Event Planning in Istanbul
Weddings, proposals, birthdays and company evenings, planned by a licensed Istanbul team that also runs the trip around them.
TÜRSAB #7651, trading as BEFORE TRAVEL
Planning in Istanbul since 20115.0 out of 5 across 145 Google reviews4.8 out of 5 from 560 TripAdvisor reviewers56 licensed guides in ten languagesAn Event Abroad Is Two Jobs
At home, an event is one job: the day itself. In Istanbul it is two, because most of the people you are celebrating with are travelling too. Somebody has to meet them at the airport, put them in hotels near the venue, and give them something better to do the day before than wait.
We are a licensed tour operator first, so the second job is the one we already do every day. You get the occasion and the trip around it from the same team, written up as a single plan.
What Comes Off Your List
Once the date is set, these six stop being your problem.
Every Arrival on One Timetable
Airport pickups, hotel runs and the transfers on the day, planned together rather than as a dozen separate taxis.
The Place, Confirmed First
Nothing goes on an invitation until the boat, the rooftop or the room is confirmed in your name.
Suppliers We Already Know
Photographers, florists and musicians we have worked with before, matched to your occasion.
A Second Plan for Rain
Anything outdoors or on the water comes with an indoor alternative and a time to decide, agreed well before the day.
A Guided Day for Your Guests
The day before or after, a licensed guide takes your family and friends round the old city.
One Coordinator Throughout
One named person from your first message to the last transfer, and one invoice from a licensed agency.
What We Plan
Weddings
A ceremony by the water, a waterfront mansion or a rooftop, with the flowers, the photographer, a henna night and your guests’ transfers arranged around it.
Weddings in Istanbul
Proposals and Anniversaries
A private boat at sunset, a table above the old city, or a rooftop photo session with the Süleymaniye Mosque behind you. The moment is timed, and kept quiet until it happens.
Rooftop photo sessions
Private Parties and Birthdays
A yacht day with music and a private chef, a long dinner that runs late, a football night or a club table. Bachelor weekends run the same way, with more stops.
Bachelor parties in Istanbul
Company Evenings
A closing dinner on the Bosphorus, the gala night inside a congress, or a quiet table for eight after a board meeting.
Corporate dinnersHow Planning Works
Send the Basics
The occasion, a rough date and how many people are coming. That is enough to start.
Get a Written Plan
Places, running order, suppliers and one total, in writing, so you can weigh it properly.
Confirm, and We Book
The boat, the venue, the photographer and every transfer, confirmed in your name.
Enjoy the Day
Your coordinator runs it on the day, so you spend it with your guests instead of on the phone.
For the Days Around It
Questions Before You Book
How Far Ahead Should We Start Planning?
As soon as you know the date. A proposal or a birthday dinner can often come together at short notice. A wedding with guests flying in needs months, because the venue and the hotels are the first things to go.
Can You Plan a Surprise?
Yes. A surprise is planned with you alone, and every message about it goes only to you. Mark it as a surprise at the top of your enquiry and we plan around the person who must not find out.
How Much Does an Event in Istanbul Cost?
It depends on how many people come, where it happens and the time of year. Every plan arrives as a written quote with one total and a line for each part, so nothing is hidden inside it.
Who Will We Be Dealing With?
The Other Tour, a licensed Istanbul travel agency trading as BEFORE TRAVEL on TÜRSAB licence 7651. You deal with our team from the first message to the last transfer, never with a supplier directly, and your coordinator is named in the plan.
What Size of Group Works?
From two people on a proposal to a wedding party that fills a boat. The headcount decides the boat, the room and the transfers, so we ask for it before anything else.
Can Our Guests Take Tours While They Are Here?
Yes, and that is where The Other Tour started. Private tours, food tours and Bosphorus cruises can be added for any of your guests on the days around the event, on the same plan and the same invoice.
Can the Celebration Be Outside Istanbul?
Yes. We also plan weddings in Cappadocia, and a honeymoon or a family trip can take in both places on one itinerary.
Tell Us the Occasion, the Date and Who Is Coming
A rough date and headcount are enough for a first written plan. Planning a surprise? Mention it before anything else.
