His family is originally from Azerbaijan and hers is from Turkey. So what would a combination of those cultures be like, for a wedding? We like to be surprised and went along to the Arendshoeve!
Sinan did his preparations with some of his groomsmen. Ramon captured everything at this location. And I was shooting at Defne in the meantime.
A Turkish custom is that brides put the names of unmarried friends and relatives on their shoe. The idea then is that the name that is worn out the most is the next one to get married. A kind of variant on the bouquet throwing. Defne told me that she was asked by several people to write down certain names! Defne’s preparations took place in their own home. She was helped by her mother. And Sinan of course finished his preparations pretty quickly. So everyone went outside for some portraits in the autumnal surroundings of The Hague. The groom arrives here to pick up his bride. A Turkish custom is that he must pay a ransom to the brother of the bride to be allowed inside. In the end, luckily, he managed to get his lovely Defne to come down the stairs with him. In the streets music was made, flags were waved and people talked.
Photo shoot at Rozen en Radijs
We did the photo shoot at Rozen en Radijs in Burgerveen. It was already getting pretty dark, but luckily it was still light enough for some photos, as you can see here. We used our favorite lenses to keep as much light in the photos as possible.
After half an hour it became too dark and we took our flash units out of our bags. Rozen en Radijs is such an enchanting place! We enjoyed taking some photos here. There was even another couple present, but luckily there was enough space to work around each other. What beautiful wedding rings, huh? 
In the evening we arrived at the Arendshoeve(Garden of Amsterdam). This special wedding venue is full of hanging plants and amaryllises here and there. We love coming here so much because it really is a bit of a fairy tale location. There are many plants and flowers and everything is beautifully lit.
Everyone was checked for their QR code and the evening could begin.The mother of the groom started dancing, as did some of the other guests. The bride and groom stayed out of sight for a while until half past seven: the start of dinner. This is the moment Defne and Sinan enter the wedding venue. Drums and flutes played and the bride and groom began their first dance. Little girls watch the first dance. After the first dance, many more guests shuffled in. This was also nice to see. It was actually a diner dansant: there was continuous dancing between the courses. One time shuffling and the other time in a big circle. 
Sinan’s family is from Azerbaijan so there was also a traditional dance. A professional dance company danced and knives were thrown. So nice to get to experience these kind of events. This is when the guests got together and started dancing. Everyone is holding a handkerchief to be waved. The dancing is cheerful, but also serious. And you can really see that people are absorbed in the music. The circle grew larger and larger and closed around the musicians. This, to me, is always one of the most impressive moments of a Turkish wedding, that feeling of being together is wonderful! We like to make overview pictures of De Arendshoeve because it is so beautiful! These little girls became a bit jolly and made the atmosphere extra festive. And just before we went home the bride and groom had a beautiful dance together. A smoke machine made a complete fog and again this contributed perfectly to the atmosphere. Add to that the beautiful plants of the Arendshoeve and voilà: a super romantic wedding!
Addresses of Defne & Sinan
Catering and Organization: Yagmur Events
Makeup Hairdresser: Zeliha Bugday
Videographer: A beautiful Day
Music: Fahrettin Gunes
