Lauren Winslow & Timur Taluy

On his first date with Lauren Winslow in 2009, Timur Taluy took her to an Oxnard dive bar. But by the time he proposed, he’d really upped his game.

Taluy, whose father is from Turkey, took Winslow abroad in 2010 to meet some of his relatives. In Ankara, they were feted at a big family dinner where Winslow met a slew of Taluy’s cousins, aunts and uncles.

After, the pair took off for Bodrum, a small Turkish beach town famous for its medieval castle. There, at a restaurant table on the sand, Taluy knelt beside Winslow and proposed, “Will you make me a king by being my queen?” Once the shock wore off, she said yes.

Winslow, 27, an occupational therapist, and her specially trained dog, Cooper, work with autistic children at Abbott & Burkhart Therapy in Ventura. Taluy, 35, and his family own FileYourTaxes.com.

Their July 30 wedding was held on adjoining beachfronts graciously provided by two Oxnard neighbors. The ceremony took place beneath an altar on the sand and at the tented reception, guests enjoyed a sunset dinner and danced till the last song was played.

“We were beyond happy,” Winslow said.

—Maxine Nunes, Custom Publishing Writer