Sofia & Nikolai

Two people, one celebrant and a photographer. Symbolic ceremony on the hotel terrace at sunset, then a balloon at dawn the next morning with the camera in the basket.

Booked eleven weeks before the date, which is entirely normal for an elopement and would be impossible for a wedding with a guest list.

The order of the two days

Ceremony first, balloon second. That is deliberate: roughly one balloon flight in five is cancelled for wind, and putting the flight on the morning after the ceremony means a cancellation costs a lie-in rather than the plan. Sofia and Nikolai's flew.

Why October

The best month in Cappadocia, and it is not close. Clear mornings, comfortable afternoons, low wind, and the valley colours have turned. There is a fuller month-by-month account in the best month to get married in Türkiye.