All right, now… well… its so easy to get confused getting a review such as good as these one I got from my dear Michelle. 3 days wedding event with lovely guests, exploring many nice locations here. I think this people really got all the best this nice region has to offer: beautiful historic heritage, amazing nature and great contact with the sea and its crystal clear waters.
Important thing is that Michelle is an UK wedding planning pro, and many of her kind guests are wedding business pros too. The wedding itself was so oriented towards Michelle and Grant’s guests and that’s something I appreciate really a lot – and it is almost a certain sign that:
- I have a very kind couple as clients
- that wedding will be a happy and relaxed
- all suppliers will give “an extra” to make it even more bautifull
So what Michelle wrote me is (the only thing I have edited are article titles – as it was written in one breath, really inspired but it may get difficult to read, hope Michelle understands that – thanks):
(this post originally appeared here: Dubrovnik Wedding Venue Palm Terrace)
As a wedding planner for an Event Catering company in England, deciding to get married abroad was a very big commitment for me. Putting my trust in someone else was going to be difficult – or so I thought until I contacted Kristina (Kike)…
The start
We had searched the internet and fallen in love with a picture on her website of the beautiful Palms Terrace at the Excelsior Hotel set for a wedding and decided there and then on Dubrovnik for our location.
We emailed Kike that evening ( Friday) and by the Sunday evening after bouncing questions back and forth , we were looking at flights to go and visit. Kike had made me feel so at ease through her responses that there was no need to contact anyone else. She was also very open and honest with the pricing and this really helped us in the early stages. We kept in touch and sorted out all of the details over email – I work very irregular hours but could always guarantee that she would email me back within a few hours, or the very next day if it was late. I really felt like she wanted to help me plan our big day, it was not just going through the motions.
The time that she spent with us at this stage was huge- and being in the business I know how precious your time is, and we hadn’t even confirmed a date yet, let alone paid her any money!
Site Inspection
We arranged a site visit for May and spent 4 days in this gorgeous city. We had done a fair amount of research – with Kike’s help – and had a list of a few places to visit. On meeting Kike I was put a ease very quickly, she was so professional and very easy to work with – after emailing so much ( and I sent a lot!!) I felt that I was meeting a friend and that was so important to us both. The venues and places she showed us were amazing and by the end of the first day we had everything booked. It all seemed too easy but as Kike works with a very regular team it was simple to get everything booked and that way we knew we were using trusted suppliers. We met with the hotel Banqueting Manager, Ivana and the Photographer, Vero – and loved them both instantly, we knew we were going to be in safe hands. Planning your big day is not only an emotional time but a huge financial commitment and we knew that they would all deliver the day of our dreams. We tried the food at the Excelsior Hotel and were blown away, the menu was picked that afternoon meaning we could relax and enjoy the rest of the planning without worrying. We spent the next few days getting to know Dubrovnik and we couldn’t wait to get all our friends and family over there to share it with us.
Wedding planning
The next 12 months was a constant stream of emails to get all the details right ( I am very fussy) Kike was so patient with us as the plans and the budget changed constantly. She was on hand to answer every question and help with anything we wanted to achieve. Including helping with the ceremony paperwork – which was the tricky bit! The time passed so quickly and before we knew it we were leaving for the airport. We were all so excited and nervous as we were taking 70 guests over with us to spend 4 days celebrating.
Arrival in Dubrovnik
On the day we arrived we met with Kike to run through everything and everything was under control – she had arranged for us to meet the suppliers that day so that we had some time to ourselves too. It was great to see everyone again and go through all the details. By the end of that day we went for dinner knowing that we were in such safe hands. Kike had arranged our meeting with the Priest, a hair trail at the salon, a makeup trial at our apartment and a trip to her flower shop to see the flowers – it was all being to feel real and I was so stress free that I could really relax and enjoy the few days before the wedding with our friends and family.
The day before
On the evening before the wedding we had arranged a dinner at the Dubrovnik Terrace Restaurant – a recommendation from Kike and it was amazing – the food and service was awesome and it was the perfect way to spend the night before our wedding. Kike was there to check that everything ran like clockwork and with 70 guests that wasn’t easy. My sister and I then left for the hotel – only to find when we were there that Ivana had upgraded us so that we could be in the same suite the night before to make it easier for getting ready the next day. This was such a nice addition to the whole experience.
The wedding day
The wedding morning flew in a whirl of hair and makeup from Kike’s brilliant team, tears and laughter with my four Bridesmaids – all overlooking the beautiful sea view from the wonderful suite in the hotel. In the middle of this there was a knock on the door as Kike delivered the Bridal flowers – they were beautiful and I was again blown away. She had understood what I wanted perfectly and I was over the moon. It was time to leave for the church and Kike was on hand to arrange taxis and help with the dress too. Vero was with us at this stage and I enjoyed every minute of walking through the town with my gorgeous ladies. Kikes team had made sure that everything was running smoothly at the church and that all our guests and the Groom were in place. St Blaise is an oasis of calm in a busy town and we had the most beautiful service. We came out of the doors as Husband and Wife to a huge crowd of well wishers and we even had our picture taken by the local press! As Grant and I went off to have our pictures taken with Vero – Kike and her team where ensuring that our guests were looked after. They arrived at the Palms Terrace to be served drinks and canapés. The best comment on this was that “It looked like something from a movie” The tables were set beautifully and the flowers took my breath away. The whole setting was amazing and it only got better as the sun set and the candles were lit , we had the most magical and romantic 5 course dinner – it truly exceeded our expectations. Kike and her team were on site thought the whole time – having them there was very reassuring for me. The evening went without a hitch and we were soon moving down to the East / West night club on the beach ready to dance the night away. We had the best day and night of our lives and that was down to Kike and her team.
The day after
We really wanted to do something with our guests the following day and its was Kike’s idea to take them all over to Lokrum Island for lunch. The staff at the restaurant there really looked after us, even through some of the guests were a little jaded!! We all enjoyed a hearty lunch and then took a dip in the lagoon or just sipped cocktails under the trees. Kike again was on hand to check that everything was running smoothly. It was such a lovely way to spend the day after the wedding. The following day we bid farewell to this beautiful city and were very sad to go home – as where all our guests. I can still remember hearing the moans of disappointment when we landed in Manchester.
Overall
To say that we had an amazing time is very much an understatement, all of our guests had the time of their lives, we were able to enjoy the whole experience of getting married in such a gorgeous place and we couldn’t have done that without Kike. Not only had she given us the perfect wedding but the perfect memories – to us that’s priceless.
Michelle B., Sept 2012
Weddings In Dubrovnik 