Greta
&
Francisco
27 June 2026
Friday (26th) Programme
For those already in Varna on Friday afternoon, we propose informally meeting in the Sea Garden (see our recommendations for Varna below).
Just drop by for a coffee or cocktail and we will be there!
Wedding List
For us, this wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to bring together the people we love most - with around 16 nationalities coming together, the real gift is seeing everyone meet, talk, dance, compare traditions, and possibly argue lovingly about whose food is best.
Many of you are already travelling, taking time off, and making a real effort to be there, and that means more to us than we can say. Please know that we have absolutely no expectations when it comes to gifts.
If you would still like to send us off into married life with a good-luck wish, a small contribution towards our honeymoon would be very warmly appreciated. There will be a card box on the day, and we’ve included our bank details below as another option.
Bank details:
Name: F. Costa-Cabral
IBAN: NL48ABNA0830210571
BIC: ABNANL2A
There is no need to bring flowers.
Venue
Resort Golden Sands
Varna, Bulgaria
From Varna city centre:
Taxi (choose Triumph or Hippo taxi) or public transport
From Golden Sands resort:
Walking distance (approx. 25 mins)
If this feels challenging and you choose to stay in the area, please let us know, we’ll be happy to arrange transport for you.
Dress advice
There is no mandatory dress code. Latest forecast is around 28 C at 18:00 dropping to 19 C in the middle of the night. Bring a coat or a scarf!
Being in a forest (you will see :-) ) we have been warned that there might be mosquitoes. There will be repellents on site but you can take your own too!
Programme
17:30h - Welcome drink
Come for greetings and the collective Balkan understanding that time is flexible.
18:30h - Ceremony
The official part. There will be love, rings, and a city hall speech about family. Very moving. Very socialist.
19:30h - Dinner & celebrations begin
Food, speeches, Bulgarian traditions, and the first signs of хоро confidence.
21:00h - Bulgarian folklore moment
Time to discover whether you were secretly born for хоро.
22:30h - Wedding cake
Cutting the cake is an important glucose-spiking and emotional checkpoint.
22:30 - Lockdown - Live band
The party officially stops being polite. Yes, you need that cake for the energy.
00:00 till dawn - Bulgarian club logic begins
In Bulgaria, midnight is not late. Midnight is when people start only warming up and considering making really bad but epic decisions that they will regret tomorrow.
What to Do and See in Varna
1. Stroll in the Sea Garden: A huge park overlooking the Black Sea, the Sea Garden is rightly the pride of Varna. Kids have many things to do (zoos, dinosaur park, dolfinarium – WE ARE AGAINST THIS –, play areas, etc.) but do not get in the way of a cool stroll for everyone among the trees, flower beds, and pieces of Varna history. The soviet statuary is very interesting despite understandably disliked by the locals. Those with energy can combine the walk with the 310 steps of the dilapidated brutalist monument to Bulgarian-Soviet friendship (but must use digital maps to navigate the walkways in between – GRETA DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS). Start near the city center and go Eastwards to enjoy the sunset.
2. Walk in the city center: The main avenues are Blvd. Slivnitsa and Blvd. Knyaz Boris I, taking you from cafes and icecream shops to the sight of the Cathedral and the town’s shops and restaurants. Further ahead is Varna’s Archaeological Museum and its incredible gold collection. We like the small shops in the backstreets of the Central Greek neighbourhood but be prepared to go back to pre-gentrification, i.e. no French or Americans buying all the crumbling buildings.
3. Relax in the spa: Varna’s termal waters are famous from Roman times, and there is no better place to enjoy them than the warm pools and saunas of Acqua House. You will need a ride to Saint Constantine and Elena, bring a baithing suit and slippers.
4. Go to the beach: Normally you can reach the beach in Varna by going down from the Sea Garden, but the water quality in the city this year IS NOT GOOD. Please do not risk getting sick by ingesting it. You can still enjoy the bars/restaurants by the sea but for a swim take a ride to the beaches in Saint Constantine and Elena or Golden Sands (near where the ceremony will take place).
5. Restaurants in the harbour: With a view over the water you will find the Varna institution that is Happy restaurant (also in many places across the city and in London, where it was voted best restaurant in two years). It is no offence to say it is fast food when it shows in pages and pages of beautiful pictures. Be aware that it is costume to order several dishes. Also they don’t bring ice with drinks unless you ask for it. All the restaurants around are good, you can try out Burrata or Craft for example.
Travel info
Bulgaria is in Schengen and the Eurozone.
Sockets are the same as in the rest of the EU.
Unisex bathrooms are relatively common.