A colourful dream
Wedding team
Venue & Caterer: Çubuklu 29
Planner: Madam Koket
Cake: Classic French Croquembouche, courtesy of Cubuklu 29
Florist: Courtesy of Madam Koket
Entertainment & Music: DJ Taner
Photographers: S&S Visual Maker
Saniya and Shazad met 15 years ago in London when they were teenagers. Their paths then crossed again 13 years later and there was an instant connection between the two. Wedding plans soon ensued with Saniya explaining, “I always wanted to have a destination wedding, somewhere far enough from home, but close enough for all my loved ones to be there and be a part of. The theme was based around romance and being in Istanbul, was symbolic, because it was the first place my husband and I had visited together on holiday.”
The guests arrived in Istanbul two days before the wedding for a welcome party in the evening, followed by a traditional pre-wedding Turkish/Pakistani henna party the following day.
On the day of the wedding, guests were transported to the ceremony and reception venue, Çubuklu 29 by boat. The stunning venue is located on the waterfront in Çubuklu on the Asian side of Istanbul, offering spectacular views of the strait and European shoreline. The ceremony took place at dusk and once the rings were exchanged, 100 balloons were released into the sunset.
A ‘memory corner’ was set up at the entrance of the reception and guests were handed their seating plan arrangements. “The table plan was a map of Istanbul. All the tables were named after hot spots. From our favourite bars and restaurants to the famous architectural sites we loved visiting. The memory corner consisted of old photos of us as babies, with our families and a guest signing book for messages,” explains Saniya.
Turkish whirling dervishes enter-tained the guests during cocktail hour, before guests were seated to enjoy a menu starting with wild mushroom risotto and salmon ceviche, followed by slow roasted lamb shank with mashed potato for the main course. Perfectly finished off with passion fruit creme brulee for dessert. Saniya danced the night away in a dress by Indian designer Mira Taylor paired with the prettiest of Jimmy Choo shoes.
Images: Supplied
