Cookie Policy

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit websites. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, provide a better user experience, and give website owners information about how their site is being used.

Cookies serve various purposes, including remembering your preferences, keeping you logged in, understanding how you interact with our content, and delivering relevant advertising. At Balkan Brides, we use cookies responsibly and transparently in accordance with GDPR and ePrivacy regulations.

When you first visit our website, you will see a cookie consent banner that allows you to accept or customize your cookie preferences. You can change these preferences at any time through your browser settings or by using our cookie management tools.

Types of Cookies We Use

We categorize the cookies used on our website into four main types based on their purpose and functionality. Understanding these categories helps you make informed decisions about which cookies you want to allow.

Essential Cookies

Essential cookies are strictly necessary for the operation of our website. Without these cookies, the website cannot function properly, and certain features would be unavailable. These cookies do not require your consent under GDPR because they are essential for providing the service you have requested.

Essential cookies we use include:

• Session cookies: Maintain your session state as you navigate between pages, ensuring a seamless browsing experience.
• Security cookies: Help protect against cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks and other security threats.
• Cookie consent cookie: Remembers your cookie preferences so we don't ask you repeatedly.
• Theme preference: Stores your light/dark mode preference for consistent display.
• Load balancing cookies: Distribute traffic across our servers for optimal performance.

You cannot opt out of essential cookies as they are necessary for the website to function. However, you can block all cookies by adjusting your browser settings, though this may significantly impact your experience on our site.

Analytics and Performance Cookies

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. This data allows us to improve our content, optimize user experience, and identify technical issues.

We use the following analytics services:

• Google Analytics: Tracks page views, session duration, bounce rate, and user flow. Data is anonymized with IP masking enabled. Retention period: 26 months.
• Performance monitoring: Measures page load times, server response times, and identifies performance bottlenecks.

Analytics cookies collect information such as:

• Pages you visit and time spent on each page
• How you arrived at our site (search engine, direct link, referral)
• Your general geographic location (country/city level)
• Device type, browser, and operating system
• Interactions with site features and navigation patterns

Opt-out option: You can disable analytics cookies through our cookie consent banner or by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies on our website are set by third-party services that appear on our pages. We do not control these cookies, and their use is governed by the respective third party's privacy policy.

Third-party services that may set cookies include:

• Google Fonts: Delivers custom fonts. May set performance cookies. Google Privacy Policy
• Affiliate Partners: Our partner dating platforms may set cookies when you click through to their sites. Each platform has its own cookie policy.
• Social Media Plugins: If you share content via social media buttons, those platforms may set their own cookies.

We recommend reviewing the privacy and cookie policies of any third-party services you interact with through our website. We are not responsible for the cookie practices of external websites.

How to Manage Cookies

You have several options for managing cookies on your device. Remember that blocking or deleting cookies may affect your experience on our website and other sites you visit.

Browser Settings

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. Here's how to manage cookies in popular browsers:

• Google Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
• Mozilla Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
• Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
• Microsoft Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Cookies and site data

Cookie Preferences on Our Site

You can update your cookie preferences at any time by:

• Clicking the "Cookie Settings" link in our website footer
• Clearing your browser cookies and revisiting our site to see the consent banner again
• Contacting us to request manual preference updates

Do Not Track (DNT)

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" feature that signals to websites that you don't want to be tracked. Currently, there is no industry standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals. Our website does not currently respond to DNT signals, but we honor your cookie consent preferences.

Your Consent

When you first visit Balkan Brides, we ask for your consent to use non-essential cookies through our cookie consent banner. By clicking "Accept All," you agree to our use of all cookie categories described in this policy.

You can also choose "Customize" to select which categories of cookies you want to allow. Essential cookies are always enabled as they are necessary for the website to function.

Withdrawing Consent

You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. To do this:

• Access cookie settings through the link in our footer
• Clear your browser cookies for our domain
• Contact us directly to request consent withdrawal

Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before withdrawal. After withdrawing consent, we will stop using non-essential cookies on your device, though some data already collected may be retained for legitimate purposes.

Your Rights Under GDPR

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have additional rights regarding your personal data collected through cookies:

• Right of access: Request a copy of the data we hold about you
• Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure: Request deletion of your data
• Right to restriction: Request limited processing of your data
• Right to data portability: Receive your data in a portable format
• Right to object: Object to processing of your data

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided below.

Cookie Policy Questions

If you have any questions about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy, please don't hesitate to contact us. We are committed to being transparent about our data practices and will respond to your inquiry within 30 days.

Email: [email protected]

Subject Line: Cookie Policy Inquiry

We regularly review and update this Cookie Policy to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, and other factors. We encourage you to check this page periodically for the latest information on our cookie practices.

For comprehensive information about how we handle your personal data, please also review our Privacy Policy and GDPR Compliance page.