The City of Ashgabat is also referred to as the “White City” since all newer buildings are made of white Turkish marble and many older buildings from the Soviet times are currently given a face lift accordingly. Check out the pictures under Turkmenistan to get an impression. But this is not the only reason why you might consider Ashgabat for a truly “White wedding”.

Nowhere else in the world will you find anything like the Palace of Happiness, an enormous wedding complex offering all services you might need when getting married – including a venue to celebrate with your 1000 guests. The Palace of Happiness –  built by President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov – was inaugurated in 2011 and cost $140 million.

The citizens of Turkmenistan receive free electricity, water and natural gas based on a guarantee given by the government which was recently extended to the year 2030. And since there is an abundance of energy to spend, the city lights up at night like nothing you have seen anywhere else. It is certainly glamorous looking and would make a nice backdrop for a wedding picture:

Writing this and slowly getting ready to go to sleep – as we are four hours ahead of Zurich which means it is 1 am in the morning here – I am taking a last look at the Palace of Happiness and think of you all in far-away Europe! Good night!