In the captivating town of Bled, Slovenia

 "How I love to hear the choir

In the chapel in the moonlight
As they sing "Oh Promise Me"
Forever be mine...
'Til the roses turn to ashes)
'Til the organ turns to rust
If you never come I'll still be there
'Til the moonlight turns to dust...."
-- "In the Chapel in the Moonlight," a song written by Billy Hill
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(in Slovenia [where, as virtually everywhere, July’s full moon will be thousands of miles closer to Earth than usual]) Although this image was captured some time ago, I chose to use it again here because the coming full Moon, on 3 July, will be one of the brightest of 2023; it will be, after all, the year’s first full Moon, or “supermoon.” And, since Slovenia's Lake Bled is one of the most mesmerizing (and unforgettable) places I have ever (yet) visited, I thought it would be a fine time for me to publish another post about the irresistibly captivating town of Bled.

 + Then, to underscore the wedding theme of the lines selected to "headline" this article, it also turns out that -- for a breathtaking, romantic wedding location, I could hardly expect to find any site more magical than Lake Bled. This popular European destination is an incredibly sublime place, with magnificent wedding venues that deliver a degree of drama one might only find here.

 + Surrounded by lush hills, mountains, and valleys dotted with waterfalls, gorges, forests, pools, and thermal springs, Lake Bled’s majestic setting has long been considered a must-see European location -- even for those not seeking to wed. With the jewel-blue lake at the heart of the town, you will find beautiful lakeside wedding venues here, and countless other things to do.

 + Lake Bled’s top wedding venues include the ancient Church of the Assumption (in the middle of the lake), the medieval Bled Castle (on the hill overlooking the lake), and Villa Bled (the stately home formerly occupied by the Yugoslavian President Tito) -- not to mention two lakeside hotels, the Grand Hotel Toplice or the Bled Rose Hotel.

 + The island in Lake Bled is not only the most popular island in Slovenia, it is the only natural island in the country. Just under an acre in size, it now has several buildings, including the 17th-century church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. The best way to get to the island in the middle of the lake is by the Pletna boat. This traditional boat has a flat bottom and a signature, colorful awning that provides shade for passengers. (The first Pletnas were built in the 12th century and the special rowing technique, used by the oarsmen, has been passed down through the same families from generation-to-generation.)