What to expect in Belgrade?
Things you should know
Hey guys, we've compiled some of the visa and COVID restriction sites (which will be updated often, so do please check as we get closer to the date):
https://www.mfa.gov.rs/en/citizens/travel-serbia/covid-19-entry-requirements
How to get around Belgrade?
We have organized two drivers, Sava and Mirko, to be at your service during the 13th-17th of October. Both of them speak English and will charge the regular tariff, depending on the size of the car. Sava offers a 5-sitter car with a transport tariff of around 20 EUR or 20 USD from the airport to anywhere else in Belgrade. The price is always the same, regardless of the number of people.
Driver Sava's mobile phone/WhatsApp: +381 63 7767976
In case that Sava is not available or busy driving other people, feel free to reach out to driver Mirko Milakov. However, he has a six-sitter car and charges a bit more for the airport drive (around 40 EUR).
Mirko's mobile phone/WhatsApp: +381 63 454005
Belgrade doesn't have Uber, but it does have the local version known as CarGo, which is likely the safest, cheapest, and most convenient way to get across town and especially to or from the airport.
Taxis in Belgrade are comparatively cheap to the rest of the world, but only if you choose wisely. Avoid getting into "unregistered" taxis (with plain white taxi signs) at all costs, as they are notorious for ripping off their customers more than ten times the usual price. To stay on the safe side, always call a taxi to ensure that they are valid. Our recommendations are Lux Taxi, Pink Taxi, and Plavi Taxi. Most vehicles don't offer card payments, so make sure to ask for one while booking.
If you don't mind public transport, we recommend hopping on a bus or trolley in order to truly experience candid Belgrade. All public transport use a Bus Plus card payment system, so it would be smart to invest in one before hopping on a bus, in case of the rare occurrence of controllers. A lot of the locals don't even bother using this payment system though and talk their way out of paying the fine. Foreigners however, might have even be overcharged for riding without a ticket, so watch out.
Which is the best area to stay in Belgrade?
The best place to stay in Belgrade is Old Town around Republic Square. All things considered, Belgrade Old Town (in the Serbian language "Stari Grad" ) and Republic Square area is the best place in the city to be based if you are a tourist. You'll be within walking distance of hundreds of restaurants, shops, and bars.
We recommend Airbnb and booking.com, but please feel free to reach out in case you need our help to find a proper place to stay! :)
What to expect on the wedding day?
We will gather at Ruzica Church in Kalemegdan park around 14:45h. The church is small, so it might happen that not all of the people can fit inside during the ceremony itself, so those who arrive earlier may join the ceremony. :) The wedding ceremony shouldn't take more than 30 minutes, and we will take pictures together afterward. Please bear in mind that access to the church might be challenging for the ladies in high heels due to the cobblestone pavement.
The church itself has a very long history that dates to the 15th century, and we recommend reading about its story here: Ruzica Church
After we take group photos, Ljubo and Tea will leave with the photographer for a photo shooting and guests can mingle there or slowly head towards Metropol Palace hotel for the wedding reception. The wedding will start at 17h, so you can start heading to the hotel around between 16:00 and 16:30h.
At the wedding venue entrance, you will get a small bracelet decoration in three colors (green-available, yellow-undefined, red-married/in a relationship), and it's customary to tip the young girls that will be sharing decorations (anything from 100-200 RSD). When you take a photo with a wedding couple at the venue, there is a box for envelopes for your nice wishes and (monetary) gifts. It is not a custom to give it directly to the newlyweds; it is a special time for them when later they sit down, read your messages, and reflect on your kind words.
There will be a live band playing a whole night, and at some point, the Gipsy Band trumpet players will arrive to perform a few songs shortly. The trumpet players accept tips. The usual tip amount is 200-500 RSD per tip, with 1000-2000 being if you are really amazed or ask for several songs, for example. You may be inspired to tip multiple times, which is perfectly fine.
Dinner will be served around 18h, and a menu with non-vegetarian and vegetarian options will be on the table.
Besides the throwing of the flowers at the venue - where unmarried ladies will try to catch the bouquet and see who will get married next - in Serbia, we also do a throwing of special bread (Pogaca) by “Stari Svat” an unmarried master of ceremony of the wedding, in our case called Aleksandar. Aleksandar will be throwing this bread, and unmarried men will try to catch it - with the winner being the next one to get married (or so they say). :P
Popular places for sightseeing and dining
Here is the list of the top 25 places to visit in Belgrade: https://www.thecrazytourist.com/25-best-things-belgrade-serbia/
During our boat tour, we will visit the Belgrade fortress, splavovi, and parts of Zemun.
Skadarlija, Church of St. Sava, Knez Mihailova Street, Republic Square, Residence of Princess Ljubica, National Theatre (from the outside), St. Michael's Cathedral, Stari Dvor (Old Palace), House of the National Assembly will be visited during our casual walking tour the day before the wedding (Oct 13th).
And here you will find The best restaurants in Belgrade for everyone's taste. We would especially like to highlight Lorenzo & Kakalamba, Smokvica (The Fig), and Cantina de Frida, as they have a very authentic design and a variuos selection of delicacies.
Friday & Sunday schedule
Friday, Oct 13th
We plan to meet with everyone who wants to join us around 14h at St. Sava Temple and start walking from there. As mentioned in the section above, we will have a casual stroll and visit some of the following places:
Kalemegdan, Church of St. Sava, Knez Mihailova Street, Republic Square, Residence of Princess Ljubica, National Theatre (from the outside), St. Michael's Cathedral, Stari Dvor (Old Palace), and House of the National Assembly. After we finish our 'walking tour' (between 18-19h), we will go to Skadarlija street and dine in some of the restaurants there (most likely Mali Vrabac - Little Sparrow, or Dva Jelena - Two Deers). After dinner, you can go to splavs (river floating bars) or some popular clubs/bars in case you'd like to party till dawn. :)
Sunday, Oct 15th
We've organized two tours for our international guests: 1) Underground Tour that starts at noon, and
2) River boat tour that starts at 2:30 pm.
To read more details about the tours, please visit the EVENTS section.
After the second tour ends (around 16h), we will head to (early) dinner or (late) lunch, and the location will be decided later.
For the friends who arrive earlier in Belgrade (before Friday) and stay later (after Sunday), we can meet spontaneously and visit some of the locations we won't have time to see on Friday and Sunday.
Finally, we will create a WhatsApp group and add everyone for easier communication a few days before the wedding. :)
Looking forward to seeing you all!