What you actually get when you book me
You get a DJ who runs the whole evening, not just the dance floor. That includes sound for the ceremony if it is on the same site, dinner music, all announcements in English, the first dance and the party until the agreed end time.
The setup includes professional sound sized to your venue and guest count, a wireless microphone for speeches, and dance floor lighting that lifts the room without blinding anyone. I bring backup gear to every wedding: a spare microphone, spare cables and a second music source. Equipment fails eventually and the only question is how long the silence lasts.
Standard coverage is six to eight hours. Most couples book eight, starting with the aperitif or dinner and finishing after midnight.
How planning works when you are in another country
Almost every destination couple I work with plans the wedding remotely, and the process is built for that.
We start with an email. You send the date, the venue, the guest count and roughly how many hours you need. I reply within 24 hours with availability and a price.
Then we do a video call, usually thirty to forty five minutes. We go through the shape of your day, your musical taste, the languages your guests speak and anything you specifically do not want played.
After the call you get a planning document: the timeline hour by hour, the key songs with exact versions, the request list and the do-not-play list. You fill in what you know and leave the rest open. I ask for the final version two weeks before the wedding.
About a week out we do a short check-in call to confirm arrival time and anything that has moved. On the day I coordinate directly with your planner, photographer and venue manager so you do not have to relay messages.
Music for a room where half the guests are Croatian
This is the part that most couples underestimate, and it is the part that decides whether the dance floor works.
A typical destination wedding in Croatia has two groups: your friends and family who flew in, and the local guests. Both need to feel the music is for them, and the transitions have to be smooth or the floor empties.
For the international side I work with what you would expect at any good wedding in London, Dublin or Berlin. Motown and soul early, pop and disco through the middle, house and chart material later, plus whatever you and your friends actually listen to.
For the Croatian side there is a set of songs guests here genuinely expect at a wedding. Croatian and regional classics, Dalmatian singalongs, and a block of what locals call narodnjaci late in the night. If you have Croatian guests and none of that appears all night, they will notice and the older half of the room will sit down. If you cannot stand it, tell me and we leave it out. But make that decision knowingly rather than by accident.
The strongest weddings mix both. English-language material carries most of the night, with Croatian blocks placed where they do the most work, usually right after dinner and again in the last two hours.
Venues, power and the rules you need to know about
Hotels and dedicated event venues are the easiest. Power is reliable and the staff know how a wedding runs. Restaurants and konobas are fine but tighter on space, so I scale the setup to the room.
Outdoor weddings on private estates, olive groves, islands and villas need the most planning. The two questions I always ask are where the power comes from and how far it is from where I set up. Many private properties have a domestic connection that cannot carry sound, lighting and a catering kitchen at once. If so, the venue or your planner arranges a generator. Sort this out months in advance, not on the day.
Noise rules matter too. In many Croatian municipalities amplified outdoor music has to stop or move indoors around 10 pm, and coastal towns enforce this during the summer season. Rules vary by municipality and venue, so the venue is the authority. In practice it means the outdoor part ends earlier and the party continues inside. I plan the timeline so the energy peak lands before the cutoff, not after it.
Pricing in EUR, stated up front
Wedding packages run from 700 to 2,200 EUR depending on hours, equipment and extras. That covers six to eight hours, sound sized to your venue, microphones for speeches and dance floor lighting. Additional hours beyond the agreed end time cost 50 to 100 EUR each.
Optional extras are priced separately: low fog for the first dance 150 to 250 EUR, uplighting 200 to 400 EUR, live saxophone 300 to 600 EUR, photobooth 400 to 600 EUR. For reference, corporate events run 400 to 600 EUR and birthdays 300 to 500 EUR.
You get the full price in my first reply. Nothing appears later.
Travel outside Zagreb
Zagreb is my base, at Zagrebačka cesta 164A, 10000 Zagreb. Zagreb and the surrounding area carry no travel conditions.
I travel across Croatia by arrangement, including the coast, the islands and Istria. I have played in Pula and Bjelovar among other places. For weddings outside the Zagreb area we agree travel costs separately, and where the drive back after a midnight finish is unreasonable, one night of accommodation is part of the arrangement. Both are quoted up front with the package price.
MC duties and announcements in English
I handle announcements in English, and in Croatian when your guests need it. That covers the entrance of the couple, dinner, speeches, the cake cutting, the first dance and closing the night.
What I do not do is turn the wedding into a show. Announcements are short and delivered when they are needed. I confirm the wording and name pronunciations with you beforehand so nobody's name gets mangled in front of 120 people. If a friend or family member is acting as MC, I coordinate with them and stay on sound and music.
When to book
Peak season in Croatia is May through September, and Saturdays in June, July and August are the first dates to go. For those, book six to twelve months ahead. Shoulder season dates and weekdays are usually available three to six months out. If your date is closer than that, ask anyway. Open dates happen more often than people assume.
To check a date, message me with the date, venue, guest count and hours needed. Phone +385 91 788 6005, email frano.penava123@gmail.com. You get a reply within 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Do you speak English?
Yes. All planning, announcements and communication on the day are in English. I also handle Croatian for local guests and venue staff.
Can we send a playlist and a do-not-play list?
Yes, and I encourage both. The do-not-play list is as important as the request list. Anything on it will not be played, no matter who asks for it at the booth.
What happens if it rains and we move indoors?
We plan the wet weather option with the venue in advance. I confirm the backup location during the planning call and make sure the setup works in both places, so the move does not cost you an hour of music.
Do you provide sound for the ceremony as well?
Yes, if the ceremony is on the same property or close enough for a second setup. Tell me during planning so I can price it correctly and arrive early enough.
How do we pay, and is there a deposit?
We agree the terms in writing when you book. A deposit secures the date and the balance is settled around the wedding. I confirm the exact arrangement before anything is signed.
Can you play past the agreed end time?
Usually yes, if the venue allows it. Additional hours are 50 to 100 EUR each. Decide on the night and we settle it afterwards.