Moroccan Marriage

Introduction
In Morocco the marriage celebration includes several well organized ceremonies that can
last from 3 days to a week, depending on the family and region of Morocco. These
festivities are always the ideal opportunity to bring Moroccan families together and show
the richness of Moroccan customs and traditions through clothing, art, music or cuisine
which is represented via a cocktail of delicious dishes.
Moroccan women still attend in the traditional ways. The wedding dress is usually a
caftan, a sort of long robe made of silk, satin, chiffon, silk or other rich fabrics, and
covered with a jacket. The dress is often open on the bottom and may have embroidery
or sequined details, and may be retained by a wide belt at the waist that adds a stunning
touch to the moment.

Pre-Marriage Customs
The future bride and groom start formalities for the marriage about a year prior to the
celebrations. Sometimes it is a simple agreement signed in the presence of witnesses and
Adoul (Moroccan notary), but generally an act of formal marriage commitment is
established in the presence of the family members of the couple. The husband is required
to give gifts to his bride. Some gifts may be symbolic, such as sugar, which represents a
happy life, or milk for purity or basic gifts which could include dates, water, orange
flower and henna. They also include the engagement ring and the alliance. Gifts vary
depending on the region of Morocco, and could range from jewelry and bolts of fabric, to
caftans, shoes, handbags or perfume. These gifts are typically arranged in very large flat
silver colored container and covered with a conical lid which is similar to the form of a
big Tagine.
Two days before the wedding, customs require the bride to go to traditional Moroccan
Hamam, sauna with her girl friends and relatives. It is considered as an act of
purification, and accompanied by beautiful traditional songs performed by her friends.
The next ceremony will take place using the famous Moroccan Henna. Henna comes
from a plant that can reach up to one meter in height, and its leaves produce yellow or red
dyes which are often used for body paint to create different shapes and designs. At the
ceremony a "Hennaya" , a professional Moroccan Henna artist, draws symbolic motifs on
the hands and feet of the bride as a lucky charm for her new life. The brides friends and
relatives who are involved in marriage will also get to have henna.

Moroccan Wedding Day

On the day of the wedding the ceremony begins with song and dance, the tradition of
Islam demands the ceremony begin by reading Koranic verses and songs in praise of the
prophet. Next the guests gather in a large room. The couple follow and the bride, dressed
in a white caftan with matching jewelry, heads to a large chair "the Amariya along with
her groom. Four strong men carry the Amaria around the wedding room, so every guest
gets to see and wish the couple happiness and good luck. After a few minutes of touring
the large guest room, accompanied by music from a live traditional band, the couple is
descended from Amariya to sit in two comfortable chairs strategically centered in the
room, where wedding guests get to have their pictures taken with the couple.
Throughout the ceremony, the bride changes outfits, adorning a selection superb caftons
justifying the reputation of Moroccan marriages. The bride can wear as many as seven
different outfits, with the last wardrobe change, in general, a magnificent white wedding
dress.

Neggafates: Moroccan wedding Master Planners

The bride is surrounded by "Neggafates" who are wedding master planners, since no
wedding ceremony can occur without their presence. Their main task is to help with
traditional Moroccan dresses, make up, jewelry, hair styling etc. Neggafates assist
Moroccan couple to look their best in their wedding ceremony combining know-how
about Moroccan wedding, style and fashion taste with an adequate traditional touch.
Moroccan weddings are also known for the variety of exotic Moroccan dishes, unique
ingredients, and dedication by Moroccan chefs to pull them together. Different Moroccan

dishes are served to wedding guests including pastille (a pie in puff pastry stuffed with a
fricassee of pigeon or chicken, almonds, sugar and cinnamon), Mashwi (baby lamb),
Tajine (stew meat with prunes and almonds), couscous, traditional pastries and Moroccan
cookies all served with traditional mint tea. The guests dance from time to time to the
rhythm of music, chat and connect with other guests and relatives. The ceremony usually
ends at around 5am.

Mother-in-law Welcome
At the end of the wedding the couple are taken on a car parade ( a parade of guest and
family cars) through the streets and neighborhoods, stopping at specific spots (local
beaches or parks) to take pictures with friends before the couple head to the house of the
groom. In some regions of Morocco, on arriving at her new home, the bride is
welcomed by her mother-in-law who will offer her dates and milk as a sign of welcome
and affection.
Every culture treasures the wedding ceremony in some way. Traditions and ceremonies
differ in each land and Morocco is no exception. Read on to learn more about a few
Moroccan wedding traditions.
The traditional Moroccan wedding has quite an elaborate and meaningful process. The
wedding process can take up to seven days and there are many pre-wedding ceremonies
that take place before the actual wedding.
Morocco is a place with a very rich cultural heritage and active traditions and many of
these can be seen at Moroccan wedding ceremonies. Usually the entire affair is quite

expensive. It starts with the paying of a dowry that is spent on household items and
furniture for the bride. If the grooms parents are very wealthy, they will pay for these
items themselves. The bride also receives golden jewelry and is sent presents of cloth,
clothing and perfume from her groom every feast day. The courtship period can last from
six months to two years.
Once a date has been set for the wedding, the real preparations begin. Five days before
the matrimonial event, necessities such as a mattress and blanket are taken to the bridal
chamber. There the bride is given a bath in hammam which is a sort of milk bath that is
meant to purify the bride. Her negaffa (female attendants) will usually supervise the
event. The negaffa - who are usually older married woman, female friends and relatives then set about trying to beautify her. After dressing her in an elaborately decorated
wedding kaftan (usually white) they proceed to decorate her with heavy jewelry and
darken her eyes with kohl which looks a bit like thick dark eyeliner.
The group then proceeds to have a beberiska ceremony in which the hands and feet of the
bride and her party are painted with henna. The bride's designs are always the most
intricate and the various floral and geometric designs are meant to ward off evil spirits,
bring good luck and increase fertility. The grooms name is often hidden in the henna
designs. The negaffa will usually take this opportunity to discuss the 'secrets' of marriage
with the young virgin. In some ceremonies the bride will then be placed behind a curtain
to symbolize her change of lifestyle. In more remote areas, this ceremony would only
take place the day before the wedding. Often, a bride is not expected to do any house
work until her henna has faded.
Once all this preparation is complete, food is prepared in excess to cater for unexpected
guests and the festivities begin. In times past, the men and woman would celebrate these
festivities at separate locations. At some point in the evening, the groom would leave to
make his way towards the bridal party accompanied by a group of friends who sing, beat
drums and dance. The bride would be lifted up on a circular cushion or table and the
groom on the shoulders of his friends. The two would then be carried to the bridal
chamber where they would be expected to consummate their marriage. The bridal party
would then examine their sheets for signs of blood to confirm the bride's virginity. The
two would journey to their new home and the bride would circle her home three times
before becoming the keeper of her new hearth.
Today things have changed somewhat. Although the hamman bath is still used quite often
in more rural areas, it is sometimes completely overlooked in the cities and towns. And
though young brides are still quite happy to don their ceremonial kaftans, these are now
more often shop bought because modern machinery has caused hand-made kaftans to be

considered an expensive rarity. Many women who consider themselves to be more

'modern' have also rejected the intricate henna designs that usually adorn the bride.
The food is now more often provided by caterers instead of family members. Most young
people have begun to choose their own marriage partners and ask for their parent's
blessing on the arrangement. In the past, a marriage partner was always chosen for them.
The celebrations still take place at different locations for the men and woman. Often,
someone is employed to paint the hands of guests with henna. Music at these occasions
can be traditional Berber, Andalusian or Arabian, or they can be popular modern tunes
played on traditional instruments. The young groom is accompanied by singing, dancing
friends although usually, there are a few car hooters to add to the din. Nowadays, instead
of immediately consummating their marriage at this point, the two parties more often join
together and the bride changes into an outfit reflecting her region. After more
celebrations, the bride then changes again and the newly wed couple leaves the party for
some private time. They usually go to a hotel instead of the traditional marriage chamber
and no one expects them to display their sheets as proof of the bride's virginity.
The festivities do not end here. Throughout the week, the newly weds will visit friends
and relatives as well as show off their new home and gifts. To this day, marriage is
generally thought of as being the most important decision that both the man and woman
can make. Because of this, the whole affair is expensive and elaborate.
The Imilchil Moussem/Wedding Fair
Once a year the people of the various mountain tribes in the Atlas Mountains converge at
a special meeting place for the Imilchil Moussem. This special meeting, which takes
place in September, is primarily a massive souk where 30 000 or more Berbers gather to
sell and trade their possessions. However, the gathering is not merely an exercise in
financial expertise - it is also the place of the largest wedding fair in the country. The
tradition was started when officials during the colonial area insisted that Berbers
assemble once a year to register births, deaths and marriages. After Morocco claimed
independence the tourist office encouraged the continuation of the festival. Contrary to
popular belief, very few of the marriages here are prearranged. The woman arrive in
ceremonial garb and they spend time flirting and getting to know the available men
during the festivities and dances. Many of them already know each other. Then, near the
end of the celebration, the marriage ceremonies begin and several new marriages are
made simultaneously. This ceremony has, in more recent times, received a lot of tourist
attention that has detracted from the ceremonies authenticity. However, the joyous
occasion continues down to this day and the exact date of the festival can be obtained
from the tourist board should you wish to be a part of it.


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