No, It Wasn’t Love at First Sight. But They Have No Doubt Their Story Will Go the Distance.
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Some of the best love stories are the ones that feel, at first, the most unlikely. For Angelenos Milena and Adan, both creatives-turned-financial-planners, “it was not,” the couple emphasizes, “a romantic meet-cute, nor was it love at first sight.” The two met in the decidedly un-cinematic setting of a West Los Angeles wealth-management office and didn’t quite hit it off. Adan recalls initially finding Milena “aggressive,” a characterization that she and “anyone who knows her,” Milena admits, laughingly, “can confirm.”
So began their slow-burn love story that built over time on a foundation of, they recount, “their mutual interests as creatives and a respect for each other’s work ethic, determination and goals for the future.” This “strong bond” they forged back then still continues to grow and define their partnership to this day, having led not only to their nuptials but to their shared business ventures as well.
A Croatia Proposal That Honored Family and Forward Momentum
Adan proposed in August of 2022 during his first trip to Milena’s family’s native Croatia. After wandering through Šibenik (where Milena’s family is from), lingering over long meals, and leaning into ‘fjaka’, Adan popped the question at a private dinner Milena had arranged at her favorite local winery, Bibich. With his proposal, Adan offered not only a ring but a promise that their future together would honor both where they each come from (Adan’s family hails from Mexico) and where they are headed.
Care for the Guests, Confidence in the Team
Knowing they would marry in Croatia, the couple selected Split as their destination with their guests top of mind. “We understood that having a destination wedding was a huge ask of our loved ones,” they tell us. Split’s variety of lodging and dining accommodations, walkability, accessibility, nightlife and medical care were all considerations. “It was our hope that guests would feel physically comfortable, well-fed (and watered of course) and so entertained that they would not notice when the clock struck 3AM,” they say.
To design the reception, the couple shared that “we knew whatever vision we had was through an American lens, and would need to be executed with a European temperament. So instead of giving a set directive, we put our full trust in our wedding planner and designer to bring a unique vision focusing on light and unique features of our different cultures.”
The couple intentionally stepped back from the planning and design process, trusting Promessi Weddings and designer Hedera to surprise them. What emerged was a velvet-and-terracotta dreamscape: “a sumptuous yellow-velvet concept that felt curated, refined yet subtly eclectic,” complete with sculptural cacti, premium florals and a decadent siesta lounge overlooking the Adriatic.
Designing a Day That Reflected Their Lives
In their planning the pair made one thing clear: the wedding had to feel like them, not staged or Pinterest board-like, but rather a real reflection of the personal, authentic blend of cultures they live day to day. “We wanted the day to feel like a marriage of our cultures: American, Croatian and Mexican, as well as of ourselves,” the couple reflects. To that effect, “the whole day was filled with special touches” that reflected both their families’ heritages and their own personalities.
Adan, who has a music-industry background, selected instrumental versions of favorite music for the ceremony, the mother-son dance and the couple’s first dance. These included the Star Wars and Gladiator themes, both played live on the organ in church, Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” and Emilee Moore’s rendition of the Finding Nemo theme.
Milena, an art-history and architecture devotee, chose Saint Dominus Cathedral in Split for its personal and historical significance, working with local clergy to ensure the ceremony would be special for them and their guests. For their reception, the couple wanted a venue that would really embody the beauty of the region. Offering views of the Adriatic under the stars and a dramatic seaside setting, Villa Dalmacija was the obvious choice.
To honor Adan’s Mexican heritage, the couple incorporated an ofrenda into the center of the reception space, where Villa Dalmacija had a fountain. There, the pair displayed photos of their own departed loved ones and invited guests to do the same, honoring those who had shaped them but could not be in attendance. “The ofrenda also visually kept our family as the focal point of the affair,” they explain, “and reminded us, while we as a couple were starting our lives as a ‘one,’ to never forget that we only have the life we do because of those who sacrificed their lives in the Old World to pave the way for a brighter future in the States.”
Dressing for a Day That Would Unfold in Chapters
A former Miss Planet Croatia and this year’s Mrs. Iconic Croatia, Milena chose a wedding-week wardrobe to match the moment.
For her getting-ready outfit, she chose a feather-trimmed, kimono-inspired Bronx + Banco mini dress sourced from Santa Monica’s En Blanc. For the ceremony, she wore a couture Pronovias cathedral gown and veil, accessorized with family heirlooms, Pronovias’ famous blue-bottom heels and a pearl-embellished satin clutch borrowed from a close friend.
She then changed into a high-neck, backless satin Grace Loves Lace gown as a second look for the reception, followed by a sequined, strapless Retrofête mini for the afterparty. Milena did her own makeup for the event while Xitlaly Alcazar styled her hair.
Adan took a more minimal, feel-good approach, selecting pieces gifted by family over the years, worn during performances onstage and crafted by local tailors. For the ceremony itself, he wore a three-piece custom tuxedo made by San Gabriel Valley-based tailors as a subtle nod to home.
As an added personal touch, Milena carried a simple bridal bouquet composed only of calla lilies, her mother’s favorite flower, as she walked down the aisle.
Everything Came Together Along the Adriatic
The couple’s planner, Tina Ponos Covic of Promessi Weddings, notes that their celebration reflected what many California couples bring to Croatia: a willingness to honor tradition while elevating it with personal meaning. In her view, Milena and Adan’s wedding embodied a unique blend of cultures, haute wedding design and a flair for luxury.
By the end of the evening, as the Adriatic shimmered beyond the siesta lounge and the rainbow dance floor softened into night, it was impossible not to feel that this wedding was the culmination of a story the couple had been writing for years, a story marked by heritage, partnership and the kind of connection that only gets stronger with time.
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