I met with my Swiss couple on the wedding day in the preparation room of Esma Sultan Mansion. Ozan was there for the drone shooting, Gokhan for the video and my dear friend Erkin Agsaran was there as the second photographer. Not to miss any moments, it is always a great advantage to work with these two photographers alternately. So we had the chance to record every moment of this wedding with great support of Erkin Agsaran. You can read the whole story of “Turkey Wedding Pictures in Esma Sultan“ at the bottom of the page and watch the video…
As the dose of alcohol increased in the men’s room, the dose of entertainment and noise also increased. Sometime personel came and warned the groom and his friends, saying that we were in a historic wooden building and that excessive bouncing could damage the building. We continued our entertainment of photo shooting outside with the groom and his friends.
Esma Sultan Mansion
The mansion is named after Esma Sultan, the daughter of the Ottoman Sultan Abdulaziz. When Esma Sultan was married to the important statesman Cerkez Mehmet Pasha at the age of 16, this place was given to her as a gift, in 1889. Upon the death of Esma Sultan, her daughter
inherited the masion and thereafter her grandson. In 1915, it was not anymore Ottoman property’s and became a Greek School. In 1922, it was used as a tobacco warehouse and in 1950s as a carpentry. In 1975 the building got on fire and it remained unusable until the 90s. Finally, The Marmara Hotels bought it and rebuild it by using glass and steel without touching the outside. It has opened its doors today.
The wedding, which would take place according to Jewish traditions, was on the second floor of Esma Sultan. This floor of Esma Sultan is a mezzanine floor built on steel construction without putting a load on the stone building. In that respect, you can also see the modern structure in history. This architecture is also very important for the protection of it. The groom entered the wedding area first with it father and mother. As always, Ceremony Flowers & Event has done an amazing job. Congratulations again and again.https://www.ceremony.com.tr/
After the wedding, we also took a photo shooting of our couple in the garden. Meanwhile, the guests went to the cocktail area on the beach. We also took photo shootings of family and friends by taking advantage of this suitable area in the garden.
Wedding Night and After Party
At 20:00, With the start of live music all guests rushed to the runway just in front of the wedding scene. Parisian band Shine Live Band is the best wedding music group I have ever seen. I watched a magnificent show on the stage. Both the vocals and the orchestra were incredible. They overwhelmed the Jewish predominant group, who already knew how to have fun. After the couple arrived, we witnessed the tradition of lifting up both parents and the couple in the air with a chair. Moreover, they repeated this at least 5-6 times during the night. This was a unique opportunity for us as photographers. We took pictures of these amazing moments.
After 24:00 we went to the entrance floor of the mansion for the after party that would last until 3:30 in the morning. Here, too, was a great DJ feast. It was truly a great wedding day with every part. The wedding took place in four different areas. The wedding area on the second floor, the cocktail area on the beach, the dining and stage area in the garden and the cocktail area on the ground floor. This was one of the rare weddings where every area of Esma Sultan was used.
I wish health and happiness to our couple for life.
Turkey Wedding Pictures in Esma Sultan by Ufuk Sarisen
