I fell in love with the picture of this wedding at the Dubrovnik Palace Hotel when I was researching potential destinations for our wedding. I fell in love with how the sea, the rocks and the horizon form part of the wedding decor. Destination weddings are a growing phenomenon, thanks to our increasingly connected world. Here are five reasons why we are having our destination wedding in beautiful Dubrovnik:

• Flight time: It was essential to find a destination which was within 3 to 4 hours flight time from London in order for guests of all ages to make the trip.

• Weather: The wedding will take place in July 2017 and we didn’t want to run the risk of bad weather. The weather forecast for July in Dubrovnik will be an average of 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit). The temperature can get as low as 16 degrees Celsius (62 degrees Fanrenheit) and as high as 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit); with approximately 13 hours of sunshine.

• Local cost of living: In comparison to other European destinations, Dubrovnik is more affordable. The following website offers a good insight into the cost of eating at a  restaurant, groceries, etc:                                                   http://www.numbeo.com/costofliving/compare_cities.jspcountry1=United+Kingdom&country2=Croatia&city1=London&city2=Dubrovnik&tracking=getDispatchComparison

• Local transport: Dubrovnik has a very reliable local bus system. Tickets can be purchased on the bus or at local ticket offices. They are punctual, clean and frequent.  http://libertasdubrovnik.com/vozniredovi1/

• Local attractions: Dubrovnik has a lot to offer. Take  a cable car from medieval city walls to a sunset view at the top of the hill.

Helpful tips for our guests

Flights: I would recommend www.skyscanner.net as a gauge on the flight prices. The link below will help you identify how the flight price fluctuates subject to the date which suits you in July 2017.

https://www.skyscanner.net/transport/flights/lond/dbv/cheap-flights-from-london-to-dubrovnik.html?adults=1&children=0&adultsv2=1&childrenv2&infants=0&cabinclass=economy&rtn=1&preferdirects=false&outboundaltsenabled=false&inboundaltsenabled=false&oym=1707&iym=1707&ref=home&selectedoday=01&selectediday=01

For example, you can book a flight from London Gatwick to Dubrovnik on the 6th of July 2017 and returning on the 13th of July 2017 for £85 return (correct as of 31st July 2016!).

Hotels: I would recommend Trivago to find suitable accommodation for your stay in Dubrovnik. I have filtered the following search based on the below:

• Distance from Dubrovnik Palace Hotel
• Four Star and Five Star rated hotels
• From the 6th of July to the 13th of July

http://www.trivago.co.uk/?iPathId=46132&bDispMoreFilter=false&iSlideOutItem=43326&aDateRange%5Barr%5D=2017-07-06&aDateRange%5Bdep%5D=2017-07-13&aCategoryRange=4%2C5&iRoomType=7&sOrderBy=distance%20asc&aPartner=&aOverallLiking=1%2C2%2C3%2C4%2C5&iGeoDistanceLimit=16093&iGeoDistanceItem=43326&iOffset=0&iLimit=25&iIncludeAll=0&bTopDealsOnly=false&iViewType=0&aPriceRange%5Bto%5D=0&aPriceRange%5Bfrom%5D=0&aGeoCode%5Blng%5D=18.061207&aGeoCode%5Blat%5D=42.651165&bIsSeoPage=false&mgo=false&th=false&aHotelTestClassifier=&bSharedRooms=false&bIsSitemap=false&rp=&cpt=4332602&iFilterTab=0&

I have booked a block of 20 rooms at the Dubrovnik Palace Hotel for 202 Euros per room per night from the 6th of July to the 13th of July. These will be allocated on a first come first served basis, so please contact me directly as soon as possible if you would like to take advantage of this.

Currency: The currency in Croatia is the Kuna. The Euro is also accepted but it is advisable to obtain Kuna for your convenience.

Money in Croatia

Transfers: You can opt for either taking a taxi directly to the hotel or a coach to the city centre. I can confidently recommend the latter. The coach tickets can be purchased from the airport (the ticket office is located on the right hand side of Arrivals). You do have the option of purchasing a return ticket for your journey back to the airport. A one-way ticket is 40 Croatian Kuna, while a return ticket is 70 Croatian Kuna. This may be subject to change in 2017. The link below offers more information:

http://www.atlas-croatia.com/arrangement/dubrovnik-airport-shuttle-bus/

I sincerely hope that I have provided you with enough information to ease your planning process.

Lucas and I are very grateful for all the effort you are all going through in order to join us on our wedding day!