October 16, 2008
ŞANLIURFA – Doğan News Agency
Bills flew through in the air and the bride was buried under $130,000 worth of gold and other jewelry at a wedding between two clans in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa.
Twenty-seven-year-old Serhat Gerger and 26-year-old Ayşe Kapaklı were married at a ceremony Sunday, bringing together the two leading families of the region.
Soon after the couple appeared at the wedding hall, around 500 guests began to compete with each other in the race to throw $1 bills into the air. The dollars, which become the property of the wedding band as soon as they leave their owners' hands, were collected by five musicians and stuffed into bags.
After the first rush, the guests ran out of bills and, knowing the prestige of throwing around American dollars, went to the musicians to buy back more of the foreign currency, only to throw it into the air again.
The contest shifted toward the bride soon after, when guests raced to present her with gold jewelry and pearls. The wedding ceremony became something of a drag once the bride was forced to continue her happy day while wearing YTL 130,000 worth of gems.
The wedding, which lasted five hours and featured local dignitaries, included fireworks and Kurdish and Turkish songs.
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