A German
woman and a Turkish man got married in their swimsuits in the
northwestern province of Balıkesir, after swimming in the Aegean off the
province’s historic district of Ayvalık.
The wedding ceremony
of Maike Ehrlichmann, 37, and Fırat Cumalı, 37, started with the bride
and groom entering the sea at separate spots, meeting halfway in the
sea, swimming together to the shore, and getting married.
“For
us, the sea means a place where you can get close to nature and
yourself. Being close to the sea while making a big decision gives you a
feeling of peace, trust and determination. That’s why we chose to be
close to the sea,” Cumalı, a civil engineer, told the Doğan News Agency
on July 12.
“We love the sea very much. We spend a lot of time in
the sea, surfing, swimming and sailing. The idea of getting married
after swimming came from Maike. We are planning to continue our lives
traveling between Hamburg and Ayvalık,” he added.
“We hope the
guests of Ayvalık will continue to respect this important area, which
has hosted great civilizations throughout history,” said Ehrlichmann.
The
couple first met in Germany’s Göstrow 18 years ago at a youth camp and
they have lived together in Macedonia, Latvia and Germany.