Destination weddings have become popular worldwide, and Bodrum is increasingly becoming a favored location for those seeking a seaside wedding in a romantic and exotic locale. Destination weddings are gaining favor as an increasing number of couples want to get married far from home, and bring their closest family members and friends with them to share in the celebration. These weddings are also appealing because, compared to traditional weddings, destination weddings give couples more time to spend with each individual guest.  In addition, they allow the bride and groom to combine their wedding and honeymoon if they so choose. While many of the couples who marry in Bodrum are Turkish or half-Turkish, there are also an increasing number of foreigners who choose Bodrum after falling in love with its beauty.

Destination weddings are about bringing together your family and closest friends in a beautiful location, and celebrating your union. They not only enhance the wedding day itself, but also enrich all the activities that surround it. With its crystal blue waters, rolling hills covered with olive trees and citrus groves, and white-washed buildings draped with bougainvillea, Bodrum makes an ideal backdrop to any wedding.   Its many leisure options, including a thriving nightlife and wealth of boat trip and party opportunities, further add to its appeal.  You name it:  in Bodrum, you can indulge in it. You and your friends can spend the days sunning on beaches and shopping in local stores, and the evenings enjoying any number of themed parties as you build up to the big day. Add to this a number of boutique and five-star hotels and spas that offer top-notchservices, and Bodrum is truly a perfect location for a destination wedding.  

Boutique Beauty

For those looking to share the intimate experience of a boutique wedding with their nearest and dearest, the Maçakızı hotel in Türkbükü provides an ideal setting. A favorite with both the international and Turkish jet-setting crowd, Maçakızı is known for the beauty of its grounds and its tasteful and unpretentious décor. With its stone and whitewashed bungalows and stunning gardens tumbling down the hills to the waterside decks, which are covered with cream-colored cushions, this hotel epitomizes classic Mediterranean beauty. Everything here is elegant and low-key, from the rooms to the grounds, with an ever-present view of the azure blue water of the Aegean.

Maçakızı is famous for its great music, and also for its delicious food, which consistently wins rave reviews from guests.  The menus of renowned chef Aret Sahakyan feature a blend of Turkish and Mediterranean flavors and cooking techniques, using only the finest and freshest local ingredients. Meals are served in an open-air dining room, in the shade of a 100-year-old olive tree.  The environment of abundant natural beauty serves as the ideal backdrop for a simple, elegant, and chic wedding. While it is possible to bring in an outside wedding planner, most couples choose to have the hotel handle all the wedding details.

A classic Maçakızı wedding features lots of white draped fabric, plenty of candlelight, and fuchsia bougainvillea to add a dash of color. The events start with cocktails, move onto an open buffet or sit-down dinner by Sahakyan, and end with a night of dancing beneath the stars. Maçakızı Bodrum; Kesire Mevkii Narçiçeği St. 48400 Göltürkbükü Bodrum; P: +90 252 377 6272

Five Star Luxury

For many people, their nuptials are the perfect excuse to indulge in a five-star luxury experience. For the ultimate in opulence, plan your wedding at the Kempinski hotel, whose name is synonymous with luxury. The hotel benefits from a very dramatic setting with sweeping views over Barbaros Bay.  This stylish and serene scene makes for a highly tasteful and minimalist wedding. The Bodrum Kempinski offers special wedding packages that include all the details necessary for the perfect wedding. Depending on the size and type of your event, you can choose from one of many beautiful function areas, including the Gazebo Terrace, Barbarossa Beach, or a poolside area. Whichever you choose, Kempinski Bodrum’s wedding planners will help you with every single detail so that you can just relax and enjoy your wedding.

Apart from the breathtaking beauty of the bay and hotel, many couples choose to have their wedding at the Kempinski for the delicious food and famous spa. Executive chef Ali Ronay has an extensive repertoire, and he and his staff can accommodate a range of requests, whether you want traditional Turkish, classic French, or Asian Fusion dishes on your wedding day. At the Six Senses Spa (complete with traditional hamam), you and your partner, not to mention all your guests, can feel like royalty for a day. In fact, the spa is so popular that even if their wedding is being held in another venue, many bridal parties choose to come here to treat themselves to a spa and get pampered in preparation for the big day. To top it all off, the Kempinski staff will even plan your honeymoon in one of the many luxury hotels the company operates around the world. Kempinski Hotel Barbaros Bay Bodrum; Kızılagaç Köyü, Gerenkuyu Mevkii Yaliçiftlik, Bodrum; P: +90 252 3110303

Beachy

For some, the entire point of a wedding in Bodrum is to get married right on the beach, with sand between their toes. For those in search of a simple, casual, and seaside wedding, Xuma beach in Yalıkavak is the ideal location. Situated on a beautiful private bay at the edge of a nature preserve and surrounded by greenery and citrus trees, this is an ideal setting for a low-key wedding. The beach club can be closed for weddings during June and September.  These months are also preferred for their slightly cooler evenings. While couples are welcome to bring in outside planners and caterers, Xuma has its own restaurant, which serves up tasty Mediterranean meals. If you want a simple beach wedding with the stunning natural beauty of Bodrum as your backdrop, Xuma beach is the ideal venue. XUMA Beach Club, Küdür Mevkii, Yalıkavak Bodrum; P : +90 252 385 47 75

Wedding Services

While most wedding venues provide their own services, some couples choose to bring in outside services. Below are some of our suggestions.

Sights

Flowers are an important part of any wedding, and Ceremony by Irem Yargici, located in Istanbul’s upscale Bebek neighborhood,  sells stunning arrangements that can be shipped anywhere in the country. They  also provide general wedding planning services and are known for the most elegantly organized and tasteful weddings.  For a more locally based florist and event planner, Nature Cicek Evi Davet & Organization, based in Bodrum, can take care of all the details, from your appointment at the beauty salon to your Turkish honeymoon. (Nature Çiçek Evi & Organizasyon is located on Cafer Paşa Caddesi No. 85, Muğla, Bodrum. P: 0252 313 05 72.)

Sounds

Turkey’s best known DJ, Salih Saka, can provide you with the perfect musical background on your big day. His events company, S&S Music Maker, is known for providing the best DJ services in the country and even has a compilation CD: Ceremonies and Parties. 

Tastes

Café di Dolce can make you the perfect wedding cake,  as beautiful as it is delicious.