Are you searching for a Wedding or Event photographer in Istanbul? 

I have been covering over 170 Weddings since July 2014, I can say that I am full of advice and help for your big day.

My couples are similar and so different at the same time. I would say that they have certain similar characteristics, they prefer to spend time with their families and friends rather than spending an hour taking the couple photos, they are usually shy, they don’t feel at ease to be the center of the attention, they have a certain knowledge about art, sometimes photography and painting.

Do you want to have an intimate wedding in Istanbul that reflect your journey as a couple, your passions, and your spirit of adventure?  

This is elopement photography for couples who want to ignore tradition and get married in a way that feels authentic to them. As a photographer, my purpose is to discreetly capture the story of your day in an honest and heartfelt way, without posing or intruding. I will record every aspect, from the raw emotions and poignant moments as they unfold, to the details you won’t want to forget.

I care deeply about creating meaningful connections with every couple who invites me to be a part of their journey. My approach is to innovate, not to conform to conventions. Your elopement experience should be as personal, genuine, and unique as you are.

Emotional Photographer documenting emotional Weddings.

Since July 2014, I document your intimate wedding, your Minimony, Sequel Wedding, Micro wedding or Adventurous Elopement, proposal, and engagement and I have seen a lot of love stories, full of joy and emotions. It has a lot of different names but only the story matters. I am moved by telling the story of your day in the most natural and genuine way possible. No need to spend one hour behind the church with me to take the couple photographs, I will always value to let you spend time with family and friends. This is your day, not mine.

Most of my couples define themselves as shy in front of the camera, I believe simply they don’t know how easy it is to spend a few simple moments with their partner in front of my camera. I will follow you from getting ready to the dance floor in the most natural way possible. To deliver a poetic and unique vision of the most important day of your life.
I have a lot of experience and expertise in traveling around Europe mostly. For the last 6 years, I have covered most of my weddings abroad and overseas.

I believe I can help you with my experience and advice for a perfect wedding day. I have prepared some articles to help you to find the right place to get married or to be inspired in some places like Spain, The Balearic Islands such as Ibiza, Mallorca,… Mexico, Morocco and of course Portugal. I have also written an article about the most underrated locations in Europe to have your small and intimate wedding with friends.

• Where to get married in the Balearic Islands? HERE

• Where to get married in Morocco? HERE

• Where to get married in Mexico? HERE

• Where to get married in Spain? HERE

• Where to get married in Portugal? HERE

• More articles to come … HERE

Specialised in Wedding and Elopement Coverage since 2014.

My Philosophy in Few Words :

Real Stories - Intimate - Journalistic - Real Stories - Poetic - Cinematic - Discreet - Non Traditional - Simplicity.

My Visual Experience :

With years of experience photographing my couples in beautiful locations across the world, I have brought together some valuable ideas and tips to help with elopement planning as well as for those planning larger weddings.I have covered over 150 Weddings on the last 5 years and they are all different. I have prepared a Succession of Articles dedicated to you. Please click on the article of your choice to learn more about it:

• Top Outfit Ideas for your Intimate Couple Session HERE

• Top 10 Tips to Plan your Intimate Wedding. HERE

• What is an Elopement? HERE

• Top 8 Tips to plan your Elopement. HERE

• Top 5 Reasons to Elope. HERE

• Eloping : With or Without guests and family? HERE

• Top 10 Activities to do on your Elopement Day. HERE

• What is the difference between an Elopement, a Minimony and a Microwedding? How to choose what is the best for you? HERE

• What is a Virtual / Online Wedding? HERE

Where to organize your Wedding or Elopement in Istanbul?

If you have always dreamed of traveling within Istanbul, Turkey is one of the top destinations you should consider for your elopement, due to its magnificent countryside and coastline. As an experienced elopement photographer, I have photographed many beautiful elopements here for couples forgoing traditional weddings and embracing their spirit of adventure.

Istanbul is one of the top elopement destinations in Turkey; a country with a lot of history, great weather/cuisine, and amazing traditions. You’ll be overwhelmed with choice for beautiful places to elope in this place, from the big cities full of character and atmosphere to the magical forests.   The possibilities for breath-taking locations are endless.

You can find some of the best wedding venues for your Wedding Or Elopement.

Looking for more Inspiration and Locations for your Wedding or Elopement?

If you are still considering other options in Europe, check out :

• Where to Elope (30+ Best European Locations for your Elopement & Top Underrated Wedding Locations in Europe you should consider. HERE

What About COVID 19?

Learn about how the Covid 19 Corona Virus have changed the face of the wedding industry but not only HERE

What is next? Simply contact me to create a simple but deep connection

At ericrenepenoy@gmail.com

Awards and announcements : 

RANGEFINDER RISING STAR OF THE WEDDING INDUSTRY 2019 WORLDWIDE
BODAF NEW TALENT EUROPE WINNER 2017.
JUNEBUG BEST OF THE BEST 2016 & 2017.
TOP 50 BEST UK PHOTOGRAPHER 2019 GOHEN.
BEST ELOPEMENT OF THE YEAR (SECOND PLACE).
MEMBER OF THE WEDDING COLLECTIVE FROM 2015 TO 2018 (BEFORE MOVING TO PORTUGAL).
WRITER AT BACKSTAGE MAGAZINE
CREATOR OF RESONANCE INSPIRATION
CREATOR OF MY BIG WORKSHOP

Published on :

JUNEBUG. RANGEFINDER. VSCO. RESONANCE. DEVIANT ART. MY WED. LE BLOG DE MADAME C. LA MARIEE AUX PIEDS NUS. WAY OUT WEDDING. QUEEN FOR A DAY. FEMME ACTUELLE. ELLE. LE JOURNAL DU MARIE. BIPPITY MAG. MINHA FILHA VAI. TRIBE RED LEAF. BRAW BRIDES. WELLWED. MAGAZINE NEW YORK. PORTRAIT OU PAYSAGE. WE FELL IN LOVE. PRISMPHOTOGRAPHY. WELLWED USA. LOOKS LIKE FILM. WHIMSICAL WONDERLAND WEDDINGS. WEDDBOOK. 20MINUTOS. THE KNOT. PINTEREST.

A bit of History about Istanbul.

Istanbul (/ˌɪstænˈbʊl/ ISS-tan-BUUL, also US: /ˈɪstænbʊl/ ISS-tan-buul; Turkish: İstanbul [isˈtanbuɫ] (listen)), formerly Byzantium and Constantinople, is the most populous city in Turkey and the country's economic, cultural and historic center. The city straddles the Bosphorus, and lies in both Europe and Asia, with a population of over 15 million residents. Istanbul is the largest city in Europe, and the world's fifteenth-largest city.

Founded as Byzantion by Megarian colonists in 660 BCE, and renamed as Constantinople in 330 CE, the city grew in size and influence, becoming a beacon of the Silk Road and one of the most important cities in history. It served as an imperial capital for almost sixteen centuries, during the Roman/Byzantine (330–1204), Latin (1204–1261), Byzantine (1261–1453), and Ottoman (1453–1922) empires. It was instrumental in the advancement of Christianity during Roman and Byzantine times, before its transformation to an Islamic stronghold following the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 CE. In 1923, after the Turkish War of Independence, Ankara replaced the city as the capital of the newly formed Republic of Turkey. In 1930 the city's name was officially changed to Istanbul, an appellation Greek speakers used since the eleventh century to colloquially refer to the city.

Over 13.4 million foreign visitors came to Istanbul in 2018, eight years after it was named a European Capital of Culture, making the city the world's fifth-most popular tourist destination. As an alpha world city, Istanbul is home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and hosts the headquarters of numerous Turkish companies, accounting for more than thirty percent of the country's economy.

Istanbul is in north-western Turkey within the Marmara Region on a total area of 5,343 square kilometers (2,063 sq mi). The Bosphorus, which connects the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea, divides the city into a European, Thracian side—comprising the historic and economic centers—and an Asian, Anatolian side. The city is further divided by the Golden Horn, a natural harbor bounding the peninsula where the former Byzantium and Constantinople were founded. The confluence of the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus, and the Golden Horn at the heart of present-day Istanbul has deterred attacking forces for thousands of years and remains a prominent feature of the city's landscape.

Following the model of Rome, the historic peninsula is said to be characterized by seven hills, each topped by imperial mosques. The easternmost of these hills is the site of Topkapı Palace on the Sarayburnu. Rising from the opposite side of the Golden Horn is another, conical hill, where the modern Beyoğlu district is. Because of the topography, buildings in Beyoğlu were once constructed with the help of terraced retaining walls, and roads were laid out in the form of steps. Üsküdar on the Asian side exhibits similarly hilly characteristics, with the terrain gradually extending down to the Bosphorus coast, but the landscape in Şemsipaşa and Ayazma is more abrupt, akin to a promontory. The highest point in Istanbul is Çamlıca Hill, with an altitude of 288 meters (945 ft). The northern half of Istanbul has a higher mean elevation compared to the south coast, with locations surpassing 200 meters (660 ft), and some coasts with steep cliffs resembling fjords, especially around the northern end of the Bosphorus, where it opens up to the Black Sea.

Istanbul is near the North Anatolian Fault, close to the boundary between the African and Eurasian Plates. This fault zone, which runs from northern Anatolia to the Sea of Marmara, has been responsible for several deadly earthquakes throughout the city's history. Among the most devastating of these seismic events was the 1509 earthquake, which caused a tsunami that broke over the walls of the city and killed more than 10,000 people. More recently, in 1999, an earthquake with its epicenter in nearby İzmit left 18,000 people dead, including 1,000 people in Istanbul's suburbs. The people of Istanbul remain concerned that an even more catastrophic seismic event may be in the city's near future, as thousands of structures recently built to accommodate Istanbul's rapidly increasing population may not have been constructed properly. Seismologists say the risk of a 7.6-magnitude or greater earthquake striking Istanbul by 2030 is more than 60 percent.

In the Köppen–Geiger classification system, Istanbul has a borderline Mediterranean climate (Csa), humid subtropical climate (Cfa) and oceanic climate (Cfb), due to its location in a transitional climatic zone. Since precipitation in summer months ranges from 20 to 65 mm (1 to 3 in), depending on location, the city cannot be classified as solely Mediterranean or humid subtropical. Due to its size, diverse topography, maritime location and most importantly having a coastline to two different bodies of water to the north and south, Istanbul exhibits microclimates. The northern half of the city, as well as the Bosporus coastline, express characteristics of oceanic and humid subtropical climates, because of humidity from the Black Sea and the relatively high concentration of vegetation. The climate in the populated areas of the city to the south, on the Sea of Marmara, is warmer, drier and less affected by humidity. The annual precipitation in the northern half can be twice as much (Bahçeköy, 1166.6 mm), than it is in the southern, Marmara coast (Florya 635.0 mm). There is a significant difference between annual mean temperatures on the north and south coasts as well, Bahçeköy 12.8 °C (55.0 °F), Kartal 15.03 °C (59.05 °F). Parts of the province that are away from both seas exhibit considerable continental influences, with much more pronounced night-day and summer-winter temperature differences. In winter some parts of the province average freezing or below at night.

Istanbul's persistently high humidity reaches 80 percent most mornings. Because of this, fog is very common, although more so in northern parts of the city and away from the city center. Dense fog disrupts transportation in the region, including on the Bosphorus, and is common during the autumn and winter months when the humidity remains high into the afternoon. The humid conditions and the fog tend to dissipate by midday during the summer months, but the lingering humidity exacerbates the moderately high summer temperatures. During these summer months, high temperatures average around 29 °C (84 °F) and rainfall is uncommon; there are only about fifteen days with measurable precipitation between June and August. The summer months also have the highest concentration of thunderstorms.

Winter is colder in Istanbul than in most other cities around the Mediterranean Basin, with low temperatures averaging 1–4 °C (34–39 °F). Lake-effect snow from the Black Sea is common, although difficult to forecast, with the potential to be heavy and—as with the fog—disruptive to the city's infrastructure. Spring and autumn are mild, but often wet and unpredictable; chilly winds from the northwest and warm gusts from the south—sometimes in the same day—tend to cause fluctuations in temperature. Overall, Istanbul has an annual average of 130 days with significant precipitation, which amounts to 810 millimeters (31.9 in) per year. The highest and lowest temperatures ever recorded in the city center on the Marmara coast are 40.5 °C (105 °F) and −16.1 °C (3 °F). The greatest rainfall recorded in a day is 227 millimeters (8.9 in), and the highest recorded snow cover is 80 centimeters (31 in).

The Fatih district, which was named after Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror (Turkish: Fatih Sultan Mehmed), corresponds to what was, until the Ottoman conquest in 1453, the whole of the city of Constantinople (today is the capital district and called the historic peninsula of Istanbul) on the southern shore of the Golden Horn, across the medieval Genoese citadel of Galata on the northern shore. The Genoese fortifications in Galata were largely demolished in the 19th century, leaving only the Galata Tower, to make way for the northward expansion of the city. Galata (Karaköy) is today a quarter within the Beyoğlu (Pera) district, which forms Istanbul's commercial and entertainment center and includes İstiklal Avenue and Taksim Square.

Dolmabahçe Palace, the seat of government during the late Ottoman period, is in the Beşiktaş district on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait, to the north of Beyoğlu. The Sublime Porte (Bâb-ı Âli), which became a metonym for the Ottoman government, was originally used to describe the Imperial Gate (Bâb-ı Hümâyun) at the outermost courtyard of the Topkapı Palace; but after the 18th century, the Sublime Porte (or simply Porte) began to refer to the gate of the Sadrazamlık (Prime Ministry) compound in the Cağaloğlu quarter near Topkapı Palace, where the offices of the Sadrazam (Grand Vizier) and other Viziers were, and where foreign diplomats were received. The former village of Ortaköy is within Beşiktaş and gives its name to the Ortaköy Mosque on the Bosphorus, near the Bosphorus Bridge. Lining both the European and Asian shores of the Bosphorus are the historic yalıs, luxurious chalet mansions built by Ottoman aristocrats and elites as summer homes. Farther inland, outside the city's inner ring road, are Levent and Maslak, Istanbul's main business districts.

Originally outside the city, yalı residences along the Bosphorus are now homes in some of Istanbul's elite neighborhoods.

During the Ottoman period, Üsküdar (then Scutari) and Kadıköy were outside the scope of the urban area, serving as tranquil outposts with seaside yalıs and gardens. But in the second half of the 20th century, the Asian side experienced major urban growth; the late development of this part of the city led to better infrastructure and tidier urban planning when compared with most other residential areas in the city. Much of the Asian side of the Bosphorus functions as a suburb of the economic and commercial centers in European Istanbul, accounting for a third of the city's population but only a quarter of its employment. As a result of Istanbul's exponential growth in the 20th century, a significant portion of the city is composed of gecekondus (literally "built overnight"), referring to illegally constructed squatter buildings. At present, some gecekondu areas are being gradually demolished and replaced by modern mass-housing compounds. Moreover, large scale gentrification and urban renewal projects have been taking place, such as the one in Tarlabaşı; some of these projects, like the one in Sulukule, have faced criticism. The Turkish government also has ambitious plans for an expansion of the city west and northwards on the European side in conjunction with plans for a third airport; the new parts of the city will include four different settlements with specified urban functions, housing 1.5 million people.

Istanbul does not have a primary urban park, but it has several green areas. Gülhane Park and Yıldız Park were originally included within the grounds of two of Istanbul's palaces—Topkapı Palace and Yıldız Palace—but they were repurposed as public parks in the early decades of the Turkish Republic. Another park, Fethi Paşa Korusu, is on a hillside adjacent to the Bosphorus Bridge in Anatolia, opposite Yıldız Palace in Europe. Along the European side, and close to the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, is Emirgan Park, which was known as the Kyparades (Cypress Forest) during the Byzantine period. In the Ottoman period, it was first granted to Nişancı Feridun Ahmed Bey in the 16th century, before being granted by Sultan Murad IV to the Safavid Emir Gûne Han in the 17th century, hence the name Emirgan. The 47-hectare (120-acre) park was later owned by Khedive Ismail Pasha of Ottoman Egypt and Sudan in the 19th century. Emirgan Park is known for its diversity of plants and an annual tulip festival is held there since 2005. The AKP government's decision to replace Taksim Gezi Park with a replica of the Ottoman era Taksim Military Barracks (which was transformed into the Taksim Stadium in 1921, before being demolished in 1940 for building Gezi Park) sparked a series of nationwide protests in 2013 covering a wide range of issues. Popular during the summer among Istanbulites is Belgrad Forest, spreading across 5,500 hectares (14,000 acres) at the northern edge of the city. The forest originally supplied water to the city and remnants of reservoirs used during Byzantine and Ottoman times survive.

Istanbul is primarily known for its Byzantine and Ottoman architecture, but its buildings reflect the various peoples and empires that have previously ruled the city. Examples of Genoese and Roman architecture remain visible in Istanbul alongside their Ottoman counterparts. Nothing of the architecture of the classical Greek period has survived, but Roman architecture has proved to be more durable. The obelisk erected by Theodosius in the Hippodrome of Constantinople is still visible in Sultanahmet Square, and a section of the Valens Aqueduct, constructed in the late 4th century, stands relatively intact at the western edge of the Fatih district. The Column of Constantine, erected in 330 CE to mark the new Roman capital, stands not far from the Hippodrome.

Completed in 1616, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque due to the blue İznik tiles which adorn its interior.

Early Byzantine architecture followed the classical Roman model of domes and arches, but improved upon these elements, as in the Church of the Saints Sergius and Bacchus. The oldest surviving Byzantine church in Istanbul—albeit in ruins—is the Monastery of Stoudios (later converted into the Imrahor Mosque), which was built in 454. After the recapture of Constantinople in 1261, the Byzantines enlarged two of the most important churches extant, Chora Church and Pammakaristos Church. The pinnacle of Byzantine architecture, and one of Istanbul's most iconic structures, is the Hagia Sophia. Topped by a dome 31 meters (102 ft) in diameter, the Hagia Sophia stood as the world's largest cathedral for centuries, and was later converted into a mosque and, as it stands now, a museum.

Among the oldest surviving examples of Ottoman architecture in Istanbul are the Anadoluhisarı and Rumelihisarı fortresses, which assisted the Ottomans during their siege of the city. Over the next four centuries, the Ottomans made an indelible impression on the skyline of Istanbul, building towering mosques and ornate palaces. The largest palace, Topkapı, includes a diverse array of architectural styles, from Baroque inside the Harem, to its Neoclassical style Enderûn Library. The imperial mosques include Fatih Mosque, Bayezid Mosque, Yavuz Selim Mosque, Süleymaniye Mosque, Sultan Ahmed Mosque (the Blue Mosque), and Yeni Mosque, all of which were built at the peak of the Ottoman Empire, in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the following centuries, and especially after the Tanzimat reforms, Ottoman architecture was supplanted by European styles. An example of which is the imperial Nuruosmaniye Mosque. Areas around İstiklal Avenue were filled with grand European embassies and rows of buildings in Neoclassical, Renaissance Revival and Art Nouveau styles, which went on to influence the architecture of a variety of structures in Beyoğlu—including churches, stores, and theaters—and official buildings such as Dolmabahçe Palace.