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/