Slovakia Destination Wedding Photographer

At the beginning of September, I took off from Luton Airport towards Kosice in Slovakia. I was looking forward to being the Slovakia Destination Wedding Photographer for the wedding of A & A. It was a very early start as I was travelling directly to Kosice on the third place out of the day at 5:50, so it was an early start! Nonetheless, I was very excited to discover a new country, new traditions and to witness and document the lovely wedding of A & A. I arrived a day before the wedding day. It gave the opportunity to visit the wedding ceremony location in advance and meet some of the main participants in advance. The ceremony was to take place in the village were the bride grew up, Dlhé Klčovo, in a lovely Greek Catholic church. After a good night’s rest, I was ready to capture their wedding day!

My morning started taking a few pictures of the groom getting ready at a nearby Hotel. The groom was fairly relaxed and excited. It was great to see how much this day meant to him. Any signs of worry seem to be related to the organisation of the day. He wanted to make sure that all went to plan. When I got to the bride’s house, the was a really relaxed vibe going on. The bride was finishing getting ready with her friends. Family members came to see her as soon as she was ready and it was great to see their reactions. I then made my way to the church to capture a few shots of guests arriving.

A Greek Catholic wedding ceremony

Contrary to the traditions that we are used to in the UK, the bride arrived to the church and met the groom outside. The bride and groom then entered the church together, following the priest. A lot of effort had been made, to translate the order of service if both languages. The ceremony was beautiful and it included music played by the bride and groom’s close friends. The bride and groom being musicians, the day was going to be filled with music! many of the traditions are different, including the exchange of rings being done without the priest. After the ceremony, the bride and groom greeted their guests outside. Some really lovely moments took place, with friends and family congratulating the bride and groom. After a surprise pigeon release and a bouquet throw, it was time to head to the wedding venue.

A wedding reception at Ranč Zaľubova

The drinks reception and evening meal took place at the ranch, a mere 20 minutes away from the church. It was a gorgeous and rustic wedding venue in a lovely setting. Drinks and food awaited. As the sun was hiding behind the hills, we took the opportunity to take a few portraits before going into the barn for the wedding breakfast. A tradition of the bride smashing a plate and the groom clearing it up (playfully hindered by family members) took place before everyone was allowed in. The meal and the evening followed a very different pattern that any other wedding that I had been to. The first dance followed the starters. There was then dancing followed by the other courses and speeches also took place late at night. It was really good fun as it was very relaxed with a great party spirit throughout. I stayed until fairly late capturing as much of the vibe of the day as I could. My coverage started after a tradition at midnight. The bride is threatened by her eldest brother with a knife and axe. The brother then dances with his mother and the bridesmaid before all the guests take turns to dance with the bride. At the end, the groom tried to break in and eventually dances with the bride before taking her away! It was a great experience and I enjoyed every minute!

Below is a short selection of my favourite images from their wedding day. It was day filled with joy and everyone made me feel so welcome. It is a shame that I only stayed a couple of days in Slovakia as I really enjoyed this “taster session” and I would love to discover more. The scenery in this area is truly beautiful. If you are ever looking for a Slovakia Destination Wedding Photographer (or any other destination for that matter), I would love to hear from you. Thanks so much for reading and visiting my site! I would love to hear your comments in the comments section below!