Your London Wedding - Nov/Dec 2019 (Issue 68)

56 one of the most important elements of their day, but had a hard time finding an act that would cover all bases. “We come from such different cultural backgrounds – a mix of Turkish, English and Colombian,” explains Tomas. “In the end, we opted for a traditional Turkish entrance followed by a DJ friend playing lots of funk and crowd-pleasers before DJ Arias played a Latin set, finished with some dancehall, jungle and drum’n’bass in the ‘rave room’.” When it came to the food, however, there was no argument – Turkish Meze provided by Islington institution Gallipoli. “Somehow on the day they managed to up the deliciousness factor to the max and blew everyone away – people are still telling us how much they enjoyed the food,” says Basak. And as a big fan of Gallipoli’s restaurants, this editor can well believe it. TIME TO CELEBRATE With the venue decorated with long trestle tables, left bare for a rustic feel and dotted along their length with jars and bottles filled with dried flowers, which tied in with the lavender and wheat flower crowns worn by the bride and flowergirls, the scene was set for a day to remember. Indeed, Basak and Tomas have many precious memories from their big day, among them being surrounded by family and friends but Basak singles out one moment in particular: “Just before being led into the ceremony, the eldest flowergirl turned to us and told us that the last time she was at a wedding, the pageboy’s trousers fell down during the ceremony. We all burst out laughing; it was exactly the comic relief we needed before the big moment and we entered the room all smiles.” The couple spent their honeymoon in Colombia, splitting their time between Bogota, where Basak was able to meet more of Tomas’ family, Cartagena and Palomino. “Palomino was by far the highlight – we stayed on a secluded beach in an eco lodge on the edge of a massive nature reserve. We spent the days lazing around in hammocks and swimming in the nearby freshwater lagoon. The only noises to be heard were the crashing of the waves, the wind in the trees and the occasional thud of a fallen coconut. Bliss,” sighs Basak.