Getting Married — or Just Celebrating — at a Private Villa in Croatia

We got married at Villa Marim. That is probably the most direct answer to the question of whether a private villa in Croatia is the right place for a celebration. We knew the villa better than anyone — we had planned it and furnished every room. And when it came to choosing where to get married, there was no discussion.

The terrace above the rock. The Adriatic below. The tables Hans had made in his workshop. In the evening the light on the sea was the same light that made us build this place in the first place.

So what is it actually like to celebrate at a private villa, and how do you do it?

What a villa celebration is — and is not

A hotel wedding venue is a package. There is a coordinator, a fixed menu, a list of approved suppliers, a room hire fee, and a timeline you are expected to follow. The venue has done it hundreds of times. You are the hundredth couple.

A villa celebration is different at the foundation. The villa is yours for the duration of your stay — not for an evening, but for the week. You wake up in the same place where you celebrated the night before. Your closest people are sleeping in the rooms down the corridor. In the morning you swim together. At dinner you eat at the table Hans made, overlooking the sea where you said your vows. The boundary between the celebration and the rest of life disappears, which is the point.

What this requires on your side: some planning and direct communication with us. There is no venue coordinator to call. You talk to us — to Benjamin — and we arrange everything directly with the people we trust. That is both simpler and more personal than a hotel's event department.

What can be arranged

Private chef dinner. For a celebration dinner, we arrange a private chef and build the menu around the occasion. A long dinner for 14 on a terrace at the Estate, with Žlahtina wine and Adriatic fish, is a completely different experience from a restaurant booking. Tell us the occasion and the dietary requirements and we handle the rest.

Flowers and decoration. For our own wedding at Villa Marim we brought in local people to prepare everything, and we can organise the same for yours: tell us what you have in mind. Local and Mediterranean suits these terraces best — olive branches, lavender, sea tones — rather than the generic hotel style.

Wine from the cellar. For a celebration, we recommend a tasting at Katunar Estate in Vrbnik before the event, to choose your bottles; it is where we buy our own welcome wine, and the wine at our own wedding came from there too. Žlahtina on a Croatian terrace is a specific kind of pleasure.

In-villa spa and massage. The morning of a wedding or birthday, we can arrange a massage therapist at the villa, for one guest or the whole group. Villa Marim has an outdoor sauna and a jacuzzi on the terrace above the sea; Villa Moana has a barrel sauna and whirlpool that work beautifully for a group morning.

Airport transfers. If guests are arriving from different airports or cities, we coordinate all of it. One message from you with the flight details, and we arrange the transfers.

What about the ceremony itself?

A legally binding civil wedding in Croatia is conducted by a registrar (matičar), not a notary. It normally takes place at the registry office; another suitable place, such as the villa, is possible only if the registrar agrees, for an extra fee, and you need two adult witnesses. Ask the registry office, or your embassy, early about the documents you need. For symbolic ceremonies or a renewal of vows there is no legal process: you need a celebrant and a terrace. We have the terrace and can help you find a celebrant.

Our honest advice: keep the ceremony small and the dinner large. On the rock above the sea, with the people who matter most, the setting does most of the work.

Capacity and which villa to choose

Villa Marim sleeps up to 8 guests and is the right choice for an intimate celebration — a wedding party, a milestone birthday for a close group. The rock setting, the private sea access, and the SPA area make it particularly suited to moments that require atmosphere.

Villa Moana and Villa Manatis sit next to each other in Vrbnik. Booked together as the Estate, they accommodate 14 overnight guests. For a birthday weekend with a large family group, a group of close friends celebrating together, or any occasion that benefits from having everyone together in two villas side by side — the Estate is the right choice. The two pools, the two saunas, the sand court and the whirlpool: everything becomes a shared playground for the duration of the stay.

When to book

The summer months on Krk — July and August — fill up earliest. If you are planning a celebration during peak season, write to us at least 6 months in advance. June and September are in many ways better for celebrations: warm enough for everything, quieter on the island, softer light. May is genuinely beautiful and availability is usually better.

Villa celebration at a glance

• Overnight capacity: Villa Marim up to 8 guests; Villa Moana and Villa Manatis up to 7 each; both Vrbnik villas together as the Estate up to 14.
• Day guests: tell us in advance how many people will join who are not staying over; quiet hours start at 22:00.
• Ceremony: symbolic ceremonies and vow renewals take place directly at the villa; a legally binding civil wedding is conducted by a registrar (matičar), and holding it outside the registry office needs the registrar’s approval.
• Arranged through us: private chef, help finding a florist, Žlahtina from Katunar Estate in Vrbnik, in-villa massage, airport transfers for the whole party.
• Lead time: at least 6 months for July and August; May, June and September are quieter and usually easier to secure.

How the planning works

It starts with one message — the occasion, the number of guests, the dates you have in mind. We reply with what is realistically available and which villa we would recommend. Once the dates are held, we introduce you to the chef, help you find a florist, coordinate the transfers as your guests book their flights, and agree the final numbers with you before arrival. There is no coordinator between you and the people doing the work. That is the whole point.

Before you write, you can check live availability and prices for all three villas.