Chit Chat With Leading Turkish Luxury Wedding Planner Meltem Tepeler
Meltem Bayazıt Tepeler is the Founder President of KM Events in Turkey since 1995 and the Founder President of KM Events Beyond Luxury in Dubai since 2016. Throughout the years Tepeler has hosted many important international and special events and weddings and made KM Events one of the leading Weddings & Events companies in Turkey and around the region.
Tepeler is also the Founder President of YEPUD (The Association for Planning and Implementation of Creative Events, Turkey), the only association in the event industry in Turkey and currently the President of ILEA (International Live Events Association) Turkey Chapter.
She wrote the book, ‘Weddings and Istanbul’, describing Istanbul as a wedding destination, which soon became one of the industry’s classics. Tepeler does not only work in Turkey and UAE, but she also organizes exclusive events and weddings in any part of the world including Azerbaijan, Greece, Saudi Arabia and Italy.
Tepeler is one of the founders and lecturers of Event Management Certificate Program at Bosphorus University Life Long Learning Center, a member of the European Best Event Awards Jury (EuBEA) and continues to speak at seminars as a lecturer to teach professionals how to organize destination weddings and events.
How did you start in Wedding Planning & why?
I started this business in 1995, so it’s been 22 years. I saw the absence of wedding planners in the wedding industry when I was getting married in 1991. As I have organized my own wedding, which was for 500 guests, I had an idea about what kind of help a bride needs for her wedding. So, I am one of the leaders and the starters of the wedding business in Turkey and now I opened my second office in Dubai. Another point is that as the KM Events team, we do not only plan a wedding, we are also very much experienced in designing a wedding. So, having the ability to be a planner, as well as, a designer makes the brides work with us very easily.
What is the best part of being a wedding planner?
The best part is to have lots of friends from all around the world. I have couples from Saudi Arabia, India, Iran, Pakistan, UK, and so many other countries, as well as, the UAE. They never forget you in years as you were the organizer of the best day of their lives.
What are the top 2 luxury weddings you designed & organised that are closest to your heart?
I have designed the wedding of the most powerful Indian Family ‘Gupta Family’ last year which was the most expensive wedding of 2016. 35 chefs from India attended the wedding in Turkey and many Bollywood stars had prepared special shows for the wedding. It was a 3 day - 3 night event all decorated heavily and very unique.
And the other top wedding is the wedding of a very well known Saudi Family, Khalid AliReza at Dolma Bahçe Palace in Istanbul several years ago. It is still the only wedding that has been organized in Dolma Bahçe Palace as this palace is only used for very VIP Government events.
And as the top VIP Event Planner in Turkey, I have also hosted George W. Bush, Berlisconi, Tony Blair, Jacque Chirac and many other world leaders at Topkapi Palace for Nato Summit in 2004.
We do not only plan a wedding, we are also very much experienced in designing a wedding.
Why did you decide to open an office in Dubai and what are your expectations?
I had many couples from UAE and they insisted on me to open an office in Dubai. They really encouraged me as they keep on repeating and mentioning how hard it is to find someone in Dubai who can manage both planning and designing the wedding at the same time. So we are here now to help our couples in Dubai and all around the GCC.
What are the hottest trends in weddings at the moment?
In Turkey, Bodrum which is the St. Tropez of Turkey is very popular for beach weddings. Organizing 2 or 3 day events for the wedding in such sıummer destinations is very popular. Inviting your guests to a magical destination other than your country for your wedding is the hottest trend of the latest years. Maldives, Tuscany, Provence, İstanbul, Bodrum and, of course, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are my favorite destinations for weddings.
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I have also hosted George W. Bush, Berlisconi, Tony Blair, Jacque Chirac and many other world leaders at Topkapi Palace
