Turkey’s marriage economy: 450,000 liras spent on average for marriage ceremony

Duvar English

The cost of hosting a marriage ceremony has doubled since the last year according to wedding organizers interviewed by daily Hürriyet’s Özge Esen.

According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), approximately 600,000 couples get married in the country every year. Traditionally, the marriage ceremony has different steps but the main event lasts two nights with a henna night first and the main ceremony latter.

Wedding organization sector representatives told journalist Esen that a wedding without catering costs around 90-100,000 Turkish liras this year, while a catered wedding for 250 people starts at 200,000 liras. 

When additional expenses such as the henna night, bridal gown, groom's suit, hairdresser, and photography were added, the average wedding expenditure reached 450,000 liras ($13,700).

If the cost of furnishing the house is included, the prices become astronomical. Purchasing glassware and small house appliances costs an average of 45,000 liras, furniture 150,000 liras, and white goods 97,000 liras.

E-commerce consultancy company IdeaSoft’s CEO Seyhun Özkara said couples' dowry shopping from online platforms has also accelerated due to the price advantage

Emek Kırbıyık, CEO of Düğün.com, said, "We estimate that nearly 600,000 couples will get married this year and 500,000 of them will have a ceremony. On average, couples organize an additional event such as henna night, engagement ceremony, or after party. As such, one million marriage-related events take place annually in Turkey.” 

Kırbıyık noted that wedding companies have filled their bookings in the summer months and they have been currently filling their gaps in the autumn.

"Social media has a great impact here. For example, a bride might now buy 3-4 wedding dresses and have a photo shoot with 3-4 different events," Kırbıyık says, 

Lastly, Kırbıyık noted that wedding sector has been creating cheaper alternatives compared to previous years, with smaller and cheaper options to keep prices stable.

It is one of the traditions in Turkish weddings that the participants present gold and jewelry to the bride and groom. 

Mustafa Atayık, President of the Istanbul Chamber of Jewellers (İKO), stated that they still make high sales during the wedding season, even though there has been a slight shift towards lower-calibre gold due to the economic crisis.