weddings
Summer Rain
Our couple is from NYC, their families and guests arrived from all around the world.
We had started working on this wedding months before the date, it was a summer time wedding and was planned to be outside. Unfortunately, a mad rain storm caught the city by surprise, so we had to move everything inside. We were prepared for any weather condition, therefore did not have any problems. But that was a day when perfect planning and professionalism was effectively used.
We love organizing destination weddings, meeting new people, learning about new tastes and new cultures.
This wedding theme was olive tree. Olive branch is a symbol for peace and have been used at weddings for centuries. While there are awful terrorism attacks around the world, we think this couple’s theme selection becomes more meaningful.
The wedding took place at the Adile Sultan Palace (www. adilesultan.org ), we surrounded the palace with hundreds of olive branches.
We enjoyed working on this wedding, we hope it shows from the photos.
Less is More
One more time we have witnessed that real beauty comes from simplicity.
BG Events organized the wedding of a very sweet couple, Berrak and Cem. The decoration was like a reflection of the pure beauty of the bride, it was tasteful and elegant.
The wedding party took place at the La Petit Maison Restaurant Nisantasi. It was an amazing party with delicious food, great music and gorgeous people.
The wedding’s key theme was the Calla Lilly flower, and we have surrounded LPM with thousands of cala lillies.
We had fun organizing it, we hope you enjoy looking at the photos..
Marie Antoinette was at the Four Seasons Bosphorus
She had a dream, we made it real..
This is how we work :)
Our precious bride wanted us to take a visit to mid 18th century, We did and decided to work around Marie Antoinette who is one of the most fascinating figures of that century.
The wedding was at the Four Seasons Bosphorus Hotel.
We created a French atmosphere in the ballroom and wanted our guests feel the difference the moment they entered.
Bride and Groom made an entrance with a violinist playing their favourite song dressed in that era’s costume. Their first dance was a waltz, and they sure looked like royalty.
A theater stage inspired from the Versailles Palace was designed and that’s where the ceremony took place. Feathers, candles, crystals, ribbons and silk was used while decorating. Masks were placed at each setting for guests to use.
Later famous singer Bengu and DJ Suat Atesdagli took place on that stage, and the wedding lasted until early hours of the morning.
A Spectacular Event at Yerebatan Cistern
Yerebakan Cistern is located at the southwest of the Hagia Sofia – the European side of Istanbul and was used as a location for the James Bond Movie in 1963. This magnificent ambience has been hosting national and international events for years.
Here are the pictures of the event that we organized last week. We enriched the cistern with our professional team, using spectacular decoration, elegant details and charming orchids and roses . It’s magical isn’t it?
written by Setenay at BG Events
Here is a list of our favorite venues in Istanbul
1. Adile Sultan Palace:
The palace was built for the Ottoman princess Adile Sultan (1825-1898), the daughter of Sultan Mahmud II and designed by the architect Sarkis Balyan. It was erected on the same place of a kiosk, which was presented to her by Sultan Abdülmecid in 1856. The palace was commissioned by Sultan Abdülaziz and built by the court architect Sarkis Balyan in 1861. It stands at one of the most glorious places, on a hill, in the middle of Bosphorus on the Asian shore. This location enables a wonderful panoramic view of Bosphorus reaching from Sea of Marmara to Black Sea.The palace has 55 rooms was on a ground of 17,000 m².
Adile Sultan, a great and the only Turkish royal female poet having a Diwan, lived here until the death of her husband Mehmet Ali Pasha in 1868. She donated her residence to the state to be used as a high school for girls after her death in 1898. Before it was used as determined, the palace came a short while under the control of Ministry of War during World War I. Only in 1916, it could be turned to a secondary school for girls and the first graduates left the school in 1920. The school was named 1924 after its location, Kandilli Secondary School. In 1931, the school became Kandilli High School for Girls, a respected educational institution since then. The classes of the high school moved to a new building in 1969. The old palace was used as dormitory for boarding girls of the school until 1986; when it was burnt down due to an electrical short-circuit. The historic building became a ruin consisting of only four walls.
The palace covers an area of 5,625 m², which accommodates an oval hall for meeting and banqueting of 500 people, another two meeting halls for 200 people each, a 1,300 m² hall for cocktails and exhibitions, 20 seminar rooms with 30-40 seats, a museum, a dining hall for 150 people and a cafeteria for 60 people. The palace garden offers place for 2,000 people.
2. Ciragan Palace Kempinski:
The palace, built by Sultan Abdülâziz, was designed by the famous palace architect Nigoğayos Balyan and constructed by his sons Sarkis and Hagop Balyan between 1863 and 1867. This was a period in which all Ottoman sultans used to build their own palaces rather than using those of their ancestors. Çırağan Palace is the last example of this period. The inner walls and the roof were made of wood, the outer walls of colorful marble. The palace is connected with a beautiful marble bridge to the Yıldız Palace on the hill behind. A very high garden wall protects the palace from the outer world.
The construction and the interior decoration of the palace continued until 1872. After he moved in, Sultan Abdülâziz was, however, not able to live long in his magnificent palace. He was found dead in the palace on May 30, 1876, shortly after he was dethroned. His successor, his nephew Sultan Murad V, moved into Çırağan Palace, but reigned after only 93 days. He, who was deposed by his brother Abdülhamid II due to alleged mental illness, lived here under house arrest until his death on August 29, 1904.
During the Second Constitutional Monarchy, Sultan Mehmet V Reşat allowed the parliament to hold their meetings in this building. Only two months after, on January 19, 1910, a great fire destroyed the palace, leaving only the outer walls intact.
In 1989, the ruined palace was bought by a Japanese corporation, which restored the palace and added a modern hotel complex next to it in its garden. Today, it serves as luxury suites for the five star Kempinski hotel along with two restaurants that cater to guests.
The Palace was renovated again during the first quarter of 2007, now resembling the authentic palace with the baroque style and soft colors.
3.Esma Sultan Mansion:
Esma Sultan, born in 1873 at Dolmabahçe Palace, is the daughter of the 32nd Ottoman Sultan, Abdulaziz I.
At the age of three, Esma Sultan was admitted in the harem of Sultan Abdulhamid I, and was brought up in the harem following his father Abdulaziz’s dethronement and suicide in 1876. Esma Sultan was brought up as a loved lady sultan and when she was 16 years old she was married to Mehmed Pasha the Circassian who was one of the leading statesmen of his time.
The 19th century Ottoman mansion located next to Ortaköy Mosque was presented to Esma Sultan as a wedding gift. The mansion was named after Esma Sultan who lived at the palace.
Esma Sultan Mansion was given to her daughter Cemile Sultan in 1899 by Sultan Abdul Hamid II when Esma Sultan died. When Cemile Sultan died, the Mansion was given to Fatma Hanım Sultan, Cemile Sultan’s daughter. Esma Sultan Mansion, which seems to have gotten out of the possession of the Ottoman dynasty in 1915s became a Greek school in 1918, was used as a tobacco warehouse in 1922 and was used as carpenter house, furniture warehouse and coal warehouse respectively in 1950s, after being sold a few times. The building was burnt down in a large fire in 1975.
Esma Sultan Mansion was provided with a new cultural identity when it was bought by The Marmara in early 1990s, remaining true to the original plan of the mansion. The interior of the building was reconstructed in 2001 using glass and steel within the direction of the avant project by Philip Robert and was opened to service during 12 months of the year. The garden still contains the remains of the cistern, the Turkish bath and the stable.
If the location of a meeting or conference can influence its quality and accomplishment, then there is no better place to meet than in The Marmara Esma Sultan.
With its historical atmosphere Esma Sultan Mansion presents a privileged venue for meetings and conferences.
It offers 1000 guests for dinner and reception space for up to 3000 guests in the garden,
336 guests for dinner and reception for 600 guests, in the indoor first floor,
180 guests for dinner and reception for 300 guests at the entrance floor throughout the year.
4. Four Seasons Hotel Bosphorus:
Four Seasons is a 19th century ottoman palace transformed into a chic urban resort.
The hotel has:
- 11 Function spaces
- 1030 m2/ 11087 sq ft Grand Ballroom
- 1000 banquet capacity
- 170 Guest rooms
- 1 complimentary honeymoon suite with function space booking
5. Sait Halim Pasa Mansion:
The first owners of the mansion are believed to be the Duzogullari Family. The Aristarhis Family who acquired the mansion from the Duzogulları demolished it to construct a completely new one around 1863.
Abdulhalim Pasa bought the mansion from the Aristarhis Family and instructed architect Petraki Adamandidis to rebuild it. After Abdulhalim Pasa's death in 1890 the property was inherited by his nine sons. Sait Halim Pasa, gathering all shares from his brothers came into the sole ownership of the mansion in 1894.
Mansion, which is placed in Yenikoy, is now back to the life after the restoration works that lasted years. The mansion, which was built as a sea palace by Petraki Adamandidis from Çanakkale in the first years of 19th century, is placed in a garden that has a pier and also a gate to Bosphorus. It is also named a "chalet with lions" because of the two lion sculptures that are in the front of the garden called "selamIik". Rooms lined up around the middle sofa constitute the main plan of the chalet, rising on the marble basement as two levels. South part and north parts of the chalet are separated for men and women only. The entrance to the both parts is through the glassed-in sections. In spite of the plain exterior of the chalet the interior walls and ceilings are decorated by Arabic influenced ornaments.