HOW TO STYLE A BLUE VINTAGE DRESS FOR A WEDDING IN MEĐUGORJE?
Hello dear readers and fellow bloggers! In this post, I'll share what I wore to a traditional wedding in Herzegovina. Some vintage dresses are more special than others. This royal blue one falls into the category of more special ones. Not just because this long formal dress is absolutely gorgeous (more about that later) but because there's a story to it. Worn for several wedding celebrations spanning several decades, this dress has lived quite an interesting life!
This long blue pleated dress was a gift from my aunt. My aunt Nena actually wore it to her wedding! This blue dress wasn't her dress, but the formal dress she changed into after reception. Back when my aunt was young, that was the norm. The brides would typically get married in one dress and change to another later. Our Croatian traditional weddings were never a reception sort of things, they are typically quite elaborate. Croatian wedding were always an all night affair (the wedding celebrations and customs sometimes lasting for days), so I guess the ladies would change because they wanted to be more comfortable as they danced the night away. However, the brides would still change into something more formal. This dress is a perfect example of that kind of formal wedding dress.
So, I'm sure you can understand why this vintage dress is so special to me. It is a link to my aunt, who actually looks a lot like me. She's shorter than me but all of her dresses fit me perfectly. I think auntie must have worn really high heels back in the day! Anyhow, I felt like a mermaid princess in this dress. A rainbow of blue shades. This is how I would describe this beauty. It's primarily royal blue but it there's a lot of blue shades incorporated, from azure blue to azure blue and even aqua.
After early education in Brno, Moravia, and work for a theatre scene-painting firm in Vienna, Mucha studied art in Prague, Munich, and Paris in the 1880s. He first became prominent as the principal advertiser of the actress Sarah Bernhardt in Paris. He designed the posters for several theatrical productions featuring Bernhardt, beginning with Gismonda (1894), and he designed sets and costumes for her as well. Mucha designed many other posters and magazine illustrations, becoming one of the foremost designers in the Art Nouveau style. His supple, fluent draftsmanship is used to great effect in his posters featuring women. His fascination with the sensuous aspects of female beauty—luxuriantly flowing strands of hair, heavy-lidded eyes, and full-lipped mouths—as well as his presentation of the female image as ornamental, reveal the influence of the English Pre- Raphaelite aesthetic on Mucha, particularly the work of Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The sensuous bravura of the draftsmanship, particularly the use of twining, whiplash lines, imparts a strange refinement to his female figures.
cited from Britannica
NOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE LOCATION!
MY LAST DOCUMENTED VISIT TO MEĐUGORJE WAS A POST THAT ALSO FEATURED A BOOK REVIEW
MEĐUGORJE- A GREEN OASIS OF PEACE AND QUIET- Being sustainable with travel is another great idea if you are looking to make a difference. You can do it by being a local tourist and exploring the areas you would otherwise visit for various.
Međugorje (Medjugorje) is a small touristic village in Herzegovina. This ethno village is a village within village, you might say. I'll explain what I mean later.
Most of tourists that come to this village do so for religious reasons as Medjugorje is one of the most visited Christian pilgrimage sites, but you can also come to enjoy the nature. If you're interested to see and learn more about Međugorje, you can also visit my old post shot at this location and find more information there. It really is a lovely and peaceful place. Perfect for lovers of rural tourism and fine dining. There are some amazing restaurants in this area!
WHAT TO DO IN ETHNO VILLAGE HERCEG?
What to do in ethno village Herceg? Well, ethno village Herceg is a big touristic complex that includes a large restaurant and a cafe, a wine shop, different accommodation ranging from stone houses to a large hotel, a big wedding hall, a ceremony hall, congress halls, amphitheater that hosts concerts and performances, a museum (old house), pools with salt water and so on ( I don't think these pools work in wintertime, though) so there are lots of things and many reason why you might want to visit this place. I'm going to list a few actives suitable for a casual visitor or tourist. One of the things that makes this place an attractive winter destination is definitely the mild climate. It is almost always sunny and warm here, as you can see if you check out my winter travel post from last year. Now, let's get back to my list of things you can do in Ethno Village Herceg in Winter.
1. Sightseeing and taking photographs
You can visit this place just to stroll around and take photographs. Lots of people do it. This is a great location for photography. The picaresque stone houses make for a great background. The village complex is very neat and green. There are small creeks, fountains and small lakes that will keep any water lover happy. Moreover, the vineyard (yes, this village has its own vineyard) is quite beautiful.
Dinning is definitely a nice experience. This restaurant offers an excellent selection of means and desserts. You can also just stop by for a visit. Enjoying a cup of coffee or tea while soaking in the views is a great way to relax. I totally understand the rising popularity of rural tourism and tourist villages. People want some piece and quiet, a return to a more simple way of life but still with an excess to luxury.
There is a lovely chapel inside of the village. It hasn't been officially registered yet, so I don't think you can have a proper church wedding ceremony there but you can probably have an improvised one. I'm not sure about the legal details and because they might change anytime, it is best you ask for yourself. I mean if you are interested in having a wedding or some event organized here. I really like the art in this chapel. The paintings are so beautiful and expressive.
If you want to experience this place fully, probably the best way to do is to stay overnight. I have never spent the night here, so I don't have a hotel experience to share. Maybe I'll do a stayaction some day, and then I'll let you know how I liked it. I do imagine it must be a nice place to stay at.
5. Observing the domestic animals
This village is also a home to some domestic animals. I'm not sure could I call this area a petting zoo or not. Most of the domestic animals here are different species of birds. There are some donkeys as well.
HOW WAS THE WEDDING LIKE? The wedding was alright, but my favourite part of the evening was when I snuck out of the wedding hall and went for a walk around this ethno village by myself. It was so relaxing and calming. There was nobody around and as the sun was setting, I felt such a wonderful feeling of peace.
The Ethno Village Herceg Medjugorje is a hotel-tourist complex opened in late 2008. The complex is built on an area of more than 5 hectares and consists of over 50 stone buildings. Accommodation capacity includes 70 modern rooms.
Restaurant Herceg is the backbone of the complex due to its extremely interesting, authentic interior, which no other restaurant in the region has managed to overshadow. The exterior of the restaurant is a spacious terrace that will impress every guest, whether you find yourself here during great heats or to enjoy the evening hours. The rich and autochthonous gastronomic offer will satisfy the appetites of even the most demanding guests and become a lasting memory of your stay in Herzegovina.
Not less important are the other facilities that include congress and banquet halls, where a large number of events have been held in recent years. Cultural and artistic programs and events are held in the amphitheater, which has 1,000 seats, and whose guests are numerous celebrities from the region. Within the village there is a chapel hand-painted with paintings by the famous Italian painter Elisabeth Zocca. This whole space is ideal for various exhibitions and outdoor fairs.
You look beautiful in that dress.
ReplyDeleteI like the color.
Es un bello vestido. Te mando un beso.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures Ivana! Your dress are amazing
ReplyDeleteOh, you look fabulous! Love the olive blazer with it too. You look so festive. Thanks for the beautiful photos. So great to see photos of the two of you together too. Thanks for the write up as well. Such a beautiful June!
ReplyDeleteVery pretty. Looks like a lovely occasion! So love this color on you. The Olive Blazer is great for the night, too. Wonderful to see these photos. All the best to a beautiful summer!
ReplyDeleteThe beautiful blue is electric! You look lovely dear and thanks for sharing about Međugorje.
ReplyDeleteFASHION TALES
That dress is really pretty and love the colour :-D
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous dress, and it looks amazing on you, Ivana!
ReplyDeleteThis dress is so lovely on you- the color is beautiful!
ReplyDelete-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Much appreciated!
DeleteYou look absolutely stunning in your blue dress, Ivana! It shows off your gorgeous figure perfectly and the colour is beautiful on you. xxx
ReplyDeleteThank you dear. I love this colour.
DeleteWow, that dress! You look like a greek goddess in it! Absolutely stunning! I like the combo with the olive blazer (in front of an olive tree, of course! :-))) as well.
ReplyDeleteThank you dear Marlen! That was a lucky coincidence.
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