A Toronto-based couple with Kazakh and Chinese roots give all their friends and family the gift of an Istanbul destination wedding.

La Dichosa

Jasmin Karibzhanova and Sam Sutcliffe are a multicultural pair whose families and upbringings have spanned the globe. Jasmin was born and raised in the city of Almaty , Kazakhstan, and now lives in Toronto with Sam, a Canadian of Chinese-English descent (who grew up partly in Hong Kong ). Friends introduced them in 2022 and the couple were engaged in Turks and Caicos in 2024. Quickly, they figured out that anywhere they married would require a long-haul flight for many if not most of their guests, so why not give everyone an excuse to go somewhere thrilling?

La Dichosa

La Dichosa

It was Jasmin’s father who suggested they wed in Istanbul for a few reasons: Turkey doesn’t require visas for Canadian or Kazakh citizens, there are direct flights to Istanbul from both Toronto and Almaty, and the city seemed like a more compelling place than typical European destination…