22 June 2009 | The first Dream Wedding in Belgrade took place during the NATO campaign in May 1999, to the sound of an air raid siren. A decade later, the scene outside city hall was picturesque as white doves soared and confetti sprinkled down on the heads of 202 newly married couples.

Brides in elaborate dresses, grooms in elegant suits and ecstatic, smiling family members, relatives and friends gathered to watch the ceremony at the Old Palace in the nation's capital.

The newlyweds answered questions from reporters amid the excitement and cheer. The lovebirds unanimously said that the group wedding was special, a nice variation from the norm and the perfect stage to exhibit their love "to the whole world".

"I also wish as many children as possible to the young couples opening a new chapter in their lives today. This is a way for Belgrade to show it stimulates marriage, family and the birth of children," said Belgrade's Deputy Mayor Radmila Hrustanovic.

The Savski Venac municipality gave pregnant couples strollers to help them weather the current economic crisis.

Other parting gifts included all-expenses-paid honeymoons to Greece, as well as furniture and household appliances. Another perk for newlyweds was that they got to rub elbows with tennis superstar Novak Djokovic.

There was no fee for couples to take part in the Dream Wedding ceremony. The event has become increasingly popular over the years. Attendance has more than doubled since 1999, when approximately 100 couples said "I do".

Over time, regional and international couples from Republika Srpska, Macedonia, Montenegro, Canada, Sweden and Denmark have come to take part in the event. The Belgrade Tourism Organisation advertised Dream Wedding on its website as a must-see for tourists.

*This text is courtesy of the Southeast European Times (SET), a web site sponsored by the US Department of Defense in support of UN Resolution 1244, designed to provide an international audience with a portal to a broad range of information about Southeastern Europe. It highlights movement toward greater regional stability and steps governments take toward integration into European institutions. SET also focuses on developments that hinder both terrorist activity and support for terrorism in the region.

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