There are not so many places in Croatia as famous as Plitvice Lakes. In fact, there are, but when it comes to national parks in Croatia, Plitvice Lakes are on any traveler bucket list. If you are thinking about a wedding or elopement in Croatia, you might want to consider Plitvice as a place for your ceremony. Just imagine getting married in the heart of nature as pure as you can imagine it. This guide will let you know everything you need to know about Plitvice Lakes wedding or elopement.
About Plitvice lakes national park
You might already know about Plitvice Lakes national park. If you have read any guide to Croatia, this marvel of nature was probably there. Plitvice Lakes are made of cascading lakes that pour one into another and this phenomenon attracts more than 1 million visitors each year. The National park is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The whole area of these lakes tells the same story with Plitvice being its main protagonist.
Tourism in the Plitvice lakes area is very developed and everything has the same vibe. There are many accommodation types ranging from tree houses to Indian tents. There are lots of other things to do in the area too, rafting or kayaking on the MreĹľnica river, horseback riding, quad adventures… The Plitvice Lakes area is full of content to fill up your whole vacation.
And that’s why we believe that you should think about Plitvice Lakes wedding if you are already not sure about the exact place where you want to have your wedding in Croatia. Plitvice are great for smaller weddings and even better for elopements.
How to reach Plitvice lakes
Plitvice lakes national park is located in the center of Croatia with Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, being just a bit more than 1 hour of drive away. Plitvice Lakes are part of a central region called Lika, which is known for its beautiful nature and mountains. The best option for reaching Plitvice is to get to Zagreb (either by plane or any other transport option) and then rent a car and drive to Plitvice Lakes.
Plitvice Lakes is a place where people usually stop on their way to the Adriatic sea. The motorway is not passing close to Plitvice (which is great from the nature preservation side) and the nearest exit is 1 hour of driving away. If you are reluctant to rent a car (don’t be, it’s the best thing you can do if you want to have freedom of exploration), there are numerous bus lines that connect Plitvice Lakes and other nearby cities.
There are no trains in the area so it’s impossible to reach Plitvice by train, but you can reach the city of Gospić by it and then use a bus to Plitvice Lakes. A train ride through Lika is something you need to experience.
Best time of the year for Plitvice Lakes wedding
Plitvice Lakes national park is located in Lika and it’s a region with a colder continental climate. There’s a lot of snow each winter and summers are usually warm and dry. Plitvice lakes are beautiful no matter the season and Plitvice Lakes weddings can be organized during any season. Most of the vendors are open throughout the year. There might be a chance that the park is closed after a heavy snowfall, but even then, there are places you can reach, famous viewpoints near the road being one of these places.
Plitvice Lakes are most visited during the summer, the same as with the rest of Croatia. During some periods it can really get crowded and these periods are best to avoid. From our experience, the best time of the year for Plitvice Lakes wedding or elopement is preseason or postseason periods. It’s warm and nice, but not too crowded. You definitely don’t want to get married while a bunch of strangers pass near you. Months like April, May, late September, and October are best when it comes to the wedding ceremonies at Plitvice Lakes.
The time of the day is also very important when it comes to Plitvice Lakes wedding. If you want to have more privacy, you should consider having a wedding ceremony as early in the morning as possible. From our experience, it’s the quietest period of the day and it gives you an opportunity to experience a wedding the way it should be.
What kind of wedding you can have at Plitvice Lakes: Things to know
Plitvice Lakes national park is a protected area and there are some things you are not allowed to do, making any changes in the environment is one of them. That means you can forget about some things usual wedding ceremonies have, confetti being one of them. Also, you are not allowed to move outside of the boundaries of the park. Usually, there is a park ranger accompanying you in case of a wedding ceremony. He/she won’t be strictly by your side and you’ll definitely have some privacy, but just be aware that there’s a high chance that you’ll be accompanied by a ranger.
Plitvice Lakes is perfect for small weddings (up to 20 guests) and elopements in which only the couple getting married is usually present. In the case of any kind of wedding, you need to pay approx. 1000 HRK if you want your wedding to be photographed and/or filmed. No drone flying is allowed inside the park area because it might disturb wildlife present inside the national park. Also, all of the guests attending your Plitvice Lakes wedding will have to pay their own ticket for the park entrance.
Where to stay when visiting Plitvice
As we already mentioned, there are numerous accommodation options in the Plitvice Lakes area. Some of them are even located inside the park boundaries. This whole area is ecologically sensitive and there are no large hotel complexes. Instead, there are many camps and private accommodations. One of the best places to stay is the Plitvice holiday resort with famous tree houses which became very popular lately. This resort is perfect for a wedding ceremony too, and the photos you see in this article are made in this resort.
If you want to be alone and enjoy some privacy, we suggest you book a guest house for yourself and your partner (and eventually your guests). Houses in the Plitvice Lakes area are usually made of wood and many of them have additional content such as pools, saunas, etc.
Plitvice lakes elopement
Elopement is basically a much smaller wedding with a scent of adventure. Usually, the only participants of this kind of wedding ceremony are just the couple ready to get married. Elopements are something we love to do since they are couple friendly, easily customizable, and much easier to organize. Regarding Plitvice lake elopement, the same rules apply to regular weddings. If you want to elope inside of the park boundaries, you have to pay an additional 1000 HRK (around 150 Euros) for a photography permit and park ranger surveillance.
Apart from Plitvice Lakes national park, there are many other places where you can elope – DreĹľnik grad, MreĹľnica river, Korana river… Much more places are at your disposal when eloping since you don’t need to take care of other guests. It’s freedom at its best. Use our inspirational posts for more ideas.
Plitvice Lakes wedding cost
You are probably thinking how much a Plitvice Lakes wedding might cost you. Well, apart from the 1000 HRK fee you need to pay if you want to get married inside the national park (plus the entrance fee for every guest), the wedding cost is pretty much the same as in the rest of Croatia.
Let’s say you are having a small wedding with 20 guests and you want to hire a photographer, or florist to make your floral arch, and you want to have makeup and hair done before the wedding. Let’s add catering (or dinner) for your guests somewhere later. You can expect to pay around 3500 – 4500 Euros, the entrance fee for the park excluded.
If you want to organize Plitvice Lakes elopement, the costs are lower and you can expect to pay somewhere around 2000 – 2500 Euros for the same services we mentioned above. The final price really depends on your choices and how many wedding vendors you want to include in your wedding ceremony.
Things to do after Plitvice lakes wedding or elopement
Once you exchanged your vows and the wedding ceremony is over, it’s time to explore and enjoy. First of all, explore Plitvice Lakes national park. You’ll immediately find out why it is so popular. Of course, spend some time with your guests, but find some time for just the two of you. If you are having a small number of guests (up to 20) then we suggest you go on a mutual adventure – whitewater kayaking on the nearby MreĹľnica river, or maybe try some wild quad rides near Slunj. Good idea is to do these wedding ‘teambuilding’ activities the day before the actual wedding.
If it’s just you and your partner and you just eloped, you have all the freedom to try anything you want to. Some of the places worth visiting are Slunj and Rastoke waterfalls, DreĹľnik grad fortress, BaraÄŤ caves, Korana river, etc.
Plitvice lakes wedding photographer & videographer
We are Plitvice Lakes wedding photographer and videographer and we specialized in documenting outdoor weddings and elopements. Although we are not wedding or elopement planners, in case you book our photography services, we do help you with planning your Plitvice Lakes wedding or elopement. We send a special wedding guide to all our couples and help you choose the best location for your wedding ceremony.
We like to capture moments the way they have happened, without any posing and staging. We are also certified outdoor adventure guides and take care of all the things people usually forget when it comes to outdoor weddings.
Feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions or want to book our services! Looking forward to another Plitvice Lakes wedding adventure 🙂
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Organization Weddings in Croatia
Coordination Organizator Vjencanja Akademija generacija 2021/2022
Sustainable mentor Eventful.hr
Styling, design, flowers Showroom Design and Events
Venue Plitvice Holiday Resort
Wedding dresses Vesna Sposa
Suit IK Studio
Makeup Beauty Studio Martina products used Jane Iredale, DermaCare
Hair Brba Hair
Flower rentals Vrtni Centar Iva
Candle rentals Up Candle Design, Košnica
Chair & furniture rentals Međimurje Plet
Ceramic rentals Ceramic and Nature by Lidia Boševski
Side table rental Ana Tevšić Nauković
Rentals Dizajnholik
Jewelry Atelje DR
Accessories Dhalia by Dahlia
Cake Brekalicious Marina Brekalo
Stationary Loredana Zega
Models Dea, m.lovr