Before a traditional Turkish wedding, the bride’s family and groom’s family meet to share a dessert together. The dessert, mainly baklava, is given to the neighbors and friends to announce the big day! Eating sweet things together is known to represent that both sides of the family wish that everything goes sweetly in the marriage. A true treat!
While getting ready for the big day all the ladies have a fun tradition. Before sliding on the wedding day pumps all of the single bridesmaids, friends, and relatives sign the sole of the bride’s wedding shoes. A great keepsake with sweet messages. This Turkish tradition states, once the bride has danced and boogied the night away, the lucky lady whose name has faded the most will be next to marry. A great alternative to the bouquet toss, or in addition to!
Just before walking down the aisle another Turkish wedding tradition is to have the eldest brother of the bride, or the mother of the bride, tie a red ribbon around her waist which signifies her purity. After the wedding, women will pin gold coins to the bride’s red ribbon or place gold bangles on her wrists to wish the happy couple good fortune in the future. (Red is a lucky symbol and tradition in Asian weddings too!)
Large families are fairly common in Turkey and another tradition, which is still practiced in some areas, is that a younger sibling cannot marry before an elder one. This applies to both male and female siblings, so a girl in love might not be able to marry if her older sister is still unwed!
A note from the Haute Wedding Team: Since we are an international company, we are so lucky to have such a diverse group of brides over the years. We are constantly learning about new cultures and traditions that inspire us every day. We love hearing about what wedding traditions people have incorporated into their wedding. Please message us with your story! We love hearing from you!