It is time for you to experience the Wedding Traditions and Food in Turkey! An extensive list of traditions and food can be found in Turkey when it comes to weddings.
In Turkey it is traditional for a groom to come to the bride’s home to take her away and get married. This is an old custom prior to which a groom’s family visits the bride’s home to ask her and her family’s permission to get married. This way it was ensured the future husband was worthy of getting married to. The proposal takes place on the same evening, Turkish coffee is served to all guests along with some Turkish pastry and sarma or dolma. It is not a ‘one knee’ proposal.
Everything is more relaxed in Turkey. The outcome is more or less predicted. It is common to hug or kiss the bride’s forehead by the groom after the rings are placed on their fingers by the elderly relative.
Turkish wedding traditions include hen party or hena night Kına Gecesi at the bride’s home. It’s an evening of entertainment for women and the bride separately from men. This night celebrates the last moments before marriage. The bride’s palms are painted with henna to enable her to receive blessings. Henna is believed to protect from evil. Henna night is the most colorful of the wedding traditions, remaining for many centuries as the ‘rites of passage’ for the people of Anatolia of the Ottoman Empire. The guests eat, drink and dance during the Kına Gecesi.
The dress for the bride on the wedding day is white, but there is a detail added by Turkish culture. A red silk belt is added to the white dress on the bride to signify her purity.
Giving away the Bride in Turkey
In Turkey it is traditional for a groom to come to the bride’s home to take her away and get married.
What food is traditionally served at Turkish wedding?
In keeping with the regional traditions each area in Turkey offers a different option of food at the wedding. In Muğla the wedding meal is keşkek. The family of the groom who usually undertake the wedding costs and organization are expected to host a party and serve keşkek on the wedding day.
Turkish weddings typically include soft drinks, occasionally alcohol, snacks or a meal and a cake. The food arrangements depend on the budget the families can afford. But usually the families go out of their way and overspend on the wedding day in Turkey. It is common to sell land, real estate, cars or take out a bank credit for wedding costs in Turkey.
What gifts are traditional in Turkish wedding?
Gold in all of its form or cash. There are golden coins and golden bracelets of different value and any jewellery will be able to help you make your decision.
Wedding Tradition of Cutting the Wedding Cake
Cutting the Wedding Cake is one of the traditions that is important on the wedding day. The couple cuts the first piece of cake at the wedding. Before it’s cut the chef usually tells the couple that the knife doesn’t cut as it is not sharp enough that means he is waiting a tip.
Wedding Tradition of the first dance
In the province of Mugla the first dance is traditionally Zeybek. The groom is dancing alone followed by other men at the wedding. On the 26th of August 2023 at the festival in Mugla you will be able to learn the moves of Zeybek Dance.
It’s time to experience the wedding traditions and wedding food in Turkey during your holiday in Marmaris or Icmeler.
The second festival of the wedding traditions and food is taking place in Mugla on the 26th of August 2023.
Here is the program for the day:
26th of August 2023
Mugla Wedding Traditions & Food Festival
12:00 Slow Food Mugla local produce
Place: Kurşunlu Square İnsan Hakları Park
13:00 Speach about Muğla local produce and local vineyards
Place: Konakaltı Culture Center
15:00 Keşkek Party 48 GONG
Place: Kurşunlu Square İnsan Hakları Park
15:30 Speach on Cuisine: two sides of the Aegean
Place: Şadırvan
16:00 Groom’s House
Place: Yağcılar Business Center
16:30 Taking the Bride
Place: Zahire Bazar
17:15 Parade
17:45 Zeybek Dancing Lesson
Place: Yağcılar Business Center
18:15 Zeybek Attempt to Break the Record
Place: Yağcılar Business Center
18:30 Concert
20:00 Closing Party
Place: Şadırvan
How to come from Icmeler and Marmaris:
On the 26th of August there will be free shuttles from Icmeler and Marmaris to go to the Wedding Festival in Mugla:
- For guests staying in Icmeler the pick up is at 10:30 from Letoille Hotel
- For guests staying in Marmaris the pick up is at 10:30 from Pasa Beach hotel
- For guests staying in the center of Marmaris the pick up is at 10:45 from the central Atatürk square