Let’s be honest, who wouldn’t marry on the beautiful Croatian coast with the sound of sea waves and birds? No wonder most of the inquiries we get are for a beach elopement wedding in Croatia. The country is popular for its amazing nature and warm weather that makes it possible to jump in the sea even in early May or late October.
We love to spend time on the beach. The combination of pebbles, salt, and sea sounds has an amazing meditative effect on us. Not all beaches are suitable for the perfect experience because, in the peak season, they tend to be overcrowded. That is why our number one advice would be:
Choose pre-season or post-season for your beach wedding in Croatia.
If you are lucky enough or with a bit of coordination with vendors in advance, you can get the whole beach just for you even in the high season (July-August). You can even book a private beach.
However, for most couples that elope or want a small wedding, this can be an extra expense that, if planned thoroughly, can be avoided. And the easiest way to do it is to choose pre-season or post-season for your beach wedding.
Want to see more inspiration for your elopement wedding in Croatia?
Check out the ultimate guide to elope in Croatia
How to find the perfect beach for your elopement wedding in Croatia
There are many beautiful beaches in Croatia, some in popular places and some secluded, accessible by hiking or boat only. We suggest using this exclusivity of being married in a really special place, surrounded by beautiful nature.
Most couples planning an elopement or wedding in Croatia have already been here, explored the area, and have found some special place of theirs. That is one option and it is great because you make sure you can sleep tight because you know what to expect from the location.
Sometimes, especially for adventurous couples who plan an elopement with just the two of them, it is not necessary to do a location check. Together with their elopement photographer, they form a brief and the photographer helps them find a perfect place for their beach elopement. That can be done through extensive internet research. One great app that we use when planning an elopement is Google Earth Pro. Also, we are members of different Facebook groups with themes such as hiking, adventure, and exploration in Croatia and Europe, and we always consult the members who can give recommendations on beautiful places for elopement.
With beaches, it is easier because there are tons of images on Pinterest and Google of different more or less famous beaches in Croatia so it makes our task much easier.
Beach elopement wedding in Croatia – ideas
It is ungrateful to make a selection of the most beautiful places for beach elopement weddings here in Croatia, but we are going to mention some so you can explore further and see what resonates with you.
Ideas for your beach elopement wedding in Croatia:
1. Any secluded mini beach along the coast which is not easily accessible or popular – our best match!
2. Stiniva beach on Vis Island
3. Nugal beach in Makarska
4. Cape Kamenjak near Pula
5. Punta Rata beach in Brela
6. Dubovica Bay on Hvar Island
7. St. Jakov beach in Dubrovnik
8. Mali Bok beach on Cres Island
9. Zlatni rat beach on the Brač Island
10. Betina Cave in Dubrovnik
11. Lovrečina Bay on Brač Island
12. Banje Beach in Dubrovnik
13. Bonj Les Bains beach in Hvar
14. Pasjača beach in Konavle
Related: Best places for your adventure elopement in Croatia
‘We have booked Mario & Andrea for our Wedding in Croatia at the beach. It was the best decision we made. They came with multiple cameras and we did not notice they being on site. After the wedding we did a small car trip into the hills and river to do some more pictures. We are very happy about the beautiful pictures they did for us. We have received our pictures 10 days after the shooting. We highly recommend this very nice people.‘
Hilke & Thomas
Real beach elopement wedding story from Croatia – Hilke & Thomas
Ok, now with the real stuff. Here is the story of a small beach elopement of a German couple Hilke and Thomas. They did a good thing when choosing May for their beach elopement in Croatia.
They have already gotten married legally in Germany but that didn’t feel like a celebration of love but more like something they had to do – sign papers. So they invited their closest family in Croatia and rented a beautiful Villa Amor (symbolic name) in Podstrana near Split, to be their elopement venue. This is also a great option, to rent a villa which is directly on the beach so you have both – the privacy for your wedding ceremony and a beautiful seaside backdrop for your photo memories.
Hilke and Thomas were getting ready in separate rooms of the villa while their family was in charge of setting up chairs and arch, baking a cake, and collecting flower leaves. The whole experience was informal, and very relaxed – as you can see, most guests did not even wear any formal wedding clothes. Some were even barefoot.
We really enjoyed photographing this elopement wedding on the beach. Both Hilke and Thomas were totally relaxed and we spent a great time laughing with them, as you can see from the photos.
German couples tend to include some symbolic and traditional elements in their weddings. One of them is having a chimney sweep on your wedding as a sign of good luck in the future. Hilke and Thomas had their good friend who is a real chimney sweep as their officiant. They also got a present – a broom and all guests were saying their good wishes while pulling the wedding rings on the silk string. We love it when traditions like these are included on the wedding day, it gives a special touch to the whole story.
As Thomas is deeply in love with the sea, and Hilke is a passionate hiker, they chose to have a wedding ceremony on the beach in front of the villa, and later we drove together in the mountains and in the amazing, epic canyon of river Cetina to create some magic there as well.
Their beach elopement wedding did not have traditional elements, but after we came back from the photoshoot, together with their family, they had a wedding cake and a celebration lunch (prepared by their family member who is a professional chef).
Related: Dubrovnik Sunset Sea Elopement of Annelise & Kevin
