Shopping in Istanbul Part Four
Istanbul Shopping Guide – Wedding Edition
Istanbul is the only city in the world that lays on two continents. This mega city, is one of the worlds biggest urban areas (the biggest in Turkey) and its continued development breaks every imaginary limit. Here you will find three massive bridges over the Bosphorus, one underwater car tunnel and also an underwater metro line, that will take you from Europe to Asia and return.
The former capital of the Byzantine Empire, explodes history, culture and art. It is one of the most amazing cities one can ever see.
To satisfy the needs of the millions living here, impressive infrastructure was provided. Istanbul is, besides its normal tourism, also a medical tourism hot point by having an incredible developed health sector.
Want more? Oh yes!
In our opinion, Istanbul is the shopping capital of Europe. Everything you think of, is easy to find here. From high end fashion, to new cutlery to bring home, Istanbul is ready to serve you.
Because I could honestly write a book about shopping in Istanbul, I have divided the “Istanbul Shopping Guide” in several parts. Each part will provide important details for every category. I will cover everything, from the Grand Bazaar to baby clothes and wedding dresses. Once a month, in a Sunday, a new part of the shopping guide will be posted.
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Getting married soon?
If you are planning to say “I do” in the next months or year, Istanbul is the perfect place to start shopping for your wedding. Honestly, I wish I knew it before our wedding. There is a whole street dedicated to this kind of events.
The bride
Searching for the perfect dress can be very exhausting and stressful. Usually, the shops or ateliers are located in different parts of town or even in different cities. Finding something on the rack can sometimes mean that it can be seen to a lot of brides in that season. Having something custom made, can cost a ton of money and you’ll have to drive for fitting and adjustments.
I had my dress custom made, because I wanted a certain type of dress. In my hometown, I didn’t find the perfect atelier and had to go to a different city. This meant a 250 km drive for 5 times. The dress was ordered on the 31st of March, for my October wedding. In my country this is a usual practice for busy bridal shops.
Last year, when we went to Istanbul, we have discovered an entire street that is dedicated to weddings. One shop near another, from bride’s dresses to wedding shoes, everything was on display. Some shops were super fancy, others were normal. The entire street is huge, if you just walk and not enter the shops or look for something, it will probably take you 40 minutes from beginning to the end. But the shops are not only on the main street, there are also lots of other small boutiques on the adjacent streets.
Where?
The street name is Fevzi Pasa. The shops start from the Fatih Camii (a massive and extremely beautiful mosque) till the big intersection with Beylerbeyi Road.
Here you can find dresses for all budgets and body types. You can either buy it directly, even modify it, or you can have it custom made. I heard that it usually takes about 7 days for your dress to be made. Most of the shops offers this option. The prices are cheaper than the rest of Europe, but you can find very good quality.
On this street, you can shop for bridesmaids’ dresses, wedding shoes, tiara and other accessories. I have also seen a lot of wedding lingerie shops and the fun “Bride” and “team bride” robes.
The Groom
For the groom it is even easier. There are also shops for grooms on Fevzi Pasa Street, but men do have a lot more options.
In this part of Istanbul, are a lot of shops that can make a bespoke suit for you. They are good quality and very good price. But the suit searching can’t stop here. Even in malls and outlet malls, you will find tons of shops dedicated to this. They will dress you from head to toe and you will look amazing.
In shopping centers, you can try D’S Damat, Suvari, Cacharel, Pierre Cardin and Boss. The quality is very good and the prices are way lower than in the rest of Europe. They also sell shoes, shirts, ties and bows, or any other accessory that you will need for the event.
Bridesmaid or Godmother
We have discovered these shops, when we were searching for dresses and suits for other weddings, especially the one we were the godparents. I have found incredible dresses on Fevzi Pasa Street, some small boutiques in Taksim square and in Viaport Outlet.
For more about shopping in Istanbul, check these: https://traveliciousduo.com/shopping-in-istanbul-part-one/ , https://traveliciousduo.com/shopping-in-istanbul-part-two/ , https://traveliciousduo.com/shopping-in-istanbul-part-three/ .
If you have an important event, as a host or as a guest, and you have the chance to go to Istanbul, get an extra day, just for a little event shopping. Here are some hidden jewels. Shopping in Istanbul is fun, smart and … Travelicious.