The wedding in Dubrovnik was a dream come true for this Hollywood couple from California

“Everyone who knows our story says it should be a romantic comedy,” laughs Veronika at the beginning of the story about her own wedding, reflecting on how the script has, in a way, already been written. Veronika Dash, an actress, producer, and model who grew up in New York, first met her future husband, award-winning director Andrew Sandler, when they were students at the University of Southern California. Their creative worlds collided when Andrew cast her in his first short film. What followed was a friendship so deep that they became inseparable; a bond that lasted 13 years before it grew into love. “Andrew would travel with me on family holidays, and I was always on his sets. We did everything together, but strictly as best friends,” Veronika recalls.

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Everything changed on a magical trip to Tulum, when a tarot card revealed to Andrew that their relationship could be something more. What followed was a love story the world couldn’t resist: when they announced their relationship, the internet erupted in a flood of comments like I always knew! and I told you so! A year later, Andrew proposed in Tulum on 11/11/22, a date rich with symbolism for Veronika, who had lost her grandfather during COVID and often saw those numbers as a sign of his presence. During the ceremony, that feeling of connection came to life through a coincidence: when their officiant and close friend Alanna Thompson mentioned her grandfather’s name, the church bell rang at the exact same moment, followed by a wave of applause from the guests. “In typical rom-com style, everyone knew this love story was unfolding except for us,” Andrew says. Today, they are a true power couple and creative partners in every sense of the word. From the very beginning, they have championed and elevated each other’s careers, and now they are building their own production company dedicated to fearless, original storytelling.

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A Wedding Straight Out of a Romantic Movie Set

With their shared experience in the film industry, Veronika and Andrew knew their wedding had to feel like stepping onto the set of a romantic movie. They envisioned not just a single wedding day, but a three-day experience for their 80 guests, many of whom were visiting Croatia for the first time. “We wanted everyone to feel as if they were traveling through time,” Veronika recalls, “through history and grandeur, creating a unique experience with our family and closest friends in idyllic European settings.”

The celebration began on Friday, June 6, with a private walking tour of Dubrovnik’s Old Town. That evening, friends and family gathered at Fratello’s Prosecco Bar on the edge of the Adriatic Sea, where the couple greeted them with glasses of Aperol Spritz and personalized stirrers reading #DashToTheCastle. As the sun set, some guests continued the festivities on a rented yacht under the starry sky. The wedding the following day began in the bridal suite at the Hilton Imperial, where Veronika prepared with her mother, mother-in-law, bridesmaids, and her “bride tribe,” as she calls them. Dressed in pink-and-gold robes, they toasted on the balcony overlooking Fort Lovrijenac, the fortress where the ceremonial reception would later take place. Chanel mirrors sparkled as gifts from Veronika, while Andrew surprised each bridesmaid with handwritten notes.

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The weekend concluded on Sunday, June 8th, with a private takeover of Copacabana Beach Club. Guests sipped cocktails, jetskied across the sparkling Adriatic, and laughed beneath white balloons drifting gently above the waves. Along the shoreline, playful posters of the couple reimagined classic romcoms with their faces, an ode to their own romcom-worthy love story.

Instead of Other Mediterranean Cities, Dubrovnik

With their production expertise, Veronika and Andrew approached their wedding with the same dedication as their film projects, carefully planning and selecting every detail with a touch of creativity and imagination. Veronika laughs that she had a “Canva presentation for everything,” from napkins to chandelier dimensions and afterparty packages. After speaking with various planners across Europe, they discovered Dubrovnik Wedding Planner on social media. A few Zoom calls later, they felt an instant connection, and when they met Mia and Veronika in person in October 2023, they knew they had found the right partners. Together, they scouted locations throughout Dubrovnik, considering France and Italy as well, but ultimately fell in love with Croatia’s history, cuisine, and breathtaking scenery.

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For Veronika, who was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, it was also a way to connect with her European roots. She began creating Pinterest boards, gathering inspiration into a 29-page visual document that her planners flawlessly brought to life. “Mia and Veronika truly made the destination wedding experience simple, stress-free, and so much fun! We felt tremendous support throughout the entire process, and their weekly WhatsApp updates became a cherished ritual leading up to the big day,” she recalls.

Although neither of them is from Croatia, Veronika had always dreamed of getting married in a castle. She visited Dubrovnik with her family in 2017 and, ironically, toured both the Sponza Palace and Fort Lovrijenac. When the guide mentioned that the fortress could occasionally be rented for weddings, her eyes lit up. She fell in love with the location back then but never imagined it would one day be the site of her own wedding. Years later, the proposal laid the foundation for the destination wedding, and that visit in October 2023 inspired them. It was just as magical as she remembered.

“We envisioned celebrations spread across multiple locations, with a variety that would engage guests and build anticipation for the grand castle reveal,” Andrew says. The ceremony itself took place in the historic Sponza Palace in the heart of Dubrovnik’s Old Town, whose arches and stonework offered a majestic entrance. Guests walked through the ancient city walls to the palace, while a string quartet performed an arrangement of the Game of Thrones theme, paying homage to the famous series that had filmed many scenes there.

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While the wedding was undeniably cinematic, their true focus was on joy. “We wanted our friends to leave that weekend and say, that was one of the best, most fun celebrations of their lives”, Andrew shares. To keep the energy high, speeches were kept to a minimum and replaced with live performances, including a saxophonist whose music opened the dance floor. Each level of Fort Lovrijenac was designed as a separate world, culminating in what they called the “castle rave.” After dinner, the celebration moved to the third level, where Andrew’s best man, DJ DiJital, played a guest set, nostalgically recalling their Hollywood days when he and Andrew were Veronika’s roommates after college. Premium cocktails flowed until 2 a.m., while guests danced under the stars as if tomorrow didn’t exist.

For the late-night dancing, Veronika changed into a playful short white dress with a dramatic bow. The night ended at Revelin, Dubrovnik’s legendary cave club—a fittingly bold conclusion to a wedding designed to be unforgettable.

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On Decorations, Detail Aesthetics, and the Overall Visual Atmosphere

At Sponza Palace, guests entered to the soft glow of incense in crystal shells. Each chair featured a fan-shaped hand fan, white roses adorned the aisle, and candles illuminated the lavish greenery-and-ivory arch at the altar. After the ceremony, a champagne tower sparkled at the center while Veronika and Andrew went for photos, and guests made their way to the fortress for cocktails.

Fort Lovrijenac carried even deeper meaning. In honor of Andrew’s tarot reading in Tulum, the couple created an unconventional guest book from tarot cards with gold detailing. Guests were surrounded by pocket crystals, personalized matchboxes, and engraved Palo Santo sticks featuring phrases from the ceremony: “All of me loves all of you” and “Hey Baby, I think I wanna marry you.” Each guest received a heartfelt handwritten letter from the couple with a personalized wax seal. Signature cocktails flowed throughout the celebration, including the Vowtini and Espresso Ever After.

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Inside, chandeliers scattered light over two long royal banquet tables, with an impressive head table at the center. “When we walked in, I felt like I had stepped into my Pinterest board,” Veronika recalls. “Only even more magical; a year and a half of planning had finally come to life. Tears ran down my face from the sheer beauty of it all.” Helena designed the cake as a couture showpiece, with asymmetrical layers of vanilla and raspberry illuminated by sparklers, serving as a sweet metaphor for their relationship: layered, poetic, and chic. Everything was captured by Vlasta Weddings, whom Veronika had followed on social media for a long time, making her connection to Croatia feel destiny-driven. As a director, Andrew was very specific about what he wanted the video team to capture, engaging in several creative discussions with the Desidero Video team; drone shots of the sunset and every corner of the celebration were filmed with cinematic detail.

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About the Wedding Dresses…

The celebrations began the day before, when Veronika wore an embellished Elliatt dress paired with a sheer neck scarf, Dior pearl-and-crystal earrings, white Louboutin shoes, and white Gucci sunglasses; the inspiration was old-school Hollywood glamour.

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For the ceremony, Veronika wore a signature Pronovias gown. At her first fitting at the brand’s flagship in Beverly Hills, her sister and matron of honor, along with her maid of honor, stood by her side, with her mom watching on FaceTime; their emotional, speechless expressions said it all. “The moment I tried on the dress, I transformed into a princess. I immediately knew it was the one,” she tells Vogue. “It felt like myself in the shape of a dress: delicate yet powerful, timeless yet modern, and unapologetically bold.”

With lace, crystal details, and a layer of tulle, the gown was made for a castle. The look was completed with a Vera Wang embroidered veil and Jimmy Choo shoes, along with Soleil gloves and a thin petticoat for the reception. The jewelry remained timeless: diamond earrings from Happy Jewelers, where the couple also selected their engagement and wedding rings.

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Andrew looked equally striking in a custom white suit (inspired by the classic elegance of James Bond), Ferragamo patent leather shoes, and a Daytona Panda Rolex watch. On his cuffs, he wore Cartier cufflinks, a wedding gift from Veronika. “We saved the first look for the walk down the aisle, and it was electrifying,” he recalls. “Seeing her walk down the aisle with her dad, almost floating, truly was one of the most memorable moments of our lives.” Later that evening, Veronika made a second entrance in a custom Fjolla Haxhismajli gown. “Haute couture, sensual and unforgettable, it was the perfect dress to end the evening,” she says of her choice. As Justin Jesso performed Stargazing under the stars and guests held sparklers, the atmosphere was pure cinematic magic.

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Finally, Veronika and Andrew shared their most special moment, which was tied to a surprise duet he planned for her. “The song I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing was performed by Jamie Miller and Justin Jesso, and the serenade echoed across the night sky, accompanied by the guests’ voices singing along,” Andrew highlights, adding that the video went viral with over 10 million views on Instagram and TikTok. “It was epic, emotional, and completely ours,” Veronika recalls.

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“The fact that our two best friends were singing made the moment even more special.” The moment carried an added weight of meaning: not only was it the soundtrack from one of Andrew’s favorite films (Armageddon), but the couple had also attended one of Aerosmith’s final concerts together in Las Vegas, adding to the emotional resonance.

As sparklers lit up the courtyard and the last notes faded, Veronika and Andrew looked at each other in quiet awe. “We did it,” Veronika recalls thinking. “It was exactly as we imagined, our fairytale came to life.”