American couple who went viral with Croatian fans to visit Croatia

(Photo supplied by Croatian Tourist Board)

An American couple whose wedding celebrations unexpectedly became part of a Croatian football fans’ gathering in Philadelphia are set to visit Croatia this October.

Ashton and Zach Smith from Philadelphia will travel to Croatia from 4 to 12 October following an invitation from the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ), with support from Croatian Fans Embassy “Mi Hrvati” (CFE), the tourist boards of Split-Dalmatia and Dubrovnik-Neretva counties, and the City of Zagreb.

The couple will begin their trip in Split, where they will explore the city and surrounding destinations before attending a particularly special event, the Croatia-Spain Nations League match at Poljud.

With assistance from CFE “Mi Hrvati”, the newlyweds will also visit islands and locations across Split-Dalmatia and Šibenik-Knin counties by boat.

Their journey will then continue south to Dubrovnik, where they will experience the city and the wider tourism, cultural and gastronomic offering of the region.

The final stop will be Zagreb, where their Croatian visit will conclude on 12 October before they return to Philadelphia.

(Photo supplied by Croatian Tourist Board)

“This is an interesting story which began in the USA, and we could not allow it to end there. It was natural for us to invite the newlyweds to Croatia, welcome them and show them our cities, islands, coast, gastronomy, culture and way of life,” said Kristjan Staničić, director of the Croatian National Tourist Board.

“Above all, we want them to experience once again what they already felt in Philadelphia – Croatian hospitality, openness and warmth,” he added.

The couple said they were looking forward to their first visit to Croatia and thanked everyone involved in organising the trip.

Their connection with Croatia began on 26 June, when Ashton and Zach married in Philadelphia, one day before Croatia’s national football team was due to play Ghana in the city.

(Photo supplied by Croatian Tourist Board)

After leaving Philadelphia City Hall following their wedding ceremony, the couple encountered a large gathering of Croatian supporters organised by CFE “Mi Hrvati”, who had assembled ahead of the match.

Instead of a traditional wedding photo session, the newlyweds suddenly found themselves surrounded by Croatian fans celebrating together.

Images and videos of the unexpected encounter quickly spread online, turning the couple into an unlikely part of the football celebrations and attracting attention well beyond Philadelphia.

Now, several months later, the viral wedding moment will lead to a very different experience,  a journey through Croatia itself.