A Loved-Up Turkish Wedding

Some people might not believe in fate or destiny, but for Dilek and Imran it’s impossible to deny their love was meant-to-be. The pair attended the same high school but never met at school due to being on separate campuses. Dilek accidentally added Imran on Facebook after mistaking him for someone else! She then reached out to apologise and the pair spoke briefly after that.

The true magic happens when they bumped into each other at a university open day, where they both skipped their lectures and walked around campus together. They sat to watch the hockey team practising on one of the fields. When Dilek rested her head on Imran’s shoulder, instantly the sparks flew and the couple has been inseparable since.

The Day

Dilek and Imran had quite different ideas about how they wanted their day to go. Imran adored the idea of a ‘big, fat Turkish wedding’ with all their family and friends, whilst Dilek much preferred the idea of a small intimate gathering of their nearest and dearest. Like any good couple does, they compromised and landed on having a bit of both.

The day started with a more intimate ceremony in Footscray Park and finished with a reception extravaganza.

Dilek and Imran arrived at their ceremony Footscray Park together, where their closest loved ones awaited them. An incredible string trio serenaded their nuptials while they exchanged vows. Soon after, everyone was treated to a delicious ice cream cart full of treats.

Dilek says of their funky decision for the ice cream cart, ‘In our relationship, ice cream is synonymous with love, so as soon as we saw an ice cream cart for hire, we knew we had to have it. Not only was it unique, but it was also the perfect treat for our guests who accompanied us to our outdoor ceremony in 40-degree heat!’

The Manor on High Grand Ballroom provided the most stunning location for their 400 guests to celebrate with them. The venue shone on its own and needed very little styling, so the two opted for a pared-back black and white palette in their napery and white orchid centrepieces.

Their favourite moment of their celebration was their first dance. They twirled around the ballroom to an acoustic version of Beyonce’s Halo surrounded by smoke and indoor fireworks. Dilek says they both cried happy tears at that moment.

The Traditions

It was especially important to the couple that their cultural traditions were a big part of their day. One particularly important cultural aspect of the day was the Gelin Cikarma Ceremony, which translates roughly to ‘taking out the bride’.

This ceremony occurred before the wedding ceremony and it involved Imran and his family travelling to Dilek’s family home to greet one another and have their first meeting for the day. This meant they were able to travel to their wedding ceremony together.

Another particularly special cultural moment was the performance of a traditional Turkish dance, which the groom and groomsmen had been preparing and practising for months.

Dilek reflects on that moment, ‘It was extremely heart-warming to see the amount of effort the boys put into learning the dance, and it was a proud moment to see them perform it perfectly on the day!’

Scroll on to see all the images from Imran and Dilek’s big day, captured by a Melbourne photography duo we love to recommend, It’s Beautiful Here. HOORAY_Dilek_and_Imran_Wedding002 its-beautiful-here-muslim-wedding-photography-melbourne-fitzroy-turkish-dilek-imran_385