We don’t get the chance to photograph Turkish weddings very often, but when we do, they are a definite delight and always such a blast! Ayca and Cem had a beautiful Turkish wedding at DeLille Cellars in Washington, a ten acre winery estate with all the charm to make you fall in love again! Ayca and Cem both went to the same university and department as I did, Boğaziçi University, and studied in the Computer Engineering department. They were working at Microsoft in Seattle when they met. We were so thrilled to be a part of their wedding day, as fate would have it, I happened to be visiting Istanbul, Turkey the same time they were and we were able to meet and chat about the big day!
The bride looked absolutely stunning! Despite the slight rain, Ayca’s beautiful hair and makeup remained on point and intact! Thank you to Jasmine Cartwright and Salon Maison for providing exceptional work. The cake was as delicious as it was beautiful – surrounded by fresh, pink roses. It was a magnificent creation from Macrina Bakery, one of the top bakeries in Seattle. The food was also irresistible! It was a combination of savory dishes courtesy of Alexa Shaich and her catering company, as well as some authentic, fresh Turkish goodies such as handmade Turkish delights and Turkish baklava. The Turkish delights (lokum) were placed in a beautiful, handcrafted dish (lokumluk) with a gorgeous tulip design and the baklava was actually a gift from the bride’s sister Gaye and were special ordered from the Gaziantep region of Turkey. I don’t think it can get any more fresh and tastier than that!
Floral arrangements always help take a wedding to the next level, even when you are surrounded with such natural beauty like that at DeLille Cellars. The impeccable work from Fena Flowers helped heighten the wedding with vibrant flowers scattered throughout the venue and of course, an elegant rose bouquet for the bride. Ayca’s father recently passed away and the wedding guests all shared an emotional moment as two guests, who used to take dance classes with the bride’s father, honored him by performing a touching and beautiful Greek dance routine. The reception was lively and full of dancing. Huge thanks to Danny Quintero and his band for entertaining us with their crooner style songs! They are so good. Everyone enjoyed singing along as well as tasting the delicious Old Fashioned and Moscow Mule cocktails on hand. It was also such a nice surprise to run into Wendy and Jeff, a wonderful couple whose Columbia Gorge wedding at Riverview Restaurant we photographed years ago on a very windy day. What a small world!