So, there is 8 months left before our wedding party! Step by step we are planning the process. Karem Event’s will be your companion all the way through to have a dream destination wedding in Bodrum. Did you find hotel options for your guests' stay? You are having a destination wedding so all your guests probably will be guests to travel, including you and your family. Finding a proper place for them is essential. If you agreed to have your wedding at an amazing hotel in Bodrum, most likely they have special wedding discount accommodation packages that your guests and you can benefit from and you all can stay all together. In order to provide alternative for different budgets, we recommend that you also arrange an agreement with nearby hotels which have different price ranges. For finding hotels Karpat & Emre can definitely help you since they have been living in Bodrum for a long time now. If the hotel that your guests will stay is a bit far away from your hotel, you may also need to arrange a transfer for them or you can ask the concierge of the hotel to help your guests with their specific requests. Don’t forget to give your guests the directions to your hotel so that they can travel with ease. What are the benefits of blocking rooms for your guests? You can arrange a welcome bag and leave them in your guests’ rooms to make a surprise gesture for them. The staff of the hotel will most definitely help you with this process. Second, if you are booking a chunk of rooms, most probably the hotel will provide a free room for you and your future husband that you can use on your wedding day. If you are having a wedding website, don’t forget to add the information of the hotels that you made a deal with so that your guests can easily access and book. Did you finalize your guest list? It is the best time to finalize your guest list. Search for applications that you can manage your invitation processes to have a seamless flow. They make your life easier! You can collect all the information in there and you don’t get lost in paper lists or spreadsheets! Most of them have mailing list services. You can also put down notes. If you are going to send an actual invitation card to your guest it is better to have your guest list ready around this time so that you avoid any kind of negative aspects like lost mail. We always suggest e-invitations which is more sustainable!

9 months! You are working with Karem Events already and planning your wedding with great joy, we hope. These few weeks you don’t have much time because you need to put things in order before your most important days come and take a nice break from the life and the routines. Karpat & Emre will be searching and selecting the best vendors for you and make you feel comfortable on your wedding day. Now more things to do from your side. Here you are: Did you set up a gift registry? Setting up a gift registry is a practical way that you can present to your guests who are indecisive what to give you as a wedding gift. You make a list of items that you will be using in your daily life and mostly your guests present them to you before your wedding, most commonly in the bridal shower so that it is not a hassle for the wedding day. Considering that it will be a destination wedding in Bodrum, carrying extra luggage and big volume presents might not be possible so, everyone would be happy this way. Of course, the monetary gifts might be given at the wedding. The gift registry might include some household items that you would use in your daily life. You can ask brands if they have an application of gift registry system so that you can create a gift list from one brand and your friends might buy from that list and you have a consistency of the brands in the appliances and items that you will use in your home. If you don’t give any information about gifts in your bridal shower invitations, that might indicate that you are ok to have money as a gift! Another option might be a donation to a charity or a social responsibility project if you already have everything already. You can pick up a cause that you like and direct your guests to donate there. That wouldn’t be a typical wedding gift, however it will be a nice one knowing that all the money spent is for a good cause. Did you book a wedding cake supplier? You have solved the catering with the hotel that you have booked. How about the wedding cake? Some hotels in Bodrum include the cake in their services but if that is not the case, ask for Karpat’s recommendation since he is a dessert chef and he used to make great wedding cakes, he knows the best wedding cake suppliers in Bodrum. As you can see in our gallery he prepared a lot of wedding cakes before and he is quite experienced in this area. Your guests won’t forget the food in the wedding and the quality and taste of it has a huge effect on the overall feeling of the event. Find a cake supplier and start working on what kind of a cake do you want in your wedding? How will be the decoration of the cake? What will be the style? Which flavors and fillings do you like? Is it a chocolate cake or filled with fruits? You will need to set up a tasting for the menu, also arrange the cake tasting the same day so you finish all food and beverages decisions in the same day. Karpat and Emre will be accompanying you in your tastings and they will share their experience on food and beverage consultancy that they have been giving to the hotels to create menus for you! Bodrum is a popular destination for weddings and it is important to book the cake supplier as early as possible.

10 months to go indeed! Let’s have a look up to now what we have accomplished since 12th month: Started to work with Karem Events to minimize your stress Selected the venue Found the engagement ring Selected the menu and the drinks Proposed to our best man and bride’s maids Chose the general theme of the wedding party and the colors. Made the guest list Sent the save the date and other relevant info Started on a healthy diet, changed the mindset and dedicated on a workout plan Chose photographer / videographer, hair & makeup artist, DJ That’s already a lot in 2 months! Congratulations and have a glass of champagne. Let’s continue while you have a sip of it! Did you choose your wedding dresses? You have already chosen the theme and colors of your wedding and it is now time to hunt the best wedding dress which will reflect everything about you! There are two major things that you should keep in your mind while you are shopping for it: budget and dress type. Those two decisions will be your guide in the overall process of selecting among countless of options. First narrow down the budget and dress type options through some internet search and try to find what you like online. Don’t forget to narrow down! If you are paying for the wedding dress, consider how much money would you spend on a wedding gown first. Make it a window and try to stay in it as much as possible. If a family member of yours is paying for it as a gift, be considerable and think about their budget as well! It would be better to include that person in the process. No one else knows your body type better than you! Select a dress that compliment your body and picture yourself in your head: How will you look like? Will you be confident in the dress? Will you be dancing a lot? In what type of a dress do you feel confident? What do you want to show and what do you want to hide? Ask all those questions to yourself and answer honestly! The answers will be quite helpful to sort out the type of the dress. You can share all this process with your bride’s maids in an enjoyable way and ask for their help to give you opinions. You can start trying them on in established brides shops regardless of the price first to find out the dress type and see on your own body. For the grooms, to admit, it is relatively easy, yet all eyes will be on them as well! What you will wear should reflect your personal style and the aesthetic of your wedding. A tuxedo or a suit? A custom made one or a ready made, adjusted one? What accessories you will have on? So the dress code you set with your sweetheart will also affect your choices as well. Bodrum is relatively hot in summer depending on the timing. Choose a style that fits the weather. You would prefer light weight chiffon or lace dresses which will also look good in a beach wedding. You can also consider an adjustable design where you start with a more formal look and just by taking a layer off the dress have a shorter skirt and dance freely as the night advances and have fun! Some of the brides choose 2 different dress for that purpose as well, and maybe another one for the afterparty! At the end it is one important day and you should just have fun with your family and friends, being beautiful, confident, sexy yet comfortable. Oh! As we say comfort, don't forget about your shoes! It is every woman's passion, we know, and the best shoes which will compliment the dress would not be the most comfortable one. Bear in mind that you will be standing long hours on those high heels! You might need a second pair that fits more to dance and yet elegant and highlighted! We know that some of the couples are highly sensitive about environmental issues and the sustainability. There are a lot of rental or second hand options that are in good conditions. That might be an option too. However another option would be that you would choose a wedding dress that you can alter with a talented tailor and convert it to another dress that you can wear in important events. This is also a way of recycling or up-cycling and still you would keep the memory with you! Did you start building your website? You already have some material to share! Your lovely pics with your sweetheart, engagement pictures, venue and location information that you can share with your friends. You can definitely start building it! It is also very useful to keep all sorts of information in there to answer questions that people would ask to you by calling. Instead they can just check the website any time they need it. You can include telling your stories about how you met, what made you fall in love, the highlights of your roadmap that carried you to the marriage! Some weddings have extra events before or after the wedding day, like an happy hour party, pre-wedding dinner, rehearsal dinner, a yacht tour in Bodrum, extra night of clubbing in Yalıkavak and so! If you have some customs that your guests should know, this is the best medium to share to make them familiar with your guests ahead. Make tour site reflect you and your story and your wedding style! Id you don’t have enough time to build a website, simply ask Karem Events for help! They are good at it.

11 months to go couples! Time flies away. Did you start working already with Karem Events? Don’t forget it is a major checklist item from 12 months checklist! It feels pretty amazing when you check an item from your long list of checklist, the feeling of accomplishment. You still have 11 months ahead and here are the next round of to-do list before you say “I do!” Did you ask help to find, DJs, photographers/videographers, etc & schedule appointments? Bodrum is a quite popular area for destination weddings and each year there is a huge demand on services. It is better to look and book a reputable DJ, photography and videography services, hair and make up artist around the 11th month to be on the safe side. We recommend that you schedule consultations if you are working on these by your own by now! If you want Karem Events will help you getting proposals and you will have more time for yourself. Did you book the venue? We are sure you have a lot of alternatives in your mind to find the perfect venue for your perfect destination wedding in Bodrum. Looking for a venue and securing the date is the largest chunk in your plate of to-do’s. You solve accommodation and food and beverage services together. Venues have different services to offer so each provide different items. Some include tables and chairs while others does not! So pick the one which offers the most to reduce the costs but don’t give up from the quality! Make sure to get everything in writing in order not to forget anything important. This way you will protect yourself from any kind of bad surprises on your wedding day. As Karem Events we exclusively work with Birdcage 33 Hotel , Yalıkavak. It is quite a new venue located on the hills of Yalıkavak, overlooking to the marina and the bay, with an amazing view. In the summer of 2022, Karpat was in charge of creating the concept of the restaurant and the Mediterranean fusion menu while we were working as their food and beverage management consultants. We had some amazing events and in 2023 we decided to have wedding events as well. Even though you won't have your wedding here in Birdcage 33, it is such a nice venue to have a pre-wedding party or a happy hour party on the deck by the pool. Have a look at their instagram account @birdcage33 If you need a hotel, we have more connections in Bodrum peninsula for your destination wedding in Bodrum. Consult to us before you book a venue! Did you select your bride’s maids and best men? They will be the most important guests of your wedding so picking them and asking them formally is quite important. They will be standing next to you, on one of your most important days of your life. Of course we know that you will pick dependable, trustworthy and fun friends. Don’t forget to choose the ones who look great in photographs as well (just kidding) :) You might notice that wedding planning can be stressful. Be sure to pick who will definitely help you. Turn the asking procedure into a fun moment, maybe a brunch, a dinner, or mimicking as if you are asking to get married but instead asking “Would you be my bride’s maid?”. Don’t be shy to be creative, because it will also be a day for them to remember for the rest of their lives as well. Did you send save-the-dates? It is better for all to set the date as early as 11 month mark to keep a period for all to make their travel plans! They will definitely need time for that. We all have to adjust our calendars. Don’t forget to include all the available information that you have established until 11th month. Date and the city, the hotel, pics and websites… If you dealt a discount for your guests with the hotel or any other means that they might benefit, include that information as well. Use a nice photo of you as a couple while you post the save the date information with it! You can use an electronic save the date format instead of paper print letters to be more sustainable! Did you choose your wedding colors? It is better to narrow down your color palette sooner because it will affect all your choices! Those colors should be the ones you both will love and it will fit your mood of the day. Pick colors that coincide with the theme in your mind. Don’t forget, colors have energy and generates emotional effects. Choose the ones that will make you feel awesome and highlight your day.

You have decided to marry at last! Congratulations. Now until the wedding there is a lot to do and manage! It is not an easy job to do all by yourselves. As the day of the wedding approaches the stress might increase and wear you out. The major questions when trying have a detination wedding is: Where to find event planners specializing in destination weddings in Turkey, Italy or Portugal? If you're looking for event planners specializing in destination weddings in Turkey Karem Events is the answer to your queries. As your wedding planners, Karem Events will have some suggestions to you in order to manage all the course and reduce the stress on you and your beloved ones! Here you are: Did you find your engagement ring? This is an activity you should finish before the wedding activities! It will always be a special object for you symbolizing the love between you and your significant other! It will be very important for you! For special designs, we made a special agreement with one of the best jewellery designers of Turkey, Tina Jewellery ! Since 1972 they design extraordinarily beautiful jewellery that would definitely complement your beautiful wedding gown and they would design a special wedding ring for you and only for you with a unique design. Let us know if you want special Karem discounts that they provide for us. Don’t forget to have some insurance on them as well! Did you determine your budget? Crunch numbers! It is not fun all the time but you will need to do the math and figure out a bottom line for your wedding. Who is going to pay for your dreams is also one of the most important questions at this moment. Before starting anything, get ready to have some spreadsheet to plan it all and break down the budget you would allocate! This will make it easier to track down your spendings and adjust your budget changes accordingly. Did you make a guest list? You would like to invite as many people as possible, right? Maybe it is better to set a limit to the number and consider your head count, venue limitations and your budget. Until you set a venue, just make your grand list and get ready to cut the number of the people attending. It is not an easy process to eliminate friends and it may take some time so be prepared for it! As soon as the venue and the space and budget limits are set, you would be ready for iterating the list. Did you hire Karem Events as your wedding planner? Karem Events will help you to make your dream wedding in Bodrum. If you have no place in mind to have the wedding, or what to do, we would guide you in all the steps! Just share your projected budget and the number of the people you wish to be attending the wedding with us, we will help you to find the optimum venue and style! All will depend on the budget! Karem Events, Karpat & Emre as two detail oriented Virgo signed guys, they will be your 2 right-hand person and will guide you in all steps. Did you think about a wedding workout plan? One year to go and things can go south if you don’t take a good care of your body! A good effort is always needed to keep the body up in a good shape if you aren’t one of those genetically lucky people who can eat a ton and never gain weight! Do you have a physical goal for the wedding? A fitness and wellness plan is what you need until the day after the wedding! A diet, exercise, a personal trainer, being more engaged in a mindful way of living and keeping your emotional well being in a good state, you will need all! Not easy but you will feel the best. Did you decide on your theme of the wedding? What will be the vibe of your wedding? It must be a mutual decision with your significant other. Spend some time, in a lovely, stress free environment, preferably your favorite drinks at your glasses and a nice background music, and discuss what is important for both of you! What kind of decorations, entertainment and service do you like? Don’t rush to decide but discuss everything in detail keeping the romance in between! Did you select your wedding venue? You know who to marry now is the time for the “where” question! It is one of the most important decisions you have to make. The location affects all the decisions of number of the people, what to be served, what kind of flowers that you want around the venue and on the tables and so. It will cover the greater part of your budget as well. In Bodrum peninsula, there are a nice amount of hotels which are very good options for a dream destination wedding in a wide range of services, mostly luxury. As Karem Event’s we can direct you one of the hotels that we work with and ease this part of the process quickly. Karpat and Emre, we have been managing hotels, managing food and beverage sections, restaurants and beach bars of the hotels and giving consultancy on experience design and menu creation. We would enjoy to reflect our experience and gusto, helping you with your wedding planning process. We would be helping you putting a pros and cons list about your possible venues together. With the hotels in Bodrum, catering is included in the services automatically. Deciding on the best option for your dinner party, check the menus that they provide do the wedding nights! It is better to give some time to evaluate all in detail to have a delicious wedding dinner. Did you consider buying a wedding insurance? After Covid-19 many things changed and still there is a lot of uncertainty hanging on there! A wedding is a financial investment indeed! Anything can happen and to be on the safe side, to protect yourself from any kind of damage and possible liabilities on your most important day as a couple, you can apply for an insurance as you start planning or once you secure a venue.