The ongoing war in the Middle East has begun to weigh on Türkiye’s wedding sector, with rising gold prices and mounting costs prompting many couples to postpone their plans.
Industry figures show that reservations for wedding venues during the summer months have dropped by nearly 60 percent compared to last year.
In 2025, more than 552,000 couples tied the knot, most during the traditional wedding season spanning May through September. This year, however, early bookings across Türkiye’s roughly 12,000 venues have slowed sharply, with operators citing both the Iran conflict and soaring gold prices as key factors.
Barış Ay, President of the International Confederation of Employers’ Unions, explained that couples are increasingly concerned about expenses.
“Beyond gold prices and rising wedding costs, the fear that expenses will climb further due to the Iran war has led many to delay marriage plans,” he said.
Ay noted that couples typically spend between 80,000 and 1 million Turkish Liras ($22,000) on venues and organization.
Despite only modest price increases by operators, reservations have fallen dramatically, Ay said. “Compared to last April, bookings are down nearly 60 percent. Our halls are almost empty this season,” he added.
He warned that if the downturn continues, as many as 1,500 venue operators may be forced to suspend operations.
