If you are like me, you probably asked yourself, “Where do I even begin to plan a wedding in Albania?!”
Where to start?
Check out our blog posts on how we planned our wedding in Albania. The majority of it was planned via social media and What’s App messaging. It was fun and challenging to plan a destination wedding from abroad, but it involved a few tears along the way because there was so little information out there at the time we were planning our wedding. Which is why we wrote this blog, to help future couples plan their dream day in Albania!
You may also be worried about how to plan the logistics of a destination wedding, like airport pickups for out-of-town guests and day-trips to keep them entertained. We used a travel agency, Albanian Trip, to help plan those high-stress items, and it was so worth it. Check out this blog post for more information on working with them, which we HIGHLY recommend!
On this page, you will find our personal recommendations for vendors, planning timelines, cultural notes, and even sample messages (in English and Albanian) to help you plan and communicate in confidence.
In order on this page:
- Venues
- Hotels
- Photographers / Video
- Makeup & Hair
- Music & DJs
- The Dress
- Wedding Cake
💒 Venues
Albanian weddings are usually grand, high-energy celebrations that last late into the next morning, held in palace-style ballrooms—complete with huge dance floors, elegant décor, and space for hundreds of guests. You won’t typically see a Western-style walk down the aisle, but you will find incredible service and all-inclusive packages.
For something more off the beaten path—like a mountain or beach resort wedding—including with a walk down the aisle, you’ll need to get creative and hands-on in explaining your needs to the venue. We’ve gathered both traditional and unique venue options to help you find the perfect fit.
Click the arrows next to each option to reveal details!
Options in Korçë
White House Komplex – Korçë (palatial, luxurious, two-story, descending staircase, all-inclusive food and decor)
📞 Contact: +355695586110
They went absolutely above and beyond to make our wedding night perfect. Palace-like, crafted exclusively for weddings. It is all inclusive– meaning your wedding reception will be planned for you– from the decor, the 4 course dinner, to the lightening. They even let us “crash” another wedding the year before, so we could get a sense and feel of how our big day would be! We hung out on the top level and kept to ourselves, but the servers even made us a dinner for free! The owner, Gerti, works so hard and has high expectations for his team, who also are so professional and provide excellent service.
Restaurant Ambassador – Voskopojë (cobblestone streets, intimate, incredible authentic food)
The team at Ambassador Restaurant closed the whole place for us and welcomed us for an intimate, seemingly all you can eat dinner, in the pouring rain following our wedding ceremony. They had a live band playing beautiful serenatas, a space for us to line dance, and the most delicious home cooked meals we experienced during our entire time in Albania. Lakror, byrek, fergese, salat jeshile, and the plates kept coming!
https://www.instagram.com/ambassador_voskopoje
Hotel Akademia – Voskopojë (mountain romance / orthodox, old church cobblestone streets)
https://www.instagram.com/hotelakademiavoskopoje
Epidamn White Sensation – Durrēs (beachside getaway)
Shaholli Brothers “Vellezerit Shaholli” (great food, deal, years of experience, more modest, 2 locations)
Kompleksi Porta e Gurt – Korçë (we considered this venue! They are affordable and very pretty, but we preferred the style of White House Komplex ultimately!)
Option in Tirana that we considered
Iliria Palace
Option in Sarandë that we considered
🏩 Hotels & Accommodations
Most hotels in Albania are charming, locally-owned boutique stays with warm service, stylish rooms, and delicious breakfasts—often at a very affordable price. In bigger cities like Tirana, you’ll also find a few international chains (like the Marriott), though they usually come with a higher price tag.
We recommend reaching out to your chosen hotel early and letting them know how many guests you expect. Most won’t require payment until after the stay. You can either cover the cost upfront and have guests reimburse you (what we did), or work with the hotel so each guest pays for their own room directly.
Below are some of our favorite places to stay—perfect for you and your wedding guests!
IN Gallery Hotel & Spa – Korçë
Sky Hotel – Korçë
We booked the entire place to ourselves! It was so cozy but simultaneously luxurious. Each room is designed differently and with unique amenities, whether that be a spa, giant hot tub, or a balcony. And the service and breakfast was excellent, a favorite amongst our guests! https://www.instagram.com/skyboutique_hotel
Lot Boutique Hotel – Tirana
https://www.instagram.com/lot_boutique_hotel/
Ah, the dress—the best part for many brides, right? In Albania, it’s common to rent your wedding dress for around $900+. They’re beautiful but usually can’t be altered or kept, and are returned right after the wedding. However, some shops sell dresses and accessories like veils, hairpins, clutches, and shoes. Or, you can work with one of the many talented seamstresses (search “rrobaqepse” in your city of choice) to create a custom gown for you— Just give them a couple of months heads-up!
Culture Tip: Albanian brides often wear multiple dresses—sometimes up to four! I preferred to buy rather than rent, so I found three dresses in the U.S., all second-hand or on sale, and packed them in my suitcase. I also wore a traditional Albanian outfit from my husband’s village—something I highly recommend if it fits your story. It was such a special way to honor his culture.
Below are some great places to rent or buy dresses and suits in Albania.
Hotel Akademia – Voskopojë
See the “venue” sections for photos, but Hotel Akademia is more than just a wedding venue, it offers a beautiful, rustic accomodation in the mountains of Voskopoje! We rented out two cabins to get ready in for our first night ceremony. https://www.instagram.com/hotelakademiavoskopoje
📸 Photographers & Wedding Films
There’s no shortage of wedding photographers and videographers in Albania—just search for studios (example, “Studio Xhimi” in your city of choice on Google or a map app.
When it comes to finding the right fit, I would suggest starting with Instagram to get a feel for style. If you’re looking for top-tier talent, attention to detail, and special styling/editing, we’ve listed our favorite pros below. If you’re after a budget-friendly but still fabulous output, option, most local studios can still capture your day beautifully.
Albanian videographers often record every minute of your wedding and may send you the full footage without edits which can be more than 4 hours long. However, most packages should include a short highlight reel and possibly a 1–2 hour version. Some studios even offer a pre-wedding “klip”—a cinematic shoot of you and your partner a few days before the wedding, running through a meadow or walking along the beach, like an engagement film.
It all depends on the package, so be sure to ask what’s included. Bonus: many studios bring cranes to capture sweeping, movie-style shots of your big day!
Who we like:
Andi Allko Photographer – Travels all over
Studio Xhimi Photographers and Filmmakers – Korçë region mostly
- They did all of our wedding videos! Check out our first dance for a glimpse of their work
- Blerta Celibashi Photographer – Travels all over, provides images of your special day that are clean, glowing, and full of life and emotion!
- Aldi Karaj Filmmaker – Travels all over, so creative and great attention to detail!
💄 Makeup & Hair
Albania has many talented makeup and hair artists who truly go all out to make you feel and look like a princess. However, unlike in the US or other countries, do not expect for artists to come to you—brides typically go to the salon to get ready, then travel to the venue in full glam and dress. And sometimes that commute can be one hour or longer, so be prepared and bring a fan!
In some cases, the stylist may be able to come TO you. In our case, I chose to pay extra to request my artist come to help us get ready in my hotel room on both days (we had an intimate ceremony + walk down the aisle the first night, and the big wedding the second night). My makeup and hair artist, Dorilda, brought her assistants and all their equipment. Each artist runs their own small business, so it’s important to be respectful if you want them to come to you—be generous with your tip and offer to pay more for this request!
- Dorilda Lame – Dorilda, based in the Korçë region, was my makeup artist and hairstylist for both days. She is absolutely incredible: so sweet, patient, uplifting, and extremely talented at her job. She made me feel like a princess, creating my dream looks in a few hours! Her team was so helpful as well, and they even made time to help my bridesmaids and mom get glammed up as well. I cannot recommend Dorilda enough. (The first 8 photos are from Dorilda)
- Lunika Spahi – My sister in law, who officiated our wedding, got ready with Lunika Spahi at Luna Studio Finess in Korce. She looked gorgeous! (See last two photos)
Regarding your desired look: Be clear about what you want— for example, no fake lashes or extensions. To help you communicate your style, I’ve included some useful Albanian phrases below.
- Long hair: flokë te gjate
- short hair: flokë te shkurter
- dark hair: flokë ngjyrë kafe
- blonde hair: bjondë
- curly: kacurella
- straight hair: të drejtë
- natural: natyrale
- dramatic (makeup): dramatike
- fake eyelashes: qerpike artificiale
🎶 Music: DJs & Musicians
Many weddings feature DJs, bands (orkestras), or live singers. It’s a popular (but more expensive) trend to hire a famous Albanian singer to perform at your wedding. DJs and musicians might take charge and play their preferred music, but you can create a playlist and let them know your must-have songs in advance.
DJs often provide extras like lighting, smoke, or fireworks for the first dance, on top of what the venue might already offer. And if you prefer live music during your ceremony, I’ve also listed a wonderful group of violinists we hired.
Below are options for reputable DJs and musicians to consider. You can also ask your venue for their preferred vendors.
- DJ Niko – Travels all over. Provides music, lightening, and fog machines! He timed the special effects like fireworks and fog PERFECTLY with our first dance music and choreography!
- Two Violins – Based in Korçë. These girls are insanely talented and will play the most beautiful music at your ceremony! They learned “our” song and played it while I walked down the aisle!
- Fisnik Ristemi – Signer based out of North Macedonia. He surprised us with a personal song at our wedding!
🤍 The Dress – Fustan per Nuse!
FYI, these are my suggestions for Albanian brands that I have worked with (tried on the dresses, communicated with, and recommend their work) but I did not end up with a dress from Albania. I personally found it more cost effective to purchase my own dresses in my home country (both were used and in great condition!)
Or… Get it Custom Made from a Local Tailor / Seamstress (Rrobaqepse)
We asked Bukurije and her partner at HB Fashion in Tetovo to make this beautiful, one of a kind dress for my rehearsal dinner! I even got to pick out the exact fabrics and design. They were amazing. This is my favorite dress I have ever worn!
Joni Peci (suits)
🍰 Wedding Cake
Albanian wedding cakes are usually showstoppers—multi-tiered, elegant, and dramatic. Like in American weddings, only the top tier is typically real; the rest is sheet cake cut behind the scenes. That said, fully real tiered cakes are possible if you request it!
Venues usually handle the presentation: wheeling out the cake, popping champagne, and serving slices after the couple’s ceremonial first bite. You can choose any flavor or design you like—though vanilla and chocolate are the most popular.
We’ve listed some reliable bakeries below with multiple locations that deliver. You can also search “pasticeri” on Google Maps in your chosen city. Just be aware: cake makers may only take reservations a few weeks in advance. We booked ours a year out and still had a mix-up the day before! The key takeaway? Follow up often and confirm your reservation in person, a few days before the big day!
These shops are located all over Albania, so you can find a location close to your big day:
- Pastiçeri Dajana > this is who we chose, see photos below for their work (venue is White House Komplex)
- Pastiçeri Lika
- Pasticeri Nefeli
This page is often being updated, so please let us know if there is another category or vendor you would like to see or recommend yourself!