We booked the wedding day package a year ago, my daughter and future son in law wanted a particular date for the wedding so they were delighted that the date was available. They paid a 20% deposit and the wedding was booked.
After we had booked the wedding day package, Carole kept in touch with us and answered all emailed questions within 24 hours, which we thought was great.
We chose a beach location rather than a yacht because some of our party suffered from seasickness. The wedding day extras we paid for locally were for flowers, buttonholes, hair and make-up, microlite plane petal drop, and obviously we brought with us from the UK the wedding dress, bridesmaids dresses, rings etc.
Plus of course, you and your guests have the cost of your holiday flights and accommodation on top but as we all treated the wedding as part of our annual holiday, it worked out really well for all of us.
We booked a holiday at a hotel in Oludeniz using a UK travel agent. There are many hotels to choose from to suit your budget. My daughter and son in law booked a holiday for 2 weeks with the majority of other guests booking for one week, the wedding was held during the second week.
Upon arrival at her hotel in Olu Deniz, my daughter was contacted by Carole and arrangements were made for the couple to travel to Antalya to complete the paperwork and the medical (NO blood tests are needed for British Couples) they needed the following- a certificate of non impediment which they obtained from the local registry office 3 months before the wedding, full birth certificates, full British passports and 6 passport size photos each.
They travelled to Antalya in an air con car with driver completed the paperwork/medical, had lunch included, then they were driven to meet Carole in Fethiye and they chose the colours for the table/chair decorations and also chose the flowers and cake. They gave Carole a copy of their chosen wedding music, which they had brought from the UK. They were given a Turkish mobile phone to use to contact Carole should there be any problems/questions.
By the time I arrived at the hotel (coming for the second week) everything had been arranged.
At 12.30 on the day of the wedding, we (Bride, Bridesmaids, Grooms Mum and me) were picked up from our hotel and taken to a gorgeous beauty salon in Hisaronu a few miles away from Olu Deniz. The salon was very modern and cool with great air-con and the staff were lovely. A British lady named Sharon ran it and she made us feel very at ease, a lot of giggles went on that afternoon. She had a book of hairstyles that she had done for previous brides and bridesmaids so you could choose any style you wanted. There were also four lovely Turkish staff working on us, doing hair, make-up, nails and toes etc, we felt really pampered.
Because my daughter was going to wear a veil and didnt want to return from the salon to the hotel wearing it, when we were all ready, Sharon came back to the hotel with us, she waited patiently while we helped the bride to get dressed then she put my daughters veil on for her.
By this time, we had just half an hour left before the wedding, which was booked for 5.30pm. ( I looked out on the balcony of our room and could see that the other guests had all gone to the awaiting coach which was booked for 5pm) I called my husband and told him that our little girl was ready
she looked stunning and I felt quite tearful
so did her dad :-)
We all left the room and we saw that the hotel maids were all sitting on the wall outside our room cheering and clapping, this carried on as we walked through the hotel grounds with the guests all clapping and cheering and the waiters whistling and waving, it really was special. The hotel photographer took a few photos of us in the garden and leaving the hotel.
The day was very sunny without a cloud and my daughter and her dad got into the wedding car with the rest of us in a car in front. There was a lot of horn honking and cheering as the wedding car made its journey to the lagoon.
When we arrived at the entrance to the lagoon location, we were greeted by Carole, who pinned on our buttonholes and gave the bouquets to the bride and bridesmaids.
Then the first of the two aisle music tracks started the first of which was for the grooms mum and me to start walking, followed later by the bridesmaids.
I walked down the red carpet, through the trees and saw all the guests sitting by the lagoon on white chairs tied with blue ribbon, I went through an arch of flowers and took my place on a chair in front of the decorated wedding gazebo. I turned around and saw the bridesmaids coming down the aisle looking so very beautiful.
Then to the sound of Ennio Morricones Gabriels Oboe my daughter glided down the aisle with her Dad, there was not a dry eye in sight, she looked like an angel and it was almost surreal
She was greeted at the arch of flowers by her husband to be; who looked totally astounded at her appearance (She is very much a jeans and tee shirt girl normally with hardly any make up) then the couple went to the wedding gazebo in order for the wedding ceremony to commence. The backdrop of the lagoon and Mountains was so beautiful. The Couple chose traditional Turkish vows, which are very moving. They had two witnesses and a Turkish official conducted the ceremony in Turkish and English.
After the wedding ceremony had finished, we all posed for photographs and when it came to the group photo, we heard the sound of the petal drop plane approaching. The first petal drop missed us, which caused great hilarity, the plane did another sortie if thats what it is called, and the second petal drop was more successful.
The setting sun and the colours of the sky and the lagoon had to be seen to be believed, it went from bright blues, golds and oranges to pink and purple, simply stunning.
After the photos (The whole event was also being recorded on video) We were all led to the grounds of the restaurant overlooking the lagoon a few yards back from the wedding gazebo, where decorated tables awaited us.
We had some wine then made the speeches using a microphone, the speeches being very funny and very emotional too. I found it difficult to remove the lump from my throat.
Then came the champagne toasts, we then got up to help ourselves to the most delicious food, consisting of kebabs, baked potatoes with cheese, chips, salads, meat, pasta, vegetables, bread rolls and butter, etc. It was really nice and so fresh.
After we had finished the meals at our tables, it was time for the cutting of the cake, which again was delicious.
The wine served with the meals and all evening was superb. Now it was time for the bride and grooms first dance as husband and wife, they took to the floor to the sound of Oasiss slide away
Then came more dancing with everyone on the dance floor (patio of the restaurant) then more celebrations and dancing on into the evening. The DJ playing anything requested.
I watched my daughter and son-in law looking so very happy, I watched people wiping away tears from their eyes, I watched my grandson playing in the sand with other children of the party and I felt utterly content, I couldnt have wished for anything else for my daughters wedding. It will remain etched in my memory always.
Finally at about 11.30 the coach came to collect us and return us back to our hotel, although the bride and groom and some of the younger members got off the coach at the strip and continued to celebrate with much applause from holiday makers, waiters, bar staff etc, At one of the bars, the bridesmaids sang a karaoke song for the newly weds.
Would I recommend getting married in Turkey?
with bells on! Everybody is saying that it was the best wedding ever and I would second that.
If you like a lot of formality with pomp and ceremony then perhaps a beach wedding would not suit you, but if, like my daughter and son in law, you want something relaxed and different in a beautiful location surrounded by family and friends, then I highly recommend it.
The photographer gave the bride and groom a wedding album containing photos plus the photo disc with 354 high quality photos plus a very high quality video of the wedding
this was included in the wedding day package, an absolute bargain I would say
. any question please or if you would like to see the wedding photographs please feel free to email me lynnehayes@hotmail.co.uk
