Kına Gecesi: Sending Flowers to a Turkish Henna Night from Abroad

The wedding date is set, the invitation is on the table, and you already know you cannot fly over. For many families the kına gecesi, the henna night before the wedding, is the most emotional part of the whole celebration, especially for the bride. A bouquet that reaches her that day says: I am with you in my thoughts. This page explains what happens on the night and how flowers fit in.

Delivery windows and districts are on our flower delivery across Istanbul page.

What happens at a kına gecesi

The henna night usually takes place one or a few days before the wedding, traditionally at the bride's family home, and today often in a hall or restaurant too. It is mainly an evening for women: relatives, friends and neighbours. The bride wears a red veil and often a bindallı, an embroidered velvet dress, usually purple or red. The henna is carried in on a tray with candles, the women sing old folk songs such as "Yüksek Yüksek Tepelere", and there are often tears, because the night is also a farewell to the parental home.

Then comes the best-known moment: the henna is placed in the bride's palm. In many families the bride keeps her hand closed until the groom's mother places a gold coin in it. The hand is then wrapped in a cloth or glove.

Where flowers fit in

Flowers are not part of the ritual itself, and there is no fixed custom of bringing a bouquet. That is exactly why a bouquet from someone who cannot come stands out. It is a personal gesture to the bride, not an expected gift. It does not replace the gold that is pinned on at the wedding, which is explained in our guide to sending flowers to a Turkish wedding.

Colours and bouquets that suit the night

The colours of the evening are red and purple: red like the henna and the veil, purple like many bindallı dresses. Red roses therefore work especially well here, unlike at a wedding, where an all-red bouquet from a guest can feel too romantic. A lovely choice with a Turkish meaning is 41 red roses with white daisies: 41 stands for "kırk bir kere maşallah", a blessing against the evil eye, more on that in what the number of roses means. Smaller and just as fitting are 21 red roses or, if you want purple, the purple orchid with lilac roses. All roses are under roses.

When and where to deliver

Deliver during the day of the henna night to the bride's home, or to the home of the family hosting the evening. Delivering to a hall in the evening is rarely a good idea: it is busy, nobody feels responsible for the bouquet, and the bride may only see it late at night. If you order a day ahead, you can choose an early delivery window. Orders placed by 18:00 Turkish time are still delivered the same day.

What to write on the card

• Kına gecen kutlu olsun: have a happy, blessed henna night.
• Allah mesut etsin: may God make you happy. The classic wish for a couple.
• Bir yastıkta kocayın: grow old together, literally "on one pillow".
• Keşke yanında olabilseydim: I wish I could be there with you. Personal and honest when you cannot come.

We print the card exactly as you type it, with ç, ğ, ı, ö, ş and ü intact. How the engagement, often held a few months earlier, works is in flowers for a Turkish engagement (nişan).