A marriage that brought together Turkish tradition and the contemporary equalled a fun and unusual wedding. Veronica Stivala raises her glass to the happy couple as she looks back on this Turkish-Cypriotic/German wedding, with a hint of Scotland.
Holding a large clay urn with both hands, I danced, encircled by a group of ladies, before I handed the urn over to another dancer. Eventually, after its journey in the hands of many of the female guests, the urn reached the hands of the bride who went over to a corner to smash it. It was already dark and the party had been going on a while. So as the urn cracked, it was only thanks to the moonlight, and helped by a few electrical lights, that a good number of sweets and coins could be made out as they emerged from the cracked clay, a symbol of the sweet life with money that the newlyweds would have.
Called Testi in Turkish, this was one of the features of a wonderful Turkish-Cypriot/German wedding I recently attended. Set on the sprawling grounds of a golf club in Northern Cyprus, my friends Ersev and Jan’s wedding was a fun combination of tradition and modernity, coupled with a good dose of impromptu, fun and laissez faire.
It was a warm, balmy summer evening and the guests, sporting an array of smart summer suits and pretty coloured floaty dresses, cheered, with equally cheerfully coloured drinks, as the bride and groom arrived for the reception. Seeing as the couple both live in Edinburgh, Scotland, they were already technically married and the Cyprus event was more of a celebratory party, coupled with some local tradition.
Right after the couple take their vows, they try to step on each other’s feet; whoever steps on the other’s feet first is supposedly the one who will wear the trousers in the relationship
While there were some short speeches, these were improvised but, one other tradition that was adhered to, this time by some of the guests, was the giving of money as a gift. Just like the coins in the jar, the money is a symbol of their contribution to the couple’s happy life.
And while the couple skipped on this one, the bride told me that another Turkish wedding tradition is that if there is a ceremony, then right after the couple take their vows, they try to step on each other’s feet; whoever steps on the other’s feet first is supposedly the one who will wear the trousers in the relationship!
As with many weddings, the bride and groom set the tone of this wedding and the couple’s zest for life and expertise in having a good time quickly rubbed off onto the guests in what was to be one fun party.
Pretty white tables and matching chairs populated the tree-adorned grass. Dainty white lamps with intricate metal embellishments, hung gracefully from the contrasting sturdy trees. A dark pastel blue of sea, merging with a lighter shade of sky, provided a romantic backdrop for an equally romantic celebration. Flower arrangements were natural and fresh, with casual bouquets of white and pink roses placed on tables and adorning a full-length photo frame.
Reminders of the sweet life that lay ahead for the happy couple were ever present and a nearby table, covered in delicate white lace, had on it perched canisters, glass jars of all shapes and sizes, replete with chocolates, marshmallows, and, of course, traditional Turkish delight.
While some guests sat and ate and drank and made merry, in typical fashion, the bride and groom and their respective parents stood (for quite a while) to meet other guests who paid a quick visit to offer their well wishes.
As with all things good, this wedding was over all too quickly, but we appreciated a literally, sweet memento as a parting gift – pastis, a traditional Turkish almond macaroon... deliciously crunchy on the outside and soft once you bite into it. And so, on this sweet note, we left, leaving the couple to a sweet and fruitful future. To Jan and Ersev!
