The Full Story
About
Jill La Fleur is a globally recognized planner & designer—specializing in luxury destination weddings worldwide, curated travel and bespoke retreats throughout Türkiye and the Greek Islands along the beautiful Aegean Coast and the Turkish Riviera.
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Renowned for her calm presence, timeless aesthetic, and meticulous attention to detail, Jill curates events that are as meaningful as they are beautiful—infused with European elegance and inspired by a life well-traveled.
Experience
She brings over 30 years in luxury hospitality, design, and event management (from Four Seasons Chicago to coastal Santa Barbara) and 20+ years leading her own luxury wedding and event production firm.
She has also been recognized as one of the top in her field by Martha Stewart Weddings, ranked top 3 globally at Amour Forums Vienna, and awarded Style Me Pretty’s Top Wedding of the Year.
Family & Travel Roots
Jill shares both her personal and professional life with her husband, Gökhan Filiz, a former national record-holding sprinter turned hospitality executive and wellness coach, and founder of wellness platform, Nefesa. Together, they plan and produce many of their events as a team. Their son, Jake Van Asten, a former luxury resort manager now pursuing his passion as a filmmaker, often documents their weddings through his cinematic lens at Van Asten Cinematography. The family splits their time between Santa Barbara, Chicago, the Greek islands, and
Alaçatı, Turkey (Türkiye), where they also operate
Château de La Fleur—a private pied-à-terre/vacation rental property that reflects their love of hospitality, design, and global living.
Curated Travel
In addition to event design, Jill leads
curated retreats and immersive travel experiences across Türkiye and the Aegean, thoughtfully designed for couples, individuals, families, and intimate groups seeking beauty, culture, wellness, and meaningful connection.
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With insider access, longstanding local relationships, and a dual-cultural perspective (she is a dual citizen of the US/Turkiye), she creates highly personalized journeys that go beyond traditional tourism — blending refined hotels and villas, extraordinary food and wine, wellness experiences, private boat days, hidden coastal towns, cultural discovery, and authentic local experiences throughout Istanbul, the Turkish Aegean & Riviera, and the Greek islands.
L a Fleur Philosophy
Every event, retreat, or creative strategy is approached with design sensibility, strategic insight, and a dedication to honoring the heart of the story so that each experience becomes a thoughtfully curated chapter in a life beautifully lived.
