# Getting Married in İzmir: A Photographer's Guide

> Planning a wedding on Türkiye's Aegean coast? Timings, light, locations, costs and what to ask a photographer before you book — from a studio based in İzmir.

Source: https://www.kadrajfilm.com/en/blog/wedding-photographer-izmir-guide
Published: 2026-09-02
Author: İlyas Yalçın — Kadraj Film

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İzmir sits on Türkiye's Aegean coast, and for a wedding that matters in one
practical way: **the light lasts longer and falls sideways over water.** Sunset
here runs past 20:30 in high summer, which gives couples a long golden hour and
an open horizon — the two things portrait sessions are actually built around.

This guide covers what a couple marrying in and around İzmir should plan for,
from a studio that has photographed weddings here since 2007.

## When to marry, and when to shoot

| Season | Sunset (approx.) | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| June–August | 20:15–20:45 | Long evenings, hot afternoons — start portraits ~19:00 |
| September–October | 19:00–19:45 | The best balance: warm light, bearable heat |
| November–February | 17:00–17:45 | Ceremony must start early or portraits happen in the dark |
| March–May | 19:00–20:00 | Green landscape, unpredictable rain |

Most couples underestimate one thing: **the portrait session time is fixed by
the sun, not by the schedule.** Build the day backwards from sunset, then place
the ceremony and reception around it.

September is the quietest strong month — the summer crowds have gone, the sea
is still warm and the light is at its best.

## Where the pictures happen

We choose locations for background, not for the view. Three kinds work well
around İzmir:

- **Coast, piers and marinas.** An open horizon at sunset; a couple reads even
  as a silhouette.
- **Old streets and stone.** Warmer, enclosed, and a shelter on windy days.
- **Vineyards and olive groves.** A single white dress against green is very
  clean.

An hour and a half is enough for two locations. A third almost always gets
spent in the car.

## What it costs

Full-day photography is 45,000 TRY, photography with a cinematic wedding film
is 70,000 TRY, and adding a feature-length documentary makes it 90,000 TRY.
There is no hourly cap in any package — the crew starts at the preparations and
stays through the last dance. Add-ons (second photographer, album, photo booth,
after-party coverage) are listed on the [packages page](/en/paketler).

For a fuller breakdown of what moves the price, see
[wedding photography prices in Türkiye](/en/blog/wedding-photography-prices-turkiye).

## If you are travelling from abroad

- **Book 6–9 months ahead** for a June–September date. We take one wedding per
  day, so a date is either open or it is not.
- **Legal paperwork** for a civil ceremony in Türkiye takes time and is handled
  through the local registrar (evlendirme dairesi); your venue or wedding
  planner will guide it. We photograph the ceremony wherever it happens.
- **Travel and accommodation** for weddings outside our home region are quoted
  separately and written into the offer — never added afterwards.
- **We work in Turkish and English.** Direction during the portrait session is
  in whichever language is easier for you.

## What to ask before booking

1. How many hours does the price cover, and what happens after?
2. Who is coming, and are they named in the contract?
3. How many edited photographs are delivered, and in how many weeks?
4. Is there a second shooter for the ceremony reactions?
5. Do you take more than one wedding per day?

Our answers to those, and to a dozen more, are on the [FAQ page](/en/sss).
Send us your date and venue and we will reply the same day with availability
and a firm price: [contact](/en/iletisim).