Turkish Wedding Traditions
Sometimes ternevents likes to look at wedding traditions from around the world. Today we describe one of the wedding traditions from Turkey.
In Turkey there is a wedding tradition of ‘Fetching the Bride’ known as “Gelin Alma” (to fetch the bride).
Everybody is invited to become involved in fetching the bride. Guests will generally go on foot if it’s not too far, or by car if she is some distance away. In some regions of the country the Groom is not allowed to accompany the bridal procession, which involves a wedding flag and drum-pipe musical accompaniment.
Turkish wedding tradition of the red belt
In some regions the bride is prepared for her marriage by elderly women (yenge) who help and attend her, but nowadays it is more usual for her to visit the hairdresser/ make up artist etc, before being escorted by those who come from the Groom’s side of the family.
Traditionally the bride wears a veil over her head and her family (usually brother or close relative) tie red ribbon around her waist, called a ‘bekaret ku?a??’, meaning ‘maidenhood belt’.
Source: Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Photo Credits: MOGA Hochzeiten – Matthias Mohr