MOROCCAN WEDDING

MOROCCAN WEDDING

Morocco is the country with very rich and lively traditions, one of the charms of
North Africa. The Moroccan wedding is a great event like other cultures all over the world and is celebrated with great fun and festivity. In Morocco the traditional wedding is quite meaningful and an elaborate process. As a rule the wedding process lasts from 3 to 7 days and there are many pre-wedding ceremonies that take place before the actual wedding.

According to Moroccan traditions parents choose groom or bridegroom for their children. Before the wedding everybody sends presents and gifts to the bride. If the parents, guests and relatives can afford, they send golden jewelry, clothing, and perfumes for the bride.

Traditionally on the wedding day in Morocco the bride bathes in milk and then her hands and feet are painted with henna. Such purification process has history of more than 1200 years. But modern tradition for brides in Morocco is to apply henna to the wedding guest palms. In the night before marriage the "henna party" takes place and the older, married women share the secrets of marriage with the bride. A woman called “ neggafa “ applies all putting make up and jewelry on the bride who then can put on her wedding dress. Moroccan brides always wear elaborate traditional headpieces and veils for the wedding.

On the day of wedding plenty of food is prepared for all the guests expected and even unexpected. Traditionally the groom together with his family members, friends and relatives move towards the bridal party while singing, beating drums, and dancing. Then they all lead the groom and the bride to the bridal chamber. Sometimes the Moroccan bride circles her marriage home three times before the wedding ceremony.

Nowadays modern Moroccan weddings usually take place at big villas at night or other fascinating property that are solely rented out for weddings. The bride changes dresses and matching jewelry several times during her wedding celebration. Very often during the reception, the groom makes his way in a noisy procession accompanied by “ dqayqiyya and neggafat “ to collect his bride. When he enters the house, he is hoisted onto the shoulders of his friends or onto a horse and his bride is carried on a table “ lmida or tayfour “ This procession usually continues until the couple reaches the nuptial chamber.

During the week after wedding, the newly weds visit their relatives and friends who they invite to their new home. The festivities continue for a week or more where relatives, friends and neighbours meet to sing, dance and wish all the best to the newly married couple.