A wedding photo shoot in Philadelphia went sideways in the best possible way this summer, and now an American newlywed couple is being flown to Croatia because of it.
Ashton and Zach Smith married at Philadelphia City Hall on 26 June, the day before Croatia's national football team was set to face Ghana in the city. When they stepped outside after the ceremony, they walked straight into a massive gathering of Croatian supporters organised by the Croatian Fans Embassy "Mi Hrvati". Instead of posing for a traditional bridal shoot, the couple spent the afternoon surrounded by hundreds of fanatical Croatian fans celebrating around them.
The photos and clips spread fast online, and the couple became an unexpected part of Croatia's football story. Several months later, the saga has a sequel: the Croatian National Tourist Board has invited them to Croatia itself, with backing from "Mi Hrvati", the tourist boards of Split-Dalmatia and Dubrovnik-Neretva counties, and the City of Zagreb.
The trip runs from 4 to 12 October and reads like a greatest-hits tour of the country. It starts in Split, where the couple will explore the city and surrounding spots, then attend the Croatia-Spain Nations League match at Poljud stadium — a fitting venue given how their story began. With help from the fans' group, they'll also hop between islands and locations across Split-Dalmatia and Šibenik-Knin counties by boat. From there, the route heads south to Dubrovnik for the city's food, culture and wider regional offerings, before wrapping up in the capital, Zagreb, on 12 October.
Tourist board director Kristjan Staničić said the story started in the USA and the board "could not allow it to end there", adding that the goal is for the couple to feel the same Croatian warmth and openness they encountered in Philadelphia. Ashton and Zach say they're excited about their first visit to the country.
For travellers, it's a neat reminder of two things. First, Croatia's fan culture is a genuine travel experience in its own right — match days at Poljud or Zagreb's stadiums come with an intensity and hospitality that spills well beyond the stands. Second, October is an underrated month for the Croatian coast: the summer crowds thin out, the sea is still warm enough for island-hopping, and cities like Split and Dubrovnik feel far more local. The itinerary the Smiths are getting — Split, the islands, Šibenik, Dubrovnik, Zagreb — is essentially a blueprint first-timers can copy, boat trips and all. You may not get a wedding parade of football fans as your welcome, but you'll get the hospitality part.
