A wedding on the Bosphorus is one of the few weddings where the venue moves. Your guests step on board at a pier, and for the next few hours the city slides past the windows: palaces, wooden mansions, mosques, two continents and the lit arches of the bridges. We have been organising boat weddings in Istanbul since 2015, and this guide puts everything couples ask us in one place.
Why couples choose a wedding on the Bosphorus
The short answer is the view. A hotel ballroom looks the same at 8pm and at midnight. On the water, the backdrop changes every few minutes, so the ceremony, the dinner and the first dance each get a different setting without anyone moving a chair. The boat is also private: from boarding to the last song, it belongs to you and your guests.
There is a practical side too. One boat can hold the ceremony on the open deck, dinner in the enclosed saloon and the party on deck again, so you don’t need to book separate spaces or move guests between venues.
Step 1: Match the boat to your guest list
The single most important decision is the size of the boat. Too big and the room feels empty; too small and the dance floor disappears. We work with 24 boats and yachts, from yachts that suit around 20 guests to wedding boats for about 500. As a rough rule, tell us your guest count first and the style second (seated dinner or cocktail), and we’ll shortlist two or three boats that fit. Our guide to choosing an Istanbul wedding boat goes into this in detail.
Step 2: Pick the boarding pier
Where your guests board shapes the whole day. We have partner piers on both shores: Kabataş, Arnavutköy and Kireçburnu on the European side, and Beykoz, Beylerbeyi and Kadıköy on the Asian side. Other piers can be arranged, and if you are staying at a waterfront hotel with its own jetty, we can pick you up there with the hotel’s permission if the jetty suits the boat. See piers and boarding for the full list.
Step 3: Decide on the ceremony
Many couples complete the civil marriage at the municipality marriage office and then hold a symbolic ceremony on deck, with an aisle, a floral arch and the Bosphorus behind them. If you are not Turkish citizens, read our guide to getting married in Istanbul as a foreigner before you set the date, because the paperwork takes planning.
Step 4: Plan the route and the timing
A wedding cruise usually runs for several hours. We shape the route around your pier, your timeline and the light. Golden hour on deck is the moment most photographers ask for, so we plan the ceremony or the couple’s portraits around sunset. You can see what guests will pass in our Bosphorus wedding cruise route guide, and a sample schedule in a wedding on the boat timeline.
Step 5: Have a weather plan
The Bosphorus is beautiful in every season, but weather is part of the plan. Our wedding boats have enclosed saloons as well as open decks, so if the forecast turns, the ceremony and dinner move inside and the windows keep the view. We review the forecast with you in the days before the wedding. More on seasons in the best time for a wedding on the Bosphorus.
What a full-service boat wedding includes
With Bematur, one team arranges the parts that usually come from different suppliers:
- The boat, crew and route
- Menu: seated dinner, buffet or cocktail service
- Ceremony set-up, flowers, aisle and table design
- Wedding cake
- DJ or live music and the sound system
- Photo and video on request
- Coordination on the day, from boarding to the last guest stepping ashore
How much does a wedding on the Bosphorus cost?
There is no single price because every wedding uses a different boat, menu and timing. The day of the week and the month make a big difference: summer Saturdays are the most requested, while weekdays and the shoulder seasons offer more choice. We explain the factors in how much a boat wedding in Istanbul costs. For a quote for your date, message us on WhatsApp.
Planning from abroad
A large share of our couples live outside Turkey. Most planning happens over WhatsApp and video calls, and we can show you the boats on a live video tour. You only need to be in Istanbul for the final details and, of course, the day itself.
Quick checklist
- Fix your guest count range
- Choose two or three possible dates (weekdays widen your options)
- Decide on civil ceremony at the municipality, on-board symbolic ceremony, or both
- Pick the pier closest to most guests
- Ask for a quote with menu and music options
- Book the boat, then plan décor, cake and photography
Ready to check your date? Send us your date and guest count and we’ll tell you which boats are free.
