatian coastline, with some of the most beautiful beaches you’ll ever see. A good part of its beauty comes from the unique blend of crystal clear Adriatic sea and high cliffs of Biokovo mountain that rise almost immediately from the sea.
Makarska Riviera is one of the most-visited parts of the Croatian coast, with more and more tourists visiting it each year. Having all this in mind, it’s no wonder that Makarska Riviera is perfect for weddings too. And it’s perfect for any kind of wedding, whether you want to keep it small, a bit larger, or you are considering eloping on Makarska Riviera.
The city of Makarska could be considered the capital of the Riviera. It’s the most crowded and visited place in the area. Visit it during July and August and you’ll see what we are talking about. It’s a city with preserved old parts and a lot of things to do around. Makarska wedding is also an option if you want to get married in this part of Croatia since there are many great places within and around the city. More about it later.
How to reach Makarska Riviera
There are numerous ways to get to Makarska Riviera and the best one for you will depend on the country you are coming from. Arriving by plane is a good option if you are coming from far. The nearest airports to Makarska are Split (1 hour of driving away), Dubrovnik (2 hours of driving away), and Zadar (2 hours of driving away). If you are arriving by plane, we suggest you rent a car immediately since that’s the best option for exploring Croatia.
Makarska Riviera is connected with other parts of Croatia by motorway which is the fastest and most convenient way of traveling through Croatia. If you are coming from the north via the A1 motorway, just take the Zagvozd exit, pass through the Biokovo mountain and you’ll be in Makarska in no time.
Public bus lines are also an option if you don’t want to rent a car. There are many bus lines that pass through Makarska, especially during the summer months. Still, we strongly suggest you rent a car to have more freedom and explore many beautiful parts of this region.
Makarska Riviera wedding: ultimate Croatia outdoor wedding destination
Let’s move on to the topic of the Makarska Riviera wedding. So far you know that it is a beautiful blend of the Adriatic sea and Biokovo mountain, it has many secluded beaches and it’s one of the most-visited parts of Croatia. Superb. Makarska Riviera wedding is for you if you: want to have a wedding in beautiful nature, would like to have a beach wedding, would have a mountain wedding, want a wedding with stunning views, what to have a wedding in the area where you (and your guests) have a lot to do during the rest of the vacation.
There are really many options when it comes to organizing your Makarska Riviera wedding. However, since it is a really popular destination for both visiting and weddings, we suggest you start planning your wedding or elopement as soon as you can. The next sections of this post will help you choose the right time for visiting Makarska Riviera and give you some insights about the best places to get married at.
Read our ultimate guide for your Croatia destination wedding
When to organize Makarska Riviera wedding: weather and crowds
Let us tell you a bit more about the weather and when would we recommend you organize your Makarska Riviera wedding. Makarska Riviera is most crowded in the months of July and August, much like any other part of Croatia. The weather in these months is usually hot, dry, and very predictable. It’s almost always sunny and there are maybe a few rainy days throughout the summer. If you are considering having your Makarska wedding in this period, prepare for crowded places, dense traffic, and hot weather.
Of course, you can always find an empty spot where you can get married on Makarska Riviera, but this is not as simple as during some other periods of the year. If you are planning your wedding or elopement for this period, consider having your wedding in the late afternoon hours or, even better, early in the morning.
If you ask us, a much better choice would be the months of June and September. The weather in these periods is still very nice, but it is significantly less crowded, which is a great thing, trust us. Honestly, these are the best periods to visit Croatia and a good choice if you want to have good weather and still have some things to do around. The sea temperature is also good for swimming.
April, May, and October are also great months to visit and plan your Makarska Riviera wedding. There are almost no visitors in these months and you can have a wedding at almost any location you would like. On the other hand, many hotels and other tourist vendors are not open so the option of restaurants, accommodation, etc. is limited. Most of the hotels open after Easter.
Makarska wedding: getting married in the main city of the Riviera
Let’s talk a bit about the largest city of Makarska Riviera and what your Makarska wedding might look like. There are many great places to get married in Makarska. Some of our favorites are St Peter’s peninsula and its famous lighthouse, Nugal beach, and Kotišina botanical garden on the cliffs above Makarska. Regarding the section before this one, most of the places in Makarska will be crowded during the high season in Croatia. Nugal beach, for example, is a nudist beach and it’s considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the whole of Croatia.
Makarska is a good place for your wedding since most of the vendors are located in it, all the hotels and restaurants are close and it really is the heart of Makarska Riviera. Few of the Makarska hotels have beautiful terraces and these are also good options for your Makarska wedding.
Makarska wedding planner: Why you should hire one?
Depending on the size of your wedding, you might hire a Makarska wedding planner to help you have a stressless experience of your Makarska wedding. We always recommend to couples contact us to get a wedding planner. A good wedding planner will make everything run as smoothly as possible. You won’t need to think about anything else and a great time will be ensured.
A wedding planner is a person who takes all of your potential worries onto himself/herself. It might seem to you that you don’t need a wedding planner for your Makarska wedding, but just think about it, you are coming to a foreign country, and don’t know the best locations or vendors… Planning a wedding like that can be stressful and exhausting and you don’t want that.
On the other hand, if you want to have a small wedding or elopement, you could possibly organize it by yourself. We are wedding photographers, but when it comes to elopements we help couples to plan it and organize every stage of it.
Makarska wedding photographer
A good wedding photographer is an essential part of any wedding. Of course, the most important part is you and your partner, but with so much going on during your special day, it’s easy to get lost and forget some of the parts of your wedding. That’s where the photographer hops in. We are photographers that operate in the Makarska area and we try to do our job through the documentary style of photography which will capture the moments as they happen. Trust us, these are the best kind of images.
Apart from being just wedding and elopement photographers, we could also be your guides through Makarska Riviera. We can help you with locations and suggest to you some vendors that will make your wedding or elopement even more special. If you are interested in our work, explore the rest of this website to learn more about us and our wedding photography style.
Our top places for Makarska Riviera wedding
Makarska Riviera is full of great wedding locations and here’s our top pick. Feel free to explore further since most of these locations have micro-locations inside of them and there are numerous places to choose from. We already told you that Makarska Riviera is great for anyone looking for an outdoor wedding in stunning surroundings.
Biokovo mountain and nature park
Biokovo is the mountain that stretches along Makarska Riviera and makes that perfect blend of sea and mountain. It’s perfect for small intimate weddings and elopements. Theoretically, you could organize a larger wedding on Biokovo mountain. You see, a large part of Biokovo mountain above the city of Makarska is a nature park, a protected area of beautiful nature.
There is a road going through it all the way to the highest peak of Biokovo mountain – Sv Jure. There are many peaks on Biokovo mountain that have stunning views of Makarska Riviera and nearby islands. Some of our favorites are Vošac peak above Makarska and Sv. Ilija peak above Baška Voda. Any of Biokovo nature park peaks is perfect for elopement.
In a case of a larger wedding on Biokovo mountain, there is an option to hire a minivan (or a few of them) to take you and your guests to any location inside of the park. There is also a new attraction in Biokovo nature park, called Biokovo skywalk. It’s a glass bridge over the mountain cliffs and it’s one of the most visited places inside the park.
Real story: Biokovo Elopement – Jeannette and Nigel
St. Peter’s peninsula lighthouse
We love St. Peter’s peninsula. It’s a park opposite Makarska city and it has many great locations for both weddings and elopements. The famous lighthouse on this peninsula is one of our favorite locations when it comes to Makarska wedding or elopement.
Any of the secluded beaches
Makarska Riviera is famous for its beaches. There are many of them and they are simply gorgeous. When it comes to your Makarska Riviera wedding, we suggest you pick one of the secluded beaches if you want to avoid crowds. Some of these are easily accessible, some are not. In regards to that, think about the kind of wedding you are planning and will all of your guests be able to reach it.
The secluded beaches of Makarska Riviera are less visited than those in the tourist centers, but if you are visiting during the uncrowded month, any beach could be good for your wedding or elopement.
Old villages of Makarska Riviera
Each place along Makarska Riviera used to be higher in the hills during the previous centuries. As tourism became a thing at Makarska Riviera, most of the people moved closer to the sea and they abandoned old houses that survived up to this day. Most of them are being rebuilt now and they are becoming vacation homes made in stone. The old villages of Makarska Riviera have that unique vibe that tells you about how life looked more than 100 years ago.
Apart from that, the view from these villages is amazing since they are usually high in the hills. A good location if you want to have a sunset wedding at Makarska Riviera. Also, since many old houses are being made into luxury traditional villas right now, these are perfect for smaller weddings too.
Drvenik fortress
Drvenik is a small place in the southern part of Makarska Riviera and it has an old village just like most other places on the Riviera. What we like about Drvenik are the remnants of the old fortress that’s more than a few centuries old. Also, the mountains surrounding this place are like nowhere else on the Makarska Riviera. There’s also a tombstone telling a story about 2 people that loved each other more than Romeo and Juliet.
Drvenik fortress is not hard to reach and it’s perfect for small weddings and elopements.
Kotišina botanical garden
Kotišina botanical garden is embedded in a Biokovo cliff not so far away from Makarska. Once again, there is a stunning characteristical blend of Biokovo mountain and the Adriatic sea. It’s a great place if you want to get married with the scent of Mediterranean plants filling up your nostrils and taking your mind high above Biokovo mountain.
Makarska boat wedding or wedding on a nearby island
Makarska is the main hub when it comes to boat tours that take you to some of the nearby islands – islands of Hvar and Brač. These two are considered to be some of the most beautiful of Croatian islands. Some of these boats are old and look romantic and present a great option for a wedding. In the high season, these boats are packed with people and doing daily tours. If you are interested in the Makarska boat wedding we suggest you plan it for the preseason or postseason periods since it will be necessary to rent a whole boat.
Another option is a speedboat that could quickly take you to any of the locations in the nearby island archipelago so which broadens your options for a wedding on Makarska Riviera.
Makarska Riviera elopement: a good alternative to traditional wedding
We adore elopements and adventurous weddings. Both of these are usually small, including only a couple in most cases. Makarska Riviera is perfect for elopements which are a good alternative to traditional weddings, especially in the time of the Coronavirus pandemic. Elopements are much easier to plan and organize, even if you want to do it in the high season.
When it comes to elopements, more of the locations of Makarska Riviera become accessible and there is usually no wedding planner needed unless you want some more specific things.
Where to stay during your Makarska wedding
Makarska Riviera is one of the most famous and visited parts of Croatia and it’s full of different kinds of accommodation. This usually ranges from luxury hotels with beautiful views and terraces, to old rustic vacation homes that are usually located in old villages of Makarska Riviera. There’s even the option to stay in the Biokovo nature park.
However, because of the popularity of Makarska Riviera, we suggest you book your accommodation as early as possible.
Things to do at and around Makarska Riviera
When organizing your Makarska Riviera wedding, you are probably going to come for at least a few days. Both you and your guests will want to explore and experience the area. And that’s why Makarska Riviera is a perfect spot when it comes to both organizing a wedding and things to do.
We run our adventure agency on the Makarska Riviera. Plus, we can always organize a combination of adventure activities and photo sessions for you, just like we did on this kayaking adventure couple session.
It’s located just in between the famous cities of Split and Dubrovnik with Split being a bit closer. Both of these cities are great for a daily tour. Also, the island of Hvar (with the cities of Hvar and Stari Grad) is easily reachable from Makarska Riviera and we strongly suggest you visit them during your stay.
Then there are many adventure tour options to do in the area. The city of Omiš is just 30 minutes of driving away and it’s a perfect place for many kinds of outdoor adventures. Rafting on the Cetina river, rock climbing, and kayaking are just some of them.
Southern Makarska Riviera is where Baćina lakes and Neretva delta are located. Both are places of pristine nature and great adventures. Neretva delta is also the perfect location for weddings and elopements as well as one of the most famous places for kitesurfing in Croatia. Baćina lakes, on the other hand, is a group consisting of 7 lakes and it’s one of the most serene and calming landscapes on the Croatian coast.