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Sending Flowers to a Turkish Wedding: What Foreign Guests Should Know
Turkish weddings run on gold coins and pinned money more than gift lists, which changes what flowers are actually for. A short guide for foreign guests.
If you've been invited to a Turkish wedding and you're used to a Western gift-list culture, the first thing to know is that the gift itself is almost always gold coins or money, pinned to a ribbon worn by the couple during the ceremony, rather than a wrapped present. That doesn't make flowers pointless, it changes what role they play. Flowers at a Turkish wedding are about presence and warmth, not the formal gift.
If you cannot attend a wedding in Istanbul yourself, our flower delivery across Istanbul page explains how to have flowers delivered to the couple or the family.
What flowers are actually for at a Turkish wedding
The couple typically travels to the ceremony in a car decorated with flowers, and guests often throw rose petals or confetti as they dance. If you're sending flowers rather than bringing money in person, the most fitting move is an arrangement sent to the couple's home ahead of or just after the wedding, congratulating them, rather than something brought to the ceremony itself where the gold-and-money custom takes over.
What to send and when
From the shop
A bright, celebratory arrangement, white or soft pastel roses, peonies if in season, sent to arrive the day of or the day after the wedding works well and doesn't compete with or confuse the in-ceremony money custom. Avoid anything with a strong single-colour red theme, which can read as overly romantic for what's meant to be a warm but not personal gesture from a guest.
If you can't attend in person
Foreign family members who can't travel for the wedding itself often send flowers to arrive the same week as a stand-in for presence, this is well understood and appreciated, it doesn't need to replace or compete with a monetary gift sent separately or given by another family member attending.
We deliver wedding-appropriate arrangements same-day across Istanbul, timed to arrive exactly when you need them to. Not sure whether the couple's home falls in one of our free same-day zones? Check our neighbourhood delivery guide.
Read next: flower-giving etiquette in Turkey.
Missing the henna night before the wedding too? See sending flowers to a kına gecesi.
Frequently asked
Should I bring flowers instead of money to a Turkish wedding?
No. The expected gift is gold coins or money pinned to a ribbon during the ceremony, flowers are a separate, additional gesture of warmth.
When should wedding flowers arrive?
Sent to the couple's home to arrive the day of or the day after the wedding works best, rather than at the ceremony itself.
What should I avoid sending?
A strong single-colour red theme, which can read as overly romantic for what is meant to be a warm but not personal guest gesture.
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