Lake Bled Island Church wedding

Bled Island is likely one of the most unique and idyllic wedding locations in the world and one of the most charming places for a wedding in Slovenia. It’s a true Alpine wonder drenched in history, tradition and legends. It would be very hard to imagine a more romantic setting. Getting married on Bled Island is truly a magical experience. Quite literally. Want to know why? 

For that we have to take a trip into an ancient time when the spectacle that is Lake Bled first appeared. But as they say, there are two sides to every story, and the same goes for this one.

Apparently, this picturesque Alpine lake was formed by a giant glacier scraping down the valley millions of years ago. An enormous rock in the middle of the valley refused to budge. No matter how hard the glacier tried to flatten the area, the obstacle wouldn’t give way. And it’s a good thing it didn’t, for a tiny piece of it is still protruding from the water in triumph – Bled Island, the only natural island in Slovenia. If you believe it…

Then there’s another story of Lake Bled and its Island, and this one goes slightly differently. Lake Bled used to be a spacious, green meadow with a colossal rock right in its centre. During the night, fairies would gather at this rock to dance. A fairy’s disco rock, if you will. The problem was, shepherds from the nearby villages would send their sheep to graze on the meadow, which made the grass rough and hard and dangerous to dance on.

Despite the fairies’ request to fence off their party place, the shepherds refused, and one day, a fairy tripped and hurt herself terribly. Her fellow fairies were furious. They called upon the mountain brooks to flood the valley. And so, the magnificent Lake Bled was born and the fairy rock turned into the enchanting (and perhaps enchanted) island we see today.

Whether it was a group of vengeful fairies or a glacier that threw in the towel too soon, Lake Bled and its pretty island are here and they’re fantastic. But that’s not the end of our story, so let’s list a few more reasons why Bled Island should be the beginning of yours.

Long before the church on the Bled Island, a temple dedicated to the pagan goddess of life and fertility was built there by ancient Slavic tribes. In the year 745, it was replaced by a church, dedicated to the birth of Mary. It wasn’t until a staggering seven centuries later that a single nave was built on its foundations in Gothic style. The special feature of this church was its 52-metre high free-standing bell tower.

The church received its current baroque image in the mid-17th century. In addition to the chapel of Mother of God, the famous 99 steps staircase was also built during that period. Tradition still dictates that the groom has to carry the bride up all those steps to ensure a healthy marriage. Don’t worry, Bled Island has plenty of magic as it is, so skipping this part won’t damage your chances. In fact, there is yet another tradition, which we do recommend you follow.

Whether you plan on having a civil or church ceremony, the wishing bell simply has to be rung! Legend says, a young widow who lived in Bled Castle wanted to have a bell installed in the church after her husband’s death, but a storm sank the boat carrying the bell. So, the widow gave up on the idea and left to become a devout nun in Rome. After her death, the Pope himself commissioned a new bell to be placed on Bled Island in her honour. It still grants wishes to this day.