"A couple usually start to plan their wedding before they get in touch with us. At an introductory meeting I try to learn as much as possible about them. Particularly important is to learn information about them - their way of thinking, their taste and likes - not only about food but also the style of decoration, what music they like and so on," says Goran Obradović, event organiser at ''Galerija okusov'' (or the Gallery of Taste). Mr Obradović goes on to say: "This is the information which forms the basis of what we can offer couples and which they are maybe not even aware of themselves. This is to be expected because this is their first wedding." The wedding is abundant with tradition which is obligatory, but there are more and more non-traditional weddings and even the throwing of rice as a symbol of fertility is no longer common practice, but there are some things that remain:"One cannot do without the wedding ring and the kiss; as a closed circle the former symbolises eternity and wearing it on the ring finger accentuates the 'heart' because the love vein runs through this finger which is directly connected with love and the kiss is a signature of eternal fidelity" elaborates Mr Obradović.

Located in the midst of one of the rare, still preserved, baroque parks in the country, Galerija okusov offers an idyllic setting. Tall trees, the crowns of mighty centuries, tell the stories of romance; sunbeams light the fresh herb gardens with their fragrances cradling the tranquil offer of a friendly environment. Later in the day the moon and stars, in combination with garden lights, unfold in the tree branches, candles and torches outline a movie scene of romance in front of our eyes. All of this is taken into consideration and so it is no surprise that couples choose this setting for their special day."The advantage of our location is peacefulness and remoteness from the city, but at the same time it is close to the Ljubljana-Maribor motorway. Couples like the possibility of realising the entire wedding in one place - from sending out invitations to decoration, the performance of the wedding ceremony and the celebration," replies Mr. Obradović when asked about the popularity of their location.

Realise your wedding dream with the culinary ecstasy of chef Jovan

With a wedding, every detail truly counts. Supposedly, a wedding guest's best memory of a wedding is the gown and the food. With the latter, you simply cannot disappoint them with the banquet offered at Galerija okusov; on the contrary, you will leave them speechless. Chef Borut Jovan carefully chooses dishes for the wedding because he learns the tastes of the bride and groom as much as possible. In order to achieve this he follows his main philosophy - to use seasonal ingredients, to awaken traditional Slovenian cuisine prepared according to grandmother's recipes and combines themwith the modern culinary techniques which he has mastered by working in Michelin-star restaurants. "There are no problems because couples who want to marry here are familiar with our style. We let every couple know that on this special day only two people are important and should therefore not worry about the taste of each individual wedding guest. Sometimes the couple ''gets scared'' of the menu but we ease their mind and explain that our flavours are not exotic for they are the authentic flavours of dishes we are all familiar with from our surroundings. What makes my plates special is the manner of preparation and bold combination of flavours," further explains chef Jovan.
The form of the wedding banquet nevertheless depends on the wishes of the couple. Most frequently the decision is a reception with seasonal finger foods followed by the wedding ceremony in the heart of Novo Celje park, a champagne toast, buffet with seasonal fruits in ice sculptures during the photo shoot, main reception with the preparation of the food in front of the guests, wedding cake and a snack at a later hour. "Our cakes are not traditional - not according to taste nor appearance," says chef Jovan and adds: "here we continue to display our boldness with the combination of flavours of fresh seasonal fruits and fresh herbs. The flavours are divine and an important role is played by my sous-chef, Aljaž Novšak, who is usually in charge of the creation of the cake. The presentation is also a deviation from the traditional; most couples choose cakes where every guest gets a little cake of their own. We also go back to tradition here. The multi-tier cake was invented by a French confectioner but prior to this the guests would bring a small pastry to the couple and piled it up in tiers".
 

For more information about the wedding in Galerija okusov, you can visit their website here.