Moroccan traditional weddings are a celebration of love, family, and community, they are an important part of Moroccan heritage. In Moroccan traditions, the wedding is a very significant day for the couple, it’s referred to as “The best night in life” and it takes a lot of effort to plan and get ready for.
The engagement process, which usually begins the wedding preparations, may involve the exchange of gifts and payment of a dowry by the groom’s family to the bride’s. This process is seen as a symbol of the groom’s commitment to the bride and his willingness to provide for her in their future life together.
Pre-weddings rituals are also an important part of the wedding process in Moroccan culture, the families of the bride and groom play a significant role in planning the wedding. The bride’s family is typically responsible for organizing the ceremony, the reception, and also for preparing the bride’s outfit and accessories. Both families work together to plan the details of the wedding and ensure that everything runs smoothly on the big day. These also include the making of pastries and sweet, the cleaning and decoration of the bride’s home, and the hosting of a formal engagement party.
The Moroccan Wedding customs and traditions reflect the unique concepts of Moroccan culture. Everything in Morocco is organized in a very special manner that combines several cultural features, from the Henna ceremony to the wedding day. So while this day celebrates the union of tow hearts, traditions steal the show.
When it comes to wedding food, Moroccan Weddings are known for their delicious and emblematic dishes, during evening weddings, Moroccan families typically serve the same meal courses. Throughout the ceremony, guests are served “Kaab Ghzal” or “Ghryyba” pastries, with Mint tea as accompaniment.
For the Dinner, it’s quite important to serve meat dishes (chicken with saffron, lamb or beef Tagine with prunes or the famous Mechoui), a large basket of fruit is frequently served as dessert (apples, bananas, oranges and seasonal fruits.
Clearly, this is not quite enough to describe how a Moroccan wedding actually takes place. So from the beginning to the end let us lead you through all of the details of the Moroccan wedding.
One of the first steps in the Moroccan wedding process is the signing of the marriage contract, called “Drib Sdak”. This is a small celebration attended by close family members and friends of the bride and groom, during which the couple signs their marriage contract in the presence of the “Adoul”, a religious man who has legal authority to formalise the union of the couple.
Following the dowry or Sdak, the couple is both religiously and legally married, and the wedding preparations can be planned by both families.
The Hammam is a traditional pre-wedding ritual for Moroccan brides, during which they spend time in a public Hammam, with their closest female friends. During this time, they participate in various beauty and purification treatments, such as messages, body scrubs, and perfumery preparation. The Hammam for the bride is not only about physical preparations for the wedding, but also about bonding with family and friends to create a sense of community before the marriage.
Henna party is a traditional ritual in Moroccan culture that is typically held the night before the wedding. It is a time for the bride to celebrate and bond with her female friends and family as she prepares for her big day. During the henna day, intricate designs of henna and temporary orange-red dye are applied to the hands and feet of the bride.
The application of henna is seen as a symbol of good luck and fertility for the bride’s upcoming marriage. The henna designs are believed to bring blessings and good fortune to the bride and her new family. The use of henna is not just limited to the bride, but also to the groom’s family and friends to share the joy and celebration of the forthcoming wedding.
The henna day is often accompanied by music, dancing, and other celebrations, and the bride may wear traditional Moroccan clothing, such as a flowing robe and head covering, to mark the occasion. The henna ceremony is an important part of Moroccan wedding traditions, and is a way to bring the bride and her family and friends together in celebration of her upcoming union.
A traditional Moroccan wedding is a vibrant and festive celebration that brings together friends and family to celebrate the union of the bride and groom. The celebration typically takes place in a hotel wedding hall or in a large tent set up on the roof of a house, or a even in a private luxury villa for mor prestige and confort.
On the day of the wedding, guests gather at the venue, dressed in their finest traditional clothes with the men in suits or Jellaba and the women in colorful Takshitas, the ceremony usually starts around 5 to 8 pm, and the family of the bride and groom start welcoming the guests in their elegant Moroccan attires and jewelry. Once they take their seats, guests are served Moroccan tea and sweets while they wait for the bride and groom’s charming entrance. The couple enters the venue followed by the chants of the Neggafates, the master planners of the wedding party.
One of the most notable traditions at a Moroccan wedding is the bride’s multiple dress changes. The bride typically changes into several outfits that can range from three to seven different Moroccan Traditionnal Dress. The outfits often represent different parts and cultures of Morocco such as Berber, Fassi, and Sahrawi. The groom usually wears a tuxedo and later changes into a traditional Moroccan outfit called Jabadour.
Another famous traditional celebration is the Ammaria tour, usually offered for couples by all wedding planners in Morocco for at the end of the wedding ceremony. Both the bride and groom are carried in two beautifully ornamented seats called Ammaria or el Mida and lifted up by four to six people while traditional Moroccan music is played in the background.
Following the debut, everyone may enjoy dancing, delicious meals, and Moroccan folk music.
Before the ceremony comes to a close, the bride and groom make their final outfit change. The bride puts on a normal white occidental wedding dress, while the groom changes back into the tuxedo he wore earlier to enjoy the rest of the night dancing and taking souvenir pictures with family and friends.
After the party, the happy couple leaves on a parade to the groom’s house. The groom’s family will be waiting for them with milk and dates wishing them a peaceful and sweet life.
To sum up, Moroccan weddings is a celebration of love, culture, a long life together, Moroccan Gastronomy, local traditions and music… A true one-of-a-kind experience.
Sun Moon: A Travel & Event Agency based in Marrakech
