Hvar was also recently voted as the best island in Europe by Condé Nast Traveller’s 600.000 readers. Now do you believe me when I say it’s special?
Island food is legendary in Adriatic, and Hvar is no exception with its homegrown produce, fresh fish, local olive oil and wine. It’s also famous for its lavender fields which paint the island purple every June with yellow accents from other Mediterranean flowers.
Take a look at some of our favorite images from Hvar wedding photographer and scroll down for much more info and links to full weddings.
Hvar is a short ferry ride from Split, which is very accessible via its international airport, for you or your guests. It also offers a variety of venues for any size of a Hvar wedding.
Most popular Hvar wedding venues are the church of St. Mark (or st. Marak, as the locals call it) and the Franciscan monastery in the eastern part of town of Hvar. For smaller, more adventurous elopements the peak of mountain of St. Nicholas is an amazing place to get married at.
Bonj Les Bains is a 1930s beach club and a terrific dinner reception venue with a capacity for a large number of guests and a big dancefloor.
Restaurant Zori is another popular venue with couples who have a thing for fine dining. It’s just a short speedboat ride away on the island of Palmižana. However, don’t expect exclusivity unless you reserve the whole place months in advance — there’s plenty of people who came from far away to dine there.
As Hvar wedding photographer and videographer, we’ve been there many times and managed to explore the old town in detail. We located all the best spots and studied how the light changes during the day, so we can guide you around chasing light with beautiful results.
We also visited the tiny islet of Gališnik, accessible by a 5 minute speedboat ride and a great addition to any session. See some of the photos in this wedding.
Let’s talk specifics for a bit. You arrive to Hvar via two basic directions – a ferry from Split to Stari Grad, or a ferry from Drvenik (southern side of island) to Sućuraj. As Hvar wedding photographer & videographer we tried both ferries and somehow like the Sućuraj one better. It’s much quicker and the embarking is much less stressful. (Visit Split harbor in mid-season and you will quickly realize that it’s a mix of a madhouse and a permanent monument to a traffic jam)
However, disembark at Sućuraj and you’ll have the whole length of the island to traverse on a… let’s call it a road. And boy, it’s a road you won’t forget soon! It’s ancient, asphalt is almost white by now and at many points it’s just wide enough for one car to pass (imagine what happens when you meet a bus from the other direction). It’s also full of curves with little visibility and the amazingly beautiful sights all around it are certainly not helping you focus on the road, haha.
It’s actually pretty enjoyable if you’re not late for a ferry and can take it easy. Once we had a chance of driving there at 5am and it was beautiful experience — no traffic at all, only beauty and serenity of a dawn on Hvar island.
Few months ago we had a chance to explore the island with an adventurous couple, so here are a few first hand pointers from Hvar wedding photographer & videographer.
First off, if you’re after the purple lavender fields and yellow žuka bushes, you’re best off arriving in late June. However, don’t expect to find huge lavender fields anywhere you look.
You’ll need to explore tiny roads leading apparently nowhere to find the true gems. We found the most beautiful fields on the road from Brusje to Malo Grablje and around village of Pitve.
Now that we’re on the topic, Malo Grablje is an abandoned village with many nice frames if you like the shabby look. Velo Grablje is a vibrant village nearby, with a lot of traditional houses and a big village collective building where lavender is processed into essential oil.
Stari Grad is a place definitely worth visiting (along with town of Hvar, of course). It has a huge bay with boats scattered all around it, and a long boardwalk along the seafront with a bunch of beautiful stone houses behind it. There’s also a green marketplace with tasty local produce.
As you travel along Hvar, you will occasionally find small stands selling essential oils, local spirits, olive oil and honey. We recommend you stop and try some!
Hvar Wedding photographer – get in touch!