SPLIT, Croatia (AP) — It began with a hijacked wedding photo shoot and turned into a very unexpected but exciting trip across the world.
Ashton and Zachary Smith from Philadelphia are guests in Croatia this week after the couple accidentally celebrated their wedding in June with a crowd of joyful Croatian soccer fans during the FIFA World Cup in the United States.
The Smiths had just gotten married and came out of Philadelphia City Hall to take photos
when hundreds of Croats in red-and-white chequered jerseys joined in. Photos and videos of the couple kissing among the fans became popular on social networks and paved the way for a new friendship.
“It was so crazy, we just finished our ceremony, we went outside to take some pictures in front of City Hall,” Ashton Smith recalled. “We were warned that the road was taken over but we’re like, oh, let’s just try it anyway.”
It was “the best decision that we ever could have made” despite the initial shock, she said.
“Everyone stormed us," Ashton Smith added. "At first we were like, oh my gosh I hope everyone is with us. But everyone was there, everyone was celebrating with us and it was just amazing how welcoming they were to complete strangers.”
Months later, the couple received an equally warm welcome in the Croatian town of Split, located on the Adriatic Sea coast. The Croatian National Tourist Board and the Mi Hrvati, or We Croats, fan group invited the Smiths over for a “second honeymoon.”
“I feel amazing,” Ashton said in an interview earlier this week. “We learned a lot of history about Croatia and now the vibes are immaculate.”
Ashton and Zachary joined the fans' march along the city’s waterfront ahead of Croatia’s UEFA Nations League match against Spain on Tuesday. A band played, the fans sang and the couple quickly fitted in. Later in the evening, they also attended the match.
“The fans are so energetic," Ashton said. "They brought the same energy that they did in Philly.”
Daniel Pedisic of the Mi Hrvati association said the spontaneous way Croatian fans reacted to the wedding in Philadelphia showed “the kind of people we are, warm, hospitable people.”
“We were with them that day and now we brought them to Croatia,” Pedisic added, whose association follows the team worldwide and is known for carrying a 100-meter Croatian flag.
The trip also took the Smiths to the coastal town of Sibenik and included a sailing trip and a tour of the stunning Krka National Park. On Friday, the couple will travel to the famous medieval walled city of Dubrovnik in the southern Adriatic, before ending their trip in the capital, Zagreb.
“Technically, this is our second honeymoon because we had a pre-planned one before the wedding," Ashton said. “The first one was laid back and relaxing, and this one is kind of go, go, go, and we absolutely love it.”
Zachary Smith said he had never expected to visit Croatia, which is located in southeastern Europe.
“I knew all about Croatia, where it was, the country obviously," he said. “But (I) never really thought that I would ever make it here, so it’s amazing."
