Wedding Ceremony in Moroccan culture

    In Morocco, the wedding ceremony gives rise to great holidays, which can last from three days to a week and are more or less expensive depending on the means of the family, but still very visual, with beautiful clothes and jewelry. Indeed, Moroccan women always attend traditional weddings dressed in kaftan, a kind of long dress in silk, satin, chiffon, taffeta or other rich fabric, covered with a jacket sometimes open on the bottom of the dress, embroidered, sometimes sequined , all being held back by a wide belt at the waist.  There are of course regional specificities, we find almost the same type of rituals to accomplish.

   The marriage is first concluded from the legal point of view by an act  the adoul contract established by the "Adouls", which correspond to notaries, in the presence of witnesses. It can be signed the day before the wedding or a few days ago.

The day before the wedding, after the bride, in the company of women of her family, has purified herself in the hammam, the henna ceremony takes place. A specialist, the "hannaya", draws symbolic patterns on the bride's hands and feet, to bring him happiness and prosperity in his future life.

   Before the wedding, the fiance is obliged to offer presents to his bride: Some are symbolic, like sugar, which represents a happy life, milk, purity or dates, water of orange flowers and henna. Also included are the engagement ring and the wedding ring. The others vary according to the means. You can find fabric coupons, kaftans, shoes, handbags, perfume. These gifts are arranged in very large trays of silver color, covered with a conical lid, the "téfors".

    At the wedding we attended with Marie, we were invited with our husbands, before the ceremony, to the groom's home, where, after drinking the welcome milk, we were installed in the women's room. We were shown these famous gifts on the téfors, among which were beautiful white, blue, red, green kaftans that the young wife wore during the ceremony.

The festival takes place in a hotel, a "riad" (traditional Moroccan house, organized around a large interior patio), a village hall, in a tent near the home of the bride or in the parents' garden of one or the other young couple.

   On one side of the room, the musicians play and sing, an exhausting task ! Once the guests are placed at their table, the orchestra attacks the Andalusian music pieces or "châabi" according to the choice of the bride and groom.

The young wife arrives in the audience wearing a white kaftan with matching jewels. She is sitting in a sedan chair, the "amariya", like her husband.

The bride is surrounded by the "Neggafates", conductors of the ceremony and guarantee scrupulous respect of the nuptial rites.  The bride periodically goes out to change herself. The second caftan is often green, always with necklaces, tiaras, earrings and matching bracelets.

The parade can continue up to seven different outfits in the evening.

   Meanwhile, the guests are restoring themselves. Depending on the location, the bride and groom opted for a meal or a cocktail dinner. One does not drink alcohol, in the respect of the Moslem religion. Soft drinks (we are in a Muslim country) and delicious fresh juices are served. If it's a meal, it usually includes a “pastilla” very thin brick sheets stuffed with a fricassee of pigeons or chicken, almonds, sugar and cinnamo  delicious dish that

I encourage you to test if you have a good Moroccan restaurant near you,

 a tagine (stew of meat and vegetables served in a clay dish in the characteristic shape) and fruits for dessert. The mint tea ends the meal, accompanied by exquisite Moroccan pastries such as, among others, gazelle horns.