by InTrieste
The 2025 edition of the Karst Wedding Festival will open on Wednesday evening with an official ceremony at the Casa Carsica in Monrupino, a small hilltop town outside Trieste.
The event, a hallmark of Monrupino’s cultural calendar, will begin with greetings from Mayor Tanja Kosmina and from Edi Kraus, president of the cooperative Carso Nostro. Their remarks will be followed by the opening of a photography exhibition dedicated to the cuisine of the Karst, a region known for its rustic traditions and culinary ties to both Italy and Slovenia. The evening will conclude with a concert in the town square featuring marching bands from the villages of Prosecco and Aurisina.
The Karst Wedding, held every two years, draws its inspiration from 19th-century ceremonies once celebrated in the plateau’s villages. Traditionally staged in the last week of August, the festival retraces the key moments of those historic weddings, blending folklore with community celebration.
Over the course of five days, the program follows a set ritual. On Wednesday evening, the ceremony will open at the Casa Carsica. Thursday will mark the bride and groom’s farewell to single life, with the couple drinking large amounts of local wine, the bride riding through the streets in a cart, and the pair sharing one final dance before marriage. On Friday evening, the groom will serenade his bride beneath her window with traditional Slovenian songs, while her mother keeps watch to prevent the two from meeting.
On Saturday, the bride’s dowry will be transported to her new home in a cart, setting the stage for Sunday’s climax: the wedding ceremony itself, celebrated in traditional costume at the small stone church perched atop Monrupino’s rocky ridge. The ritual is recognized as both a religious and civil union. Afterward, the couple will be accompanied by a procession of guests to their home and later to the hall where festivities continue.
Throughout the week, the town will come alive with historic osmize — rustic taverns open only for limited periods — as well as stalls serving local food and wine. The blend of tradition, music, and celebration has turned the Karst Wedding into a notable tourist attraction, offering visitors a glimpse into customs that once marked the rhythms of community life in the region.
As is customary, the traditional bridal costume will remain a closely guarded secret until it is revealed on the day of the wedding.
Karst Wedding Program
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
19:30 – Opening of the 28th edition of the Karst Wedding at the Karst House in Repen
21:00 – Best wishes to the newlyweds and musical evening with the Prosecco Wind Band and the Aurisina Wind Band
Thursday, August 28, 2025
18:00 – Opening of the osmize, exhibitions, food stalls, and the Karst House Museum
20:00 – Bachelor and bachelorette parties in Repen and dance in the square at Repen – music by the group Nebojsega
23:00 – Last children’s dance (da puti) in the square at Repen
24:00 – Final dance
Friday, August 29, 2025
18:00 – Opening of the osmize, exhibitions, food stalls, and the Karst House Museum
20:00 – Dance in the square at Repen – Kraški Muzikanti
22:00 – Serenade in Repen according to the old tradition
24:00 – Final dance
Saturday, August 30, 2025
18:00 – Opening of the osmize, exhibitions, food stalls, and the Karst House Museum
20:00 – Dance in the square at Repen – Rujni Muzikanti
20:30 – Transport of the dowry from Col to the Karst House in Repen
24:00 – Final dance
Sunday, August 31, 2025
09:00 – Gathering of costumed participants at the Karst House
10:00 – Gathering of costumed participants at Col and wedding procession to the Monrupino sanctuary
11:00 – Wedding ceremony at the church of Monrupino
12:30 – Wedding procession from the Monrupino sanctuary through Col to Repen
13:30 – “Delivery” of the bride at the Karst House
14:00 – Music with the group Blisk
17:00 – Opening of the dance by the newlyweds in the square at Repen
23:00 – Final dance – Vražji Muzikanti
