How We Pulled It Off: A Dreamy Castle Wedding in a Slovenian Wine Valley

Aljosa Videtic

What do you know about Slovenia? That's that question that Stephanie Owens and Alexander Ingram asked of their families and friends when they got married there last fall. The American bride and Australian groom met through friends in New York City and have lived there the majority of their adult lives, but their loved ones are based around the globe. “We decided that it made sense for everyone to travel [for our wedding],” says Stephanie, “and we also thought that that would help to make it feel more intimate.”

The couple didn’t need to think very hard about a destination: not only were Stephanie's maternal grandparents born there (before emigrating during World War II), she also serves as the Honorary Consul of Slovenia to New York, a role that finds her operating as a cultural ambassador who’s very active in the Slovenian community in the US. The couple has visited Slovenia together several times, particularly when Stephanie's proposed title required meetings with various ministries and embassies there. But they knew that the vast majority of their 100 guests hadn’t been to the nation they love.

“Most of the guests are pretty well traveled and been to a bunch of countries in Europe, but only two or three had been to Slovenia,” says Alexander. “I think everyone appreciated that they got to experience this new country that they probably never would've been to if it weren’t for this.”

The couple set out to give their (just under) 100 guests the very best introduction to the 32-year-old country, with a celebration in a medieval castle, a night at a winery, and poetry in Slovene. Ahead, they explain how their destination wedding in Slovenia came together.

Figure out a vibe before the venue

Choosing (and putting down a deposit for) a place to get married can be stressful even in one’s own city, so sifting through options on the other side of the world has the potential to be truly maddening. To begin the process, Stephanie and Alexander considered what kind of adventure they wanted their loved ones to have: Anything “stuffy” was anathema, and easy access to nature was paramount. “When we described what we wanted to the planner, most of the venues had this whimsical feel with an outdoor element,” says Stephanie. “And I love a water feature, so we wanted to have some water as well.”

After considering several sites around Slovenia, particularly along the border with Italy, they chose the Grad Štanjel, a castle set inside a walled, medieval city perched atop a hill. The castle itself, and its restaurant, are family-run and -operated; guests could choose among several places to stay within the walls of the city; and there were several outdoor spaces the couple could use in their celebration. “Groups come and visit the Ferrari Garden, which has a lot of significance to the area, and it looks over the Vipava Valley, which is really beautiful,” says the bride.

With such a spectacular setting, the couple opted to keep decor simple. “We really leaned into the ambiance of the castle. Zander’s very big on lighting, so we had a lot of candles,” says Stephanie. Branches of eucalyptus (a nod to Australia) and white flowers like stephanotis (recalling the bride’s name) nailed a “crisp, clean aesthetic.”

Really trust your planners

As the two biggest decisions, the couple considered venues and event planners “in tandem,” they say. Through the bride’s consular connections, they chose to work with Fabulatorij Agency, a Ljubljana-based firm. “We did some research on our own, but everything really came more alive when we started working with Fabulatorij,” says Stephanie, calling them the “ideal partner.” Among some of their key undertakings were putting together a brief of possible venues, communicating with local vendors with little to no English fluency, and receiving many packages—such as gift bag items—in advance.

So comfortable was the couple with Fabulatorij that they didn’t even visit Grad Štanjel in person before they booked it—the team made site visits on their behalf and FaceTimed the couple in. “Technology makes things so easy these days! I was having them turn the camera this way and that way to make sure that things weren't being left off screen that might otherwise have not been to our aesthetic,” Stephanie says.

Let the vendors flow from there

Working with Grad Štanjel made some of their other vendor choices pretty simple; the property’s restaurant, Bistro Grad Štanjel by Q KOMEL, is an award-winning spot and the exclusive catering partner for events, while a member of the owner’s family serves as in-house florist. Elsewhere, the couple were determined to choose smaller, Slovenian vendors, lists of whom Fabulatorij was happy to supply.

They e-met with several photographers but opted for Aljosa Videtic for his warm demeanor and chic editorial style, while they chose the Josip Brass Band after watching a few of their sets on YouTube. They were even able to play English-speaking hits like “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls and their first dance song, “The Best” by Tina Turner.

Prepare for calls at all hours across time zones

As happy as they ultimately were with their Slovenian vendors, managing communications while planning in Europe, working in New York, and hammering out travel plans with loved ones in Australia was the single most difficult aspect of the process. The “relentless” schedule left them feeling constantly engaged and glued to their phones and computers, the couple say.

Plan an unforgettable introduction to the country

That their loved ones were so unfamiliar with this tiny corner of the world could have been daunting, but the couple leaned into their roles as tour guides. For the logistics of getting to Slovenia and to Štanjel, they provided guests with access to a travel agent, and constantly updated the frequently asked questions on their wedding website. Their website also offered some key words and phrases in Slovenian for their reference, though most of the country speaks English.

Additionally, the couple put together a 10-day itinerary suggesting historical sites, interesting towns, other castles, and natural wonders like caves and Lake Bled if their guests wanted to make the most of their visit or extend their trips. To kick off their celebration, and to draw attention to the country’s burgeoning wine scene, Zander and Stephanie hosted a party at Petrič Winery, which included a tour of the vineyard and food traditional to the surrounding Karst region.

Bring Slovenian traditions into the wedding itself

Ever the cultural ambassadors, the couple continued the education process right into their nuptials themselves. Stephanie’s mother, who speaks the language, read a poem about two doves in Slovenian during the ceremony before translating it to English for the crowd. And for the bouquet toss, Stephanie adapted a tradition wherein she had female guests take hold of ribbons attached to her flowers, then dance in a circle as each ribbon was released. The final ribbon connected to the recipient of her bouquet. It was a small ceremony her sister had also done at her own wedding.

Use the country as a springboard to Europe

Many of their guests chose to capitalize on their trips by spending more time in Slovenia or elsewhere on the continent, as did the bride and groom themselves: They went to London first, where Stephanie’s sister lives, to have a visit and begin acclimating to European time zones. Zander continued on to Italy, where he and his friends threw a bachelor party on the Amalfi Coast. After the wedding, the newlyweds went on to Italy’s biggest nearby city, Venice, for a night, where they actually ran into several of their own guests along the canal. From there, they started their honeymoon in the Greek islands.

Still, and in case there was any doubt, Slovenia remained the star of the weekend—aside from the couple themselves, of course. “Again, so many people hadn't been there before and were just so impressed with the hospitality of the country, the food, the overall aesthetic,” says Stephanie. “They really had a great time.”

Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler