Destination Wedding in Turkey

Ola and Andrew were dreaming of a destination wedding to turkey but had to pivot and go with a small backyard wedding. At the last minute the two of them decided to ‘just for it!’ and jumped on a plane to Turkey just the two of them!

COUPLE: Ola & Andrew

WEDDING DATE: October 6, 2021

LOCATION: Cappadocia (www.cappadociaturkey.net) Ürgüp, Turkey

PHOTOGRAPHY: Hakan Erenler Photography (@hakanerenler_photography) Ürgüp, Turkey “We did A LOT of Instagram searching! Finding an International photographer is not an easy task but their photos spoke for themselves.” – O

BRIDE ATTIRE: Memories Bridal (www.memoriesbridalcanada.ca) Barrie, ON

GROOM ATTIRE: Stars & Strauss (www.shop.stars-strauss.com) Barrie, ON

TRAVEL AGENCY: Jet Lag Voyages (www.jetlagvoyages.com) Barrie, ON

TELL US YOUR STORY: “As busy professionals, short on time and energy for ourselves, we knew that meeting others would not be especially easy. Having been encouraged to ‘just give it a try’, because “what have you got to lose”…we both did… we subscribed to Tinder. Without any great expectations, we connected with each other and decided to meet… and the rest is history!

The perfect wedding wasn’t something either of us had really thought of or envisioned, but one thing we both knew was that we didn’t want a traditional, conventional wedding. We didn’t want a huge event with a lot of fanfare. We wanted to celebrate our love with our beloved family members…whether in a small ceremony, possibly in our backyard, or an epic elopement and honeymoon at a destination that reflected who we are… adventurous, curious, inspired, global citizens.

After considering many plans and destinations, we decided we wanted to elope to Turkey, one of the most beautiful places in the world… to experience the spirit, the history, the diversity, the culture, the food, the scenery and so much more. But of course, COVID changed our original plans multiple times and we also wanted to include our families, so we had to move ahead with “Option B” – a simple, local, backyard wedding (which was also perfect in its own strange way) – I bought another dress, we re-envisioned our dreams.

But then last minute…WE WENT FOR IT! After over 18 months of dealing with COVID, restrictions were loosened and we were both vaccinated…and we were able to travel to Turkey! Just the two of us. At that point, we were prepared to accept the bare minimum, but we got more than we could ever have imagined. No matter the circumstances, we would not change our mini elopement in Cappadocia, Turkey for all the riches in the world.

Unbelievable sights. Unimaginable beauty. Unforgettable memories. We are so grateful to have been able to experience this after such a long and difficult time filled with so much anxiety and uncertainty. Thank you to everyone who helped us keep a positive perspective. It was an absolute dream. We hope other engaged couples can see in our photos what a magical, intimate, and memorable experience this was, and have the courage to take the plunge and Say Yes! like we did, in a truly spectacular and unique destination wedding.” – O

BIGGEST CHALLENGE: “Travel logistics during COVID are the most challenging so using an experienced travel advisor is key! Also packing a wedding dress definitely comes with its own challenges, but some creative folding went a long way.” – O

BEST MEMORY: “The day of the photos in Turkey was just so incredible. It was actually freezing- no more than 1 degree (I know! It doesn’t look it) but we had so much fun and our photographers were just so funny and easy to work with it was a great highlight.” – O

ADVICE: “If you’re planning an elopement or even a destination wedding try to keep it as simple as possible. There are already a lot of logistical issues but if you can keep it simple and just narrow it down to a handful of “must-haves” you can easily have an amazing and easy elopement. And don’t forget to use an experienced advisor! It’s one thing for a regular trip to go awry but you can’t take chances with your elopement!” – O