Getting married in Lithuania, planned from abroad
Every season I photograph couples where one or both of you grew up here and now live in London, Dublin, Oslo or Chicago — and a few who simply fell for a manor house on a lake. This is the practical version of what I tell all of them.
Where couples from abroad usually marry
Lithuania’s wedding culture runs on manor houses and countryside estates (dvarai and sodybos): a ceremony outdoors or in a small church, then the whole party staying overnight on the estate. The photogenic ones are within an hour of Kaunas or Vilnius. Beyond that, the four places I get asked about most:
Vilnius old town
Baroque streets, the university courtyards, Bernardine garden, a town-hall ceremony a five-minute walk from everything. Best light: late afternoon, when the tour groups thin out.
Trakai
The island castle on the lake, forty minutes from Vilnius. A boat, a footbridge, and a ceremony at the lakeside manor of Užutrakis across the water.
Kaunas
My home town: a compact old town, the confluence of two rivers, a castle, the interwar modernist centre, and rooftops with a view of the whole of it. Easy for guests flying into Kaunas or Vilnius.
The Curonian Spit and the coast
Dunes, pine forests and the lagoon at Nida; Klaipėda’s old town and the Melnragė beach for a sunset session. Book early — July weekends there go a year ahead.
A Lithuanian wedding day, roughly
Getting ready from late morning, a ceremony early afternoon, the couple session and a few group photos before the banquet, then dinner that turns into dancing and traditionally runs until the small hours. Two things surprise guests from abroad: the gate games on the way to the venue, and the midnight moment when the bride’s veil is passed on. Both are worth being awake for; the Maximum package is built around them.
Sunset in June is after 10 pm, which means the best light of the day arrives during the party. I plan a fifteen-minute walk outside for it with you in advance, so nobody has to leave the dance floor guessing.
What to sort out from abroad
No. A video call is enough for the contract and the timeline, and I will meet you for a coffee if you are in Lithuania the week before. Most of my couples living abroad I first meet in person on the morning of the wedding.
With venues and videographers — yes, I have photographed at most of the estates around Kaunas and Vilnius and work with a small team of videographers. For everything else I can point you to planners who work with English-speaking couples, but I do not take a fee for it and I do not choose for you.
Bank transfer in euros; I can provide the contract in English. A deposit reserves the date; the rest is due before the wedding. Instalments are fine.
That depends on your citizenship and where you live, and it changes — please check with the Lithuanian civil registry office (Civilinės metrikacijos skyrius) of the town you are marrying in, or with your embassy. I photograph; I do not give legal advice.
Check your date
Tell me about your day
Where you are marrying, when, how many guests, and which country you are planning from. I reply shortly, in English.