Vegan wedding in Istria and Croatia: a complete guide including food, venues and planning

You’ve probably heard that Croatia has become the new mecca for weddings.

Namely, where else could they, for example, get married in roman amphitheater or castle surrounded by nature, enjoy romantic Rovinj and unique gastronomy.

The world media is buzzing about this trend, where many couples are choosing Croatia as the place for their wedding instead of, for example, Italy and France.

Weddings in Istria

The leader in this trend is the most developed tourist region – Istria, located in the north-west of Croatia.

Proximity to Italy and European centers, good air and road connections, mild climate, natural beauty on the sea and inland, excellent food and affordability – these are just some of the advantages of enchanting Istria.

The most famous cities in Istria for weddings are Rovinj, Pula, Svetvinčenat, Bale… However, this region is full of small towns on the coast and inland, so you will hardly make a mistake in your choice.

Is Istria an established vegan destination?

No, but it is slowly becoming so with the offer for vegans. What is encouraging is that in cities like Pula, a place known for one of the most famous roman amphitheatres in the world, there is great vegan food and accommodation.

In practice, this means that you can organize an unforgettable vegan wedding in Istria.

Below, read most important things about organization such a wedding.

Menu selection

It’s best to stick to foods that you’re sure most people will like. It’s nice to be partly creative and experiment, but for important occasions in life it’s best to play it safe.

If you have not tried the food from the catering company, it would be advisable to try the dishes that you have chosen for your wedding.

In this way, you will ensure that the food is exactly as you imagined, and maybe in the process you will also decide on certain corrections and additions to certain dishes.

Istria Cooking is one of the few catering establishments in Croatia that has staff trained in vegan food. Their owner is a vegan himself, known for combining haute gastronomy and plant-based nutrition. His vegan dishes, due to their excellent taste, attract many non-vegans to try his specialties.

Istria Cooking provides a complete service of catering, wedding dinner, sweet table, cake and wedding service.

Weddings venues and locations in Istria

Amphitheater, Pula

It belongs to one of the most attractive wedding locations in the whole world.

It was built in the 1st century, during the reign of Emperor Vespasian. It is the only remaining Roman amphitheater to have four side towers entirely preserved. It is elliptical in shape, with a main axis 130 meters long and a shorter axis 100 meters long.

The most beautiful open stage in the world, every summer this amphitheater attracts world concert stars such as Foo Fighters, Robbie Williams, Avril Lavigne, Imagine Dragons, Simply Red, Norah Jones, Eros Ramazzotti, Jose Carreras…

Recently, this monument attracts more and more private ceremonies and weddings stand out in particular. So far, couples from the USA, India, Bosnia have married there…

The price of renting this monumental monument for a wedding can be up to 50,000 euros. Therefore, this is one of the most luxurious wedding venues in Croatia and the entire Balkans.

Belaj Castle, Cerovlje

A place that takes your breath away primarily because of the surrounding nature and the view of the vineyards and the Učka mountain.

The property itself consists of a castle, founded in 1575 by the noble Barbo family, two annexes built in the 19th century and a magnificent vineyard.

There are 4 halls for events, and the largest, the outdoor one, can accommodate up to 200 people.

Belaj Castle also attracts numerous weddings, especially for lovers of history, wine, nature and a combination of outdoor and indoor weddings.

Brijuni Islands, Fažana

This beautiful archipelago is located a few kilometers west of the Istrian coast, opposite the small town of Fažana, and consists of 2 islands and 12 islets.

The Brijuni Islands have long been and remain synonymous with glamour. At the beginning of the 20th century, Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, painter Gustav Klimt, composer Richard Strauss, writers George Bernard Shaw and Thomas Mann rested here.

However, the real boom of the archipelago began in the 1950s, when Josip Broz, the president of the former Yugoslavia, hosted 90 statesmen from 60 countries on Brioni.

It is considered one of the best wedding venues in Croatia. You can enjoy the sea air and the sunset, while staying in one of the accommodations on this island.

Kaštel Morosini Grimani, Svetvinčenat

The symbol of the small town of Svetvinčenat, located in the heart of Istria.

This is the best-preserved castle in Istria, and it was recently completely renovated. It is located in the very center of this picturesque Istrian town.

The castle was created, and throughout history it was extended, combining three functions of this type of building: farming, agricultural economy and, of course, a defensive role.

It is considered an attractive location for various events, and has recently attracted a large number of weddings.

Unlike other locations, it is located in the interior of Istria, so it attracts lovers of nature, greenery, small towns and history for weddings.

Hotel Amfiteatar, Pula

A view of the Roman amphitheater, a menu from one of the best chef in Croatia, close to the Pula waterfront. Can you imagine anything better than this for your wedding?

It was recently completely renovated, so you have the feeling that you are staying in an exclusive hotel at the level of 4 or 5 stars.

Due to its capacity, the hotel Amfiteatar is suitable exclusively for small weddings of up to 70-80 people.

Its great advantage is that the newlyweds can do part of the ceremony or at least take pictures in the roman Amphitheater itself.

Hotel Amfiteatar is one of the first accommodation in Croatia to have a menu with about 30 vegan dishes such as vegan curry, fake meatballs, vegan tortillas… It also has several vegetarian and gluten free dishes.

Wedding planners

There are several good agencies for wedding organization, so you will hardly make a mistake in your choice.

What makes Wedding in Istria stand out is the personalization, availability and attention to detail in order to provide the newlyweds with an unforgettable experience.

They provide a complete wedding service that includes planning, coordination, decorations, invitations, etc.