Destination Wedding Dress Guide: Fabrics, Styles and Wedding Fashion for Turkey

Choosing a destination wedding dress means thinking about the sea air, the sun, the steps and the flight as well as the style you love, so the dress feels as good on the day as it did in the shop.

This guide covers fabrics for the heat, wedding dress silhouettes for each setting, trains, veils and shoes, travelling with your dress, wedding fashion trends, and what grooms, bridesmaids and guests can wear at a wedding in Turkey.

Choosing a Destination Wedding Dress for Turkey

Keep three things in mind as you shop.

• The setting. A pier or a beach, a garden lawn, the cobbled courtyard of an old town mansion, a villa terrace with steps, or a hotel ballroom. Each asks something different of the hem, the train and the shoes.
• The season. July and August are hot on the Antalya coast, while evenings in spring and late autumn can turn cool. Our guide to when to marry in Antalya shows the weather by month.
• You. Your style comes first. The dress you love is the one you will feel like yourself in, in every photo.

Start shopping early. Made-to-order gowns take months, and alterations at home need time before you travel. Leave room for a final fitting at home a few weeks before you fly, wearing the shoes and underwear you will wear on the day, and bring the bustle instructions with you.

Fabrics for Heat and Sea Air

Fabric decides how the dress feels in the heat and how it travels. Light, breathable fabrics move with the breeze and keep you cool; heavy, structured fabrics hold their shape but trap heat.

Summer on the Antalya coast is humid as well as hot, so ivory or lined fabrics hide damp patches better than thin bright white silk.

In July and August, avoid heavy satin, velvet and dense layers for an outdoor ceremony, and ask your bridal shop about breathable linings. For a ceremony in spring or late autumn, a light wrap, a lace bolero or a cape keeps you warm after sunset without hiding the dress.

Wedding Dress Silhouettes by Setting

For a beach ceremony, see our beach wedding in Antalya page; for stone lanes and mansions, see weddings in Antalya Old Town.

Trains, Veils and Shoes on Sand, Stone and Decks

• Trains. A chapel-length train or shorter suits outdoor settings. Ask for a bustle, so you can lift the train for dinner and dancing.
• Veils. Long veils look beautiful in photos on a windless evening, and can lift and tangle on a breezy pier or beach. A fingertip veil, a veil with a weighted edge or a few hidden pins keep it in place, and a second shorter veil or a hair accessory works for the party.
• Shoes. Block heels on cobbles and decks, flat sandals or bare feet on sand, and a second, comfortable pair for dancing. Sand can be hot in the middle of a summer day, so keep sandals close for the walk.
• Underwear and comfort. Choose breathable underwear and test the whole look in warm weather before you travel. Pockets, built-in support and a lining that breathes make a long day easier.

Accessories finish the look. Pearls, fine gold and floral hair pieces suit Mediterranean light, and our guide to wedding jewellery and accessories has more ideas. For hair and makeup that last in the heat, see bridal makeup in Turkey.

Travelling With Your Wedding Dress

Your dress should travel with you, not in the hold.

• Ask the airline first. Contact your airline before you fly. The dress can travel in the overhead locker or folded in a cabin bag within your hand baggage allowance. Hanging space is limited and short-haul flights may have none, so plan for the dress to fit in your bag, or ask your airline about buying an extra seat for it.
• Pack it well. Use a breathable garment bag, fold the skirt with tissue paper between the layers, and keep the bodice flat. Your bridal shop can show you how to fold it.
• Unpack on arrival. Hang the dress as soon as you reach your hotel or villa, in a cool room away from direct sun.
• Steam, do not iron. Creases drop out with gentle steam. Ask your hotel about steaming, or bring a small travel steamer and test it on the hem first.
• Bring a small kit. Safety pins, a needle and thread in the dress colour, fashion tape and stain wipes.

A lighter dress has another advantage: it can carry you from the ceremony to the last dance, with no second outfit to pack. If you love the idea of a second look, choose something easy to fold, such as a short dress or a jumpsuit.

Your dress can be worn again after the wedding. A day-after photo shoot by the sea or in the old town gives you a second day in it, and once you are home, have it cleaned and stored as a keepsake.

Wedding Fashion Trends

Wedding fashion has moved from strict tradition to personal style. White became the classic bridal colour in the 19th century, after Queen Victoria married in a white gown, and every decade since has brought its own shapes. Today, couples choose what feels like them, and these ideas suit a destination wedding.

• Lighter, softer silhouettes. Fluid gowns, slip dresses and soft A-lines that move with you, in place of rigid corsets and heavy skirts.
• Two looks in one. Detachable sleeves, overskirts and capes that change the dress between the ceremony and the party.
• Colour accents. Ivory, blush, champagne and soft colour in the embroidery, the veil or the shoes, while white stays the classic choice.
• Separates and jumpsuits. A lace top with a silk skirt, or a tailored jumpsuit for a civil ceremony or a welcome dinner.
• Pre-loved and vintage. Restored vintage gowns and resale dresses, for couples who want a dress with a story and less waste.
• Mix-and-match wedding parties. Bridesmaids in one colour family but different styles, and groomsmen in coordinated rather than identical suits.

Grooms and Groomsmen in the Mediterranean Heat

A dark wool three-piece suit is hard work in July in Antalya. Lighter options look just as sharp.

• Fabrics. Lightweight wool, linen and linen blends, cotton, or a half-lined jacket that lets air through.
• Colours. Light blue, sand, stone, sage or ivory for daytime and the beach; navy, midnight blue or black for evening and ballroom weddings.
• Details. Loafers or suede shoes, a tie or an open collar depending on the dress code, and a pocket square in the wedding colours.
• Fit. A suit that fits well looks smart even without a tie. Leave time for the tailor at home.

Cultural weddings bring their own looks: a sherwani for a Pakistani nikah or baraat, or a classic suit with modern details for a Persian groom. See our pages on Pakistani weddings in Turkey and Persian groom style.

Bridesmaids and the Wedding Party

Bridesmaid dresses face the same heat and the same flight as the wedding dress. Chiffon and crepe in a shared colour family, in styles that suit each bridesmaid, look relaxed and photograph well against the sea. Ask everyone to carry their outfit in the cabin and to try it on with their shoes before they travel. Our guide to preparing bridesmaids and groomsmen for a destination wedding covers the wedding party in more detail.

Dress Codes for Wedding Guests in Turkey

Guests travel too, so tell them the dress code early, ideally on the wedding website or in the invitation.

Remind guests of the evening temperature in spring and autumn, so they bring a layer, and of the steps and cobbles in the old town. If the wedding week includes a visit to a mosque, shoulders and knees should be covered, and women cover their hair. For multi-day cultural weddings, guests may need an outfit for each event, such as the mehndi, the nikah and the walima at a Pakistani wedding. See our dress code guide for guests at a Persian wedding.

A legal marriage in Turkey is a civil ceremony performed by a municipal marriage officer. Couples choose anything from a simple dress and suit to their full wedding outfits. Our guide to marriage in Turkey for foreigners explains the legal ceremony.

Frequently Asked Questions