> Play 'HAPPY' now!

The Story

THIS IS THE STORY OF HOW EREN AND SELIM WENT FROM TYING THEIR SHOE LACES TO TYING THE KNOT...

In the summer of ‘94, at the Robert College summer camp in Istanbul, Eren and Selim said their first ‘hello!’ to one another. Eren was rocking a rat-tail while Selim was decked out in his matching set of LC Waikiki t-shirt and tights, which proves that the early 90’s were certainly not so kind to either of them!

They were assigned to the same camp group, called ‘The Yellow Group’, where they hit it off immediately. Together they climbed high trees, cycled down hills together at dangerous speeds, performed plays where they enacted classic Turkish films calling each other ‘Jjjjuneyt’ and ‘Jjjjjale’ and basically pulled every string to be on the same team, whatever the subject may have been. One day, they entered a race in which they had to tie their feet together and run as fast as they could. They won the race, cheered like glorious champions and for no particular reason decided to keep their feet tied together for the rest of the day. They were 11 years old, silly and best buddies. 

They would rarely run into each other once that summer was over. When they did, they would exchange a few quick words with great excitement, after which they would continue on their own ways with the hope of running into each other again. These pleasant encounters came to an end when Selim left for high-school in the States, and they didn't see each other for many years.

In 2001, it was the first week of college and Eren was sitting outside her freshman dormitory when a car pulled up in front of her. Selim poked his head out from the back window in bewilderment to shout her name 'Eren?!?' Unbeknownst to them both, they were living only a campus away: Eren was enrolled at Brown and Selim at RISD. So began the second chapter of their story. They were older (probably not wiser), but the fundamentals of their inner child had not changed; they were still silly, again best buddies and probably if you had tied their feet together, they would have kept them tied for another whole day.

In late 2007, Eren, Selim and a Tall Dark Stranger decided to move to London and became flatmates. Soon after, Eren and Selim's friendship took a surprising turn! (Apparently not so surprising to many of their friends!!!) So began the third chapter of their story. After five years of dating, on May 15th 2013 Selim popped the question in front of their first London flat, where they had started calling each other girlfriend and boyfriend for the first time... If you'd ask Eren, she'd say it was the perfect proposal!

Today, they're planning their big move back to Istanbul. They are ready to take on challenges that lie ahead, because they know that in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, they will always have each other – and they know, they will also have you. 

Eren and Selim’s is a story of friendship and love, and what better way to celebrate than with the friends and family they love? Join the two on August 9, 2014 in Istanbul as they tie the knot, once and for all!

The Wedding

Sumahan on the Water - August 9, 2014  

WHEN / WHERE / HOW

The wedding will take place on August 9, 2014 on Saturday at Sumahan on the Water located on the Çengelköy shore of Istanbul. The cocktail will begin at 7.30pm and the ceremony will take place at 8.30pm, just leaving you enough time in between to enjoy the sunset. For those who reside on the European side, we will be providing a boat service from right NEXT TO the Arnavutköy Boat Dock (Arnavutköy Vapur İskelesi) to Sumahan on the Water. The name of the boat is 'Kaderim 2' (which fittingly translates to 'My Destiny 2':) and it will pick-up guests at half hour intervals; 7.00pm, 7.30pm and latest being at 8.00pm. There will also be return trips towards mid-night. The boat ride takes about 15 minutes. We highly encourage you to use the boat service for the easiest and quickest way to get to the hotel. Alternatively, you can also take a taxi to Sumahan but bear in mind the Istanbul traffic! Last but not least, if possible no cars please as there is limited parking space. For any further questions relating to travel to/from the hotel, please call Sumahan on +90 216 422 8000. See you soon!

WEDDING SCHEDULE:  7.30PM COCKTAIL   8.30PM CEREMONY   9.00PM PARTY BEGINS!

BOAT PICK-UP

NEXT TO Arnavutköy Boat Dock

Pick-up at 7.00pm, 7.30pm and 8.00pm

Arnavutköy Mahallesi
Istanbul

WEDDING LOCATION

Sumahan on the Water

Kuleli Caddesi No:43
Çengelköy/ Istanbul 

Tel: +90 216 422 8000

WHAT TO WEAR

As we mentioned before, we've decided to go for a YELLOW theme for our wedding and would like to invite you, but in no means force you, to integrate a dash of yellow to your outfit. 

Also, Sumahan on the Water consists of a large grass patch as well as a large area of cobble stones, so girls bear that in mind when choosing your shoes. Block heels, wedges and flats recommended!

As for everything else, you have full creative license! ;)

Events

Why limit the celebration to just one night, right? We plan to have many different events, small and big, leading up to the wedding. Some we mention here now, and some as the time gets nearer. We just want you to know that we have things planned, so maybe we can entice you to travel to Turkey for a proper (longer) vacation that will make the long journey worthwhile!

KARIA BEL' BOZBURUN
FRIDAY 1st - SUNDAY 3rd, AUGUST 2014 
PRE-WEDDING MINI VACATION 

We thought taking a few days off for vacation at the Southern coast of Turkey in Bozburun at the beautiful award winning Karia Bel’ Hotel would be the perfect beginning to the wedding celebrations!

We plan to fly from Istanbul on the morning of Friday the 1st and return on the night of Sunday the 3rd. The Karia Bel’ Hotel has a total of 20 rooms and they will be reserved on a first come, first serve basis. If you would like to join the wedding pre-party, please directly get in touch with us as soon as possible before the rooms are booked. They will go quickly!

For more information and room prices please visit www.kariabel.com 

We hope to soak up the sun and dive into the refreshing Aegean Sea with you!

Karia Bel’ is located in Bozburun and is at a distance of 50 km from Marmaris. The closest airport to Bozburun is Dalaman, which is 150 km away and takes 2 hours by car. We will be arranging a private transfer direct from Dalaman airport to Bozburun Village. Once at Bozburun Village, we will then take a 10 minute boat ride to the hotel. Kaira Bel' has no road access which is what makes its location so special and unique. We're sure you'll love it as much as we do!

IT HAPPENED AND IT WAS TRULY PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!!
THANKS KARIA BEL' CREW, WE LOVE YOU!

GARDEN PARTY AT THE BUTLER'S
THURSDAY, 7 AUGUST 2014 @ 7:00pm
INVITING ALL OUR FOREIGN FRIENDS

The Butler's will be hosting a garden party at the house where Eren grew up in Çengelköy for all our friends who have traveled far and beyond. There will be lots of "döner" and drinks so come hungry! It will start off at 7:00pm. For our those arriving Thursday evening, hope you can still make it! 

The house is located in Çengelköy which is on the Asian side. Below you can see a map for specific location.

Address: Tevfik Cenani Köskü, Çengelköy Caddesi. No: 61, Çengelköy

If you're taking a taxi, make sure to tell the driver to turn right just before you arrive to the Petrol Ofisi gas station in Çengelköy. As soon as you turn right, you will see a slightly recessed green iron gate about 30 meters straight ahead leading up a narrow driveway. That is our drive and where you should be headed. Most of the traffic will be turning left just before the gate, but you should NOT turn left. Keep going straight to the gate. A red and white no-parking sign is mounted on the gate and the number 61 is mounted on the right hand gate post. We will try to keep an eye out for your taxi and open the gate for you when you come, but if the gate doesn’t open, there is a call button on the left gatepost. Drive on up the drive and exit your taxi at the top, next to the kosk. And TA DA, you're here!

And if for some reason you do get lost, just call home at +90 216 321 57 40 or my mom Nedret's cell on +90 532 266 14 12. You can also hand over your phone to the taxi driver for us to give directions. See you soon!!!:)

TRAVEL

GETTING TO ISTANBUL

Depending on where you're traveling from, there are many options regarding flights to Istanbul. Istanbul has two international airports: Istanbul Ataturk Airport, which is located on the European side; and Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, which is located on the Asian side. You can fly into either of these airports. Once you land, traveling into the city is fairly easy by taxis or airport bus services. 

Make sure to let us know when you book your flights! We will be collecting the arrival dates of all our friends to help us with event planning during the week leading up to the wedding.

STAYING IN ISTANBUL

We will be located at our new home in Nisantasi, which is on the European side and right in the city centre. We can suggest places for you to stay just a stone throw away from us or in the Old City or in different parts of town. If you need help with accommodation, just let us know and we'll make suggestions that best suit your needs.

There are also some great options on www.airbnb.com that will make you feel more like a local! :) Check out some options in the hippest areas Cihangir, Galata and Karakoy.

WHAT TO DO IN ISTANBUL

Throughout the week leading up to the wedding, including the pre-wedding mini vacation in Karia Bel' Bozburun between the 1st and 3rd of August, we will have mini events planned so we can make sure that we spend as much time with you as possible! Of course, if you'd like to wonder off into the city to do a bit of sightseeing on your own, here's our very rough guide to Istanbul which you can download here.

The bottom line is that we're prepared to cater to your individual needs. So if you have questions or need guidance regarding any of the above, just let us know. We'll be happy to help towards creating your perfect Istanbul get-away!