Cécile and Berkay's Istanbul wedding
Q&A with Cécile
The Diana Dress, worn by Cécile
What was your initial vision or inspiration when you started looking for your wedding outfit, and did it evolve throughout the process?
I always knew I would prefer to wear two reasonably priced dresses on my wedding day, rather than one expensive tailor-made one. I wanted my outfit to evolve with the day: something long for the ceremony and something shorter for the party.
For my party dress, I was looking for something short, playful, with sequins or fringes. And most importantly comfortable to dance in.
I went to the Vanessa Cocchiaro pop-up store in Le Marais with my sister. When I put the Diana dress on, I instantly danced and smiled. I tried other dresses later that week but went back to this one because of the way it made me feel. 
Did you have a specific theme or style in mind for your wedding and or outfit, and how did you incorporate it into your final choice?
Our wedding took place on a small island close to Istanbul. Guests arrived by boat, we got ready in little cabins surrounded by trees and the ceremony was held by the sea.
The outfits had to reflect that relaxed and romantic atmosphere. I initially had my eyes on dresses with capes or more elaborate details, but they just didn’t fit with the scenery and the overall feel of the day. 
Did you have any sentimental or personal elements incorporated into your wedding outfit, and what made them special to you?
My engagement ring was custom-made in Turkey, using one of the three diamonds of my mother’s engagement ring. We replaced the diamond on the original ring by a semi-precious stone, and I gave it to my sister - So that we can both wear our rings every day and feel closer to our mom (who passed away when we were young).
My two childhood friends also surprised me with a Yannis Sergakis necklace with 3 diamonds: that represent the three of us.
Finally, I gave in to the “something borrowed, something blue, something old, something new” tradition : my wedding dress was new, I borrowed a pinky ring from my friend and wore my mom’s ring, and I sew a nazar boncuk (Turkish blue eye) in the lining of my dress. 
Are there any special or personalized touches you're adding to make your wedding truly reflect your personality as a couple?
I’m French and Berkay is Turkish, so our aim was to honor both our cultures and to make everyone feel included:
We were very touched that so many of our friends and family travelled to Istanbul for our wedding. We wanted them to really discover and enjoy the city over the weekend so we wrote a list of our favorite spots and restaurants on our wedding website, and we booked a guided tour and a cruise on the Bosporus the day before the wedding.
On the wedding day, we asked an interpreter to translate so that everyone could follow. I made a speech in Turkish to my family in law. Speeches are note very common in Turkey, so we asked my brother-in-law to sing a song instead. The lyrics were printed on the ceremony’s program for everyone to sing along (or try to).
At the end of the day, we all danced together on both Turkish and more mainstream music. It was very heartwarming to see our cultures, families and friends mix so genuinely on the dancefloor.
What was the most memorable part of your wedding ceremony for you and your partner?
The energy on the dancefloor, surrounded by our loved ones. And that feeling that we’d managed to create something special we would always remember.
Looking back, is there anything you would change about your wedding day or anything you wish you had done differently?
Nothing, we had the best day! It was everything we could have dreamed of, and more.
The Diana Dress