Our magical Croatian wedding journey

by croatiaweek
December 14, 2023
in Entertainment

Maxime and Connor on their special day in Croatia (Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

In a tale that spans continents and cultures, Maxime Sarić Menne and Connor John Finocchio share a unique love story that culminated in a magical Croatian wedding.

Their backgrounds of diverse heritages, weave together the threads of American, Croatian, German, Italian, and Irish influences.

Embracing Croatian Heritage

“My family grew up in Slavonia and immigrated from Croatia to the United States in 1962 and started their American life in Astoria, NY. Baba and Dida are very passionate Croatians and their children and grandchildren were raised with the utmost love and adoration for their heritage and homeland, Maxime starts off telling us,” before continuing.

Even in New York, they found and fostered a Croatian community with the Croatian Catholic Church in Manhattan and my Dida managed the New York Croatian soccer team. When Croatia gained its independence in the 1990s, my Baba & Dida moved back to Croatia and built a home in Crikvenica. Croatian was my brother and I’s first language and although my dad, Matthew, did not speak Croatian he was the most encouraging and supportive Tata making us proud of our Croatian roots.

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

Nikola and I are both so grateful that we were raised speaking Croatian and spending time in Croatia. Since childhood, we have spent every summer in Crikvenica with our family enjoying the traditional Croatian food and culture and falling more and more in love with our heritage. We are avid National Croatian Soccer fans and stay as connected to the community here as possible by attending Croatian church services and joining Croatian soccer watch parties with friends and family.”

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

A Cross-Cultural Love Blossoms

Maxime and Connor’s paths crossed at New York University, where Connor played ice hockey, and Maxime managed the hockey team. The spark that ignited their romance occurred during the Euros in 2016, at a Croatian bar in Astoria. A bet over a soccer match led Connor to Croatia that summer, marking his first European adventure.

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

“We watched the Euros at a Croatian bar in Astoria, and we made a bet that if Croatia beat Spain, Connor would come to Croatia that summer to visit me. Well, Croatia did in fact beat Spain and he booked a flight to Croatia for us to hangout as friends,” Maxime reveals.

Love blossomed against the backdrop of Croatia, and a few years later, Connor proposed in the city where their story began.

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

“We joke that he not only fell in love with me that year, he also fell in love with Croatia. In 2021, Connor proposed in NYC where we met and shortly after we decided the only place that made sense to get married was Croatia because it was where we’d started dating,” says Maxime.

In summer of 2021, the couple visited Hotel Palace Elisabeth on Hvar, and knew immediately that they wanted to have our wedding there.

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

“It is the most magical venue and location. It was the perfect mix of fun, the sea, and elegance in one place. We signed the contract that summer and began our 2 year planning process,” she adds.

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

A Croatian Wedding Extravaganza

The couple hosted their guests for two nights on Hvar with guests staying at HPE and Riva Marina Hotel.

“On Friday night when our guests arrived, we had a welcome party at sunset at BB club with traditional Croatian prosciutto cutting, olive oil tasting and Croatian liquor. It was our way to welcome our guests to our special Croatia with traditional food and drinks! We curated welcome baskets for guests in their rooms with all Croatian products: lavender soap, chips, custom cookies, rakija, recovery kit, custom hat, a map of Hvar and the weekend itinerary.

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

Connor gifted his groomsmen a special silk handkerchief with the Croatian Grb in the center and their names lining the border.

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

On Saturday, we had the church ceremony at St. Stephen’s Cathedral and our dinner / reception at Hotel Palace Elisabeth.

We wanted as many traditional Croatian touches as possible, so we also had a Klapa band that escorted us to church from the hotel with flag bearers holding the Croatian and American flags and had custom cuturicas with our new last name on them.

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

The pictures speak for themselves because of Marko’s incredible photography skills – we are so lucky to be able to relive our special weekend through the spectacular photos.

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

The staff at our venues were superb – Hotel Palace Elisabeth was truly remarkable. We had unexpected stormy weather on wedding day and they quickly transitioned to our backup plan and seamlessly pulled it even though they had never done it before. We are forever grateful to each and every one of our vendors and staff for putting together our dream weekend – one we will never ever forget.

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

Our guests fell in love with Croatia but also fell in love with the people, the culture and its cuisine. Most of our guests traveled throughout Croatia on their trip and got to experience its magic – I’ve never had so many people tell me that they are DEFINITELY going back and that it was the most beautiful place they’ve ever been,” Maxime explained.

From Dream to Reality: Planning from Afar

Planning a destination wedding in Croatia from the United States might seem daunting, but Maxime and Connor found joy in the process. Their main advice to others considering a similar adventure is simple: enjoy every moment.

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

The planning, facilitated by their wedding planner, Tamara from Adriatic Weddings, was made smoother through connections to vendors and Tamara’s invaluable experience.

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

Maxime and Connor’s wedding not only united two souls but also connected family and friends to the beauty of Croatia. Their guests left not only with memories of a stunning celebration but also with a newfound love for the people, culture, and cuisine of this enchanting country.

(Photo credit: Marko Marinković)

A lot of people were involved and they thank the following vendors for their magical work on their special wedding weekend.

Venue: Hotel Palace Elisabeth & St. Stephen’s Cathedral on Hvar
Planner: Adriatic Weddings – Tamara
Florist: Floranita
Photographer: Marko Marinkovic
Videographer: Amas Films – Denis
Hair: Lidija Stokic
Makeup: Simona Antonovic
Wedding Dress: Mira Zwillinger from Mark Ingram
Tuxedo: Tom Barnett
Music: DJ DADO & Funky Coconuts
Rings: Jewelry By Tatu
Stationary / Invites / Menus: Paper & Poste