Motorway Driving From Tirana to Shkroder Castle Passing Wedding Venues

 All along the motorway you see short shops and restaurant strips Occasionally you see a wedding dress shop

Out in wild countryside you see the sign towards a fairytale exhibition reception area.

Wedding venue. Albania. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

When we first saw these buildings, we wondered if they might be hotels or the mansions of oligarchs. A local person enlightened us, and another confirmed the information. Albanians from overseas return to the country for big weddings. They could have 100-1000 people. The bride's family and the groom's hold receptions on successive days, the bride's the night before the wedding, the groom on the day of the wedding. The three day celebration involves the ring day, the bride's day and the wedding day. But the celebrations can last all week! Her family holds a reception, usually on a Wednesday or Saturday, the groom's family on the next day.

Useful Websites

https://weddedwonderland.com/9-albanian-wedding-traditions-thatll-have-you-partying-all-week/#:~:text=Weddings%20Last%20A%20Whole%20Week&text=Think%20guests%20singing%20and%20dancing,a%20sign%20of%20the%20engagement.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_customs_by_country

https://www.buyandslay.com/what-to-wear-to-an-albanian-wedding/

Wedding Palaces in Albania

 

Albania. Wedding Venue. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

You pass a lot of buildings like this along the motorway out of Albania. 

Why outside the city? Is it just because land is cheaper? Maybe, but also because they are able to get a large plot, big enough for a large building, landscaped gardens and a large car park. They are isolated to making noise, and noise late at night, is less of a problem than ti might be in the city.

Albanians like to come back to Albania, where previous generations of their family live, to hold large weddings. Two receptions may be held, one on the day of the wedding, one the night before. One is hosted by and for the bride's family. The other is by and for the groom's family. Each wedding can be for 100 to 500 people. Hence the large venue.

In addition to the wedding venues, we also saw lots of shops selling wedding dresses.

Religious buildings you will see, some mosques with minarets and orthodox churches with crosses. 

Useful Websites

https://incredible-albania.com/tours/wedding-on-the-beach/