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.

Make sure to also get your copy of The Guide Istanbul magazinealong with your coffee!

The bus will be visiting the following places:

1. New York City, NY

May 4th - Today Show

May 4th - New York University, Washington Square South and Laguardia Place

May 5th -'Turkish Coffee Culture Event at the Empire Room (7 - 9 PM) – To register, visit: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3436603975

May 19th - Turkish Parade Day

2. New Haven, CT

May 9th- Yale University

3. Boston, MA

May 11^th - Harvard Square - JFK Street (10 am - 6 pm)

May 11^th - Harvard University Event (6:30 - 8:30 pm)

Widely regarded as one of the top yoga instructors in Turkey, Saash Behnam Kheirolomor, known simply as Saash to his students, has now moved from Istanbul to Bodrum. Having studied and trained in India for eight years, he moved to Turkey in 2008 where he has taught at various healthcare, spa, sport, and yoga centers. Since June 25, Saash has been teaching at The Life Co once a week.

He is also organizing a 3-day Yoga and Homeopathy Camp at Kabak Vadisi in Fethiye between 21-24 July. The camp will feature two daily Ashtanga Yoga classes (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) and a daily 2-hour homeopathy seminar by Hande Özçıkrıkçı. Held at Helin Kamp, the daily price is 150 TL per person, including breakfast, dinner, accommodation, and daily classes and seminars. If you’d like to get away from the city and indulge in some serious yoga, book your place ASAP by contacting homeopati@yahoo.com or 05369211106. For more information on Saash and Hande, check out http://www.beashtangiyogi.com/

Say goodbye to pain and suffering, and hello to tranquility and inner peace. These are the goals of yoga and meditation. With yoga holidays, you can embark on a spiritual journey to this desired state of being while relaxing on a beach, sipping a frozen cocktail, and enjoying your choice of summer reads. But if your personal idea of nirvana is not calmness and joy but looking slim and fit, Bodrum also offers a variety of destinations where you can detox, be pampered, lose weight, and learn the rules for leading a healthy lifestyle.

Revive Your Mind and Body

Down bumpy, stony roads, nestled deep in the breathtaking mountainous areas of Bodrum, you’ll find Atami Hotel located in Paradise Bay. Amid this tranquil cliff-top setting, you’ll be welcomed with an ideal blend of spectacular sea views and elegant accommodations.

Yogis from around the world come to the secluded serenity that is Atami Hotel to offer yoga holidays for those who’d like to improve their asanas (yoga postures) while relaxing on the beautiful Aegean beach. From May through October, Atami hosts weekly yoga holidays with a different yoga instructor and yoga style each week. The programs usually last seven days, and a typical day involves waking up early (around 7:00am) to do morning yoga, have breakfast, and participate in activities throughout the day or simply relax on the beach. Then another yoga session is on in the afternoon, followed by a vegetarian meal.

The hotel takes full advantage of its location, offering a variety of activities that revolve around the surrounding area. Guests can go to the Yalıkavak Bazaar or Bodrum’s center for shopping, indulge in a hamam (Turkish Bath) experience, or go on a boat tour to see the spectacular bays and swim in crystal-clear waters.

Atami Hotel, which was included in Taschen’s Great Yoga Retreats and Great Mediterranean Escapes, features a unique décor: the large, multi-storied building is decorated with custom-made and hand-picked furniture, some with a vintage feel, some Asian-inspired, and some that could belong in an old reading room. All these seemingly unrelated pieces somehow harmonize despite their differences, creating a soothing, relaxed, and homey ambiance.

If you want sun and the beach with a side of yoga, this is a great escape for you. For more information, visit www.atamihotel.com.

Find Inner Peace

The yogi couple Pervin and Michael Cullingworth host yoga holidays at their cozy home in Gölköy, Bodrum. At this earthy location, all you hear are the noises of nature: chirping birds, leaves brushing against the wind, and the occasional bark of the resident dog. Here, time stands still, allowing you to calm your mind, forget your to-do list, and concentrate on the stillness of your being.

The simple, hippie-style hilltop oasis, which was quite deserted when I visited, is revitalized during the yoga holiday season, which begins in May and lasts through October with a break in July and August when the weather gets too hot for people to be able to practice on the outdoor yoga deck. In addition to the couple, international instructors come to the Cullingworths’ home to teach a variety of yoga styles, from Dharma and Hatha to Vinyasa and Okido.

Having met while studying art in the UK, Pervin and Michael moved to Bodrum ten years ago and began hosting yoga holidays. Pervin’s first yoga camp experience was in Holland, and she describes it as being quite intensive and difficult. Although she says that the experience proved challenging both physically and mentally, Pervin still gets animated when she talks about the surge of energy that she felt after finishing the camp. This increased energy and liveliness made a considerable impression on her, later inspiring her to start hosting yoga holidays of her own, albeit much milder ones than the camp she attended.

At the Cullingworth residence, the participants attend yoga sessions twice a day (a more intensive one in the morning and a more relaxed one in the afternoon), leaving the day for the participants to enjoy as they please. However, it should be noted that this hilltop oasis does not offer accommodation; yoga holidaymakers can sleep in any of four nearby hotels.

If you want to go back to basics and find your balance in simple, ascetic surroundings, this is just the right escape for you. For more details, visit www.yogaturkey.co.uk.

Take Your Body in for Maintenance

The Life Co is a detox, well-being, and healthy lifestyle center that offers a new way of life for those looking for a more energetic, healthier, and slimmer self. The detox program is primarily designed for those looking for emotional, physical, and mental purification, although weight loss is a side effect of the program. The Life Co’s program coordinator Mirey Yuhay is a living testament to what The Life Co offers, emanating a calm and peaceful energy as I talk to her. She explains the purpose of detoxing with a great metaphor: just like you need to take your car in for maintenance every once in a while to make sure it works properly, you need to do the same for your body by detoxing.

Featuring a pool, lots of green areas, a white-dominated indoor area with minimal décor, and simply designed rooms, The Life Co complex offers an alternative holiday destination for those looking to renew themselves physically and spiritually. The detox programs at The Life Co range in length, depending on the needs of the individual, and involve a special diet of just shakes and a mix of herbs, cleansing of the colon, yoga, meditation, therapeutic massages (Balinese, Thai, Aromatherapy, or Chi Nei Tsang), and skincare (through hamam, steam bath, and sauna). Yuhay explains that ridding your body of toxins with the special nutritional programs also releases built-up negative energies and emotional toxins. Thus, the daily yoga classes (hatha yoga and pranayama or breathing exercises) help you reach an emotional balance.

The Life Co’s mission with the detox programs is to offer preventive therapies that allow the body to reach its optimum vitality. But weight-loss programs with a detox twist are also on offer, such as the “Green Salad Detox” program or the 14-day individually tailored weight-loss program. If you want it all and you have the time, you can choose the 21-day “Life Change” program, which is made of three different 7-day programs.

The Life Co complex is designed with the holidaymaker in mind, offering plenty of options for relaxation and activities in and around the complex. During your stay, you can jump on the trampoline, read topical books from the library, swim in the pool, watch films, walk or hike in the nearby hills, or go to the nearby beach. When you leave this “refuge”, you will have learned healthier habits that you can apply to your daily life and rid yourself of physical and emotional blockage.

If you want your life energy to flow freely again, detox your body, mind, and soul at The Life Co. For more information, visit www.thelifeco.com.

Pamper Yourself

A luxury lifestyle rejuvenation center, Palmalife Center offers detox programs, spa treatments, and weight management programs. The famous Prof. Dr. Osman Müftüoğlu has developed the concept of the Yaşasın Hayat! Enstitüsü, which offers consultations with experienced nutritionists and personal training sessions with talented instructors. The name of the center means Long Live Life Institute, which summarizes its aim: providing tools to help people lead high-quality and healthy lives.

The weight-loss programs at Palmalife are designed for the individual and are called “biometric diets”, which are created based on each individual’s specific biological differences, such as their metabolism rate. The detox and nutritional programs teach you how to reach your ideal weight and maintain it in the long run, speed up your metabolism, and rid yourself of unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle choices, while the spa treatments rejuvenate your skin and tone your body.

Past the orange-cinnamon-scented candles that adorn both sides of the hallways, the elegant spa features a traditional hamam (Turkish Bath), massage rooms, consultation rooms, an indoor pool, and treatment rooms. Purple, white, and gray tones dominate the interior of the spa, along with aromatic candles and soothing stones. Weekly yoga, pilates, and kinesis classes are also on offer. Bodrum’s local yogi, Melek Mjaanes, teaches yoga and meditation at the yoga deck overlooking the tranquil waters of the Aegean coast.

The crisply clean hotel features simple, chic rooms, minimally decorated in white and beige tones and dashes of color that add liveliness. Although the rooms are not huge, they feel quite spacious due to the decoration. To jumpstart your New Year’s resolutions, even ones that have possibly been postponed for five years or more, spend some time at the luxurious boot camp that is Palmalife.

Be Treated Like Royalty

Spread over a huge area on the Bodrum seaside, Gardens of Babylon’s motto is “all we have is deluxe,” and they definitely live up to this standard. Every aspect, every corner, and every service within the hotel is designed so that visitors can just relax, forget about their routines, and not have to lift a finger—unless, that is, they are here for the healthy lifestyle program. The hotel’s High Health Center, managed by Dr. Ender Saraç, is open year round, offering personalized programs for a healthy lifestyle. The center offers nutrition consultancy and weight-loss programs as well as skincare, cellulite and wrinkle treatments, and much more. Muu Spa & Wellness Center combines the healing techniques of the East with the technology of the West, offering top-notch beauty treatments, such as aromatherapy, skin and body care, face masks, deep tissue massage, anti-stress massage, and ayurveda massage.

If you want to be pampered like royalty while getting in shape and getting a tan, then Gardens of Babylon is the ideal luxury hotel for you.

The Ultimate Luxurious Treatments

The Kempinki Hotel Barbaros Bay’s Spa & Wellness Center, the Six Senses Spa, offers a bit of everything, from yoga and pilates to detox and spa treatments, all in an idyllic setting. Here you can purify your mind and revitalize your body with detox programs that combine cleansing nutritional programs, an individually tailored exercise program, yoga, and meditation. Apart from the detox program, the wellness activities at Kempinski include pilates, Nordic walking, a watsu pool, and fitness training to help you find physical and mental harmony while enjoying breathtaking views of the Aegean Sea.

You can get pampered at the spa with body and facial treatments and massages or indulge in a luxurious hamam (Turkish bath) experience in the most tasteful surroundings. If you’re looking to de-stress, try finding your inner calm and balance with one of their special treatments, such as the Thai Herbal Massage, Hot Stone Therapy, Shiatsu Massage, or Foot Acupressure.

To achieve inner balance and physical perfection amid a luxurious and elegant setting, book your holiday at the grand Kempinski Hotel. For more details, go to www.kempinski.com/cn/bodrum.