A Joyful Moroccan Wedding

The first Saturday after the festive Eid al-Adha holiday is one of the most popular times for Moroccan weddings. Every wedding reception hall in Fez was in full swing last Saturday, but none more than the wedding of Abdoulhadi Bouzidi-Idrissi and Yousra Elalaoui Hachimi.

The Bouzidi-Idrissi family are an important and much loved family in Fez and the wedding was the one to be at on Saturday. The guest list included not only the extended families, but also members of the French, English, American, Australian and New Zealand expat communities.

From around five in the afternoon until the early hours of the morning the wedding developed into a joyful and spirited party!

The View from Fez was honoured to be invited.

There is an expanded version of this photographic essay on our Photo Journal.

The family and bride and groom assemble outside the venue, in preparation for the grand entry

The bride, Yousra Elalaoui Hachimi, is carried in on a wedding throne

The dancing began in an enthusiastic manner and eventually became frenetic!

As the tempo of the music increased, the dancers became a blur or light and colour!

With each change of wedding dress for the bride,
there was a change of wedding chair to match

Yousra was treated to some beautiful henna designs

After lots of sitting and being carried around, it was obvious
that Yousra and Abdoulhadi enjoyed the chance to dance

The most traditional of the bride's dresses is known as the "Fassia" - the dress from Fez.

Every moment was a "photo opportunity" - even signing the wedding documents

The cutting of the wedding cake was followed by a touching "feeding" moment!

The wedding dinner was served at about 11.30 pm and was a traditional feast and much enjoyed

 See the expanded photographic essay our Photo Journal 

 

Photographs: Suzanna Clarke and Sandy McCutcheon

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A Moroccan wedding - in pictures

The View from Fez was privileged to attend the wedding of Si Mohamed and Hakima. Tom Fakler took the photographs.

This photo essay was published in 2009 - but there is now a new photo essay taken in November 2011 - you will find the new wedding photographs HERE 

The bride and groom were married a few months ago, but according to tradition, couldn't begin their life together until they'd celebrated properly with family and friends. The party took place at one of the wedding halls in the new city of Fez.

Si Mohamed with his sisters

Henna patterns on Hakima's hands

Si Mohamed ready for the ceremony

The bride and groom enter the hall - Hakima in a splendid silver dress and borne aloft on a silver wedding chair, and Si Mohamed on horseback

Guests are plied with a multitude of sweet cakes, mint tea and fruit juice ...

... and, of course, the wedding cake

Si Mohamed and Hakima start the dancing

There are several changes of costume for both ... blue

and lavender, in another wedding chair

a gold traditional wedding outfit

and green

and finally, a traditional western white dress

Everyone enjoys the party

The View from Fez wishes Si Mohamed and Hakima every happiness.


SEE A 2011 WEDDING HERE


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Your chance to get married in Fez!

More and more couples are now choosing to celebrate their weddings in exotic locations, but up until now it was not possible to do this in what is arguably the most exotic location of all – the ancient Medina of Fez in Morocco. Now, for the first time, you can have a dream wedding in Fez. Why Fez? Because it is the last surviving Medina in the world!


In Morocco, the wedding celebration has been enriched by the various cultures and civilisations, each one of which, has left it’s own special contribution in all the areas from the choice of the costumes, the beautiful long dresses referred to as kaftans, the rituals, the music and even the traditional dishes for your wedding banquet


In the Imperial city of Fez, the wedding ceremony represents without a doubt the most sublime melange of traditions. A traditional wedding is three days of pure magic. Your guests entering the candlelit glory of a centuries old courtyard under a canopy of sparkling African stars, their hands sprinkled by delicately scented orange-flower water as they take their seats around a fountain whose waters are strewn with rose petals. This is only a single image from what will not be simply a wedding ceremony, but an event you and your guests will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Sound good? Well, it's not a fantasy, but the new business being started in Fez by Barbara Hundemer-Taylor (pictured above). If you would like any further information, email us at The View from Fez - fes.riad@gmail.com


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

A wedding in the Fez Medina

It is not every day that there is a wedding between a Moroccan and a foreigner in Fez and so the Medina has been buzzing with the news about Evelyn and Hassan. Although Evelyn was trying to keep it quiet, the henna on her hands was a dead give away. Now she has announced it on her blog and you can read the full story here: Below is an edited extract. Evelyn in Morocco.

Last Saturday night (actually, it was Sunday morning about 3 a.m.) Hassan and I got married... I sat on cushions in the center of the activities all night long and even got a chance to dance. The guests were delighted with my abilities and at one point I was in a circle of people, all on bended knee clapping for me.

A sheep was sacrificed earlier in the day (I taught school all day long) and a delicious meal was prepared for all the guests. The night before, Hassan's mother had made arrangements for me to have my hands and feet hennaed in the most intricate of designs. It took hours and hours and women danced and tended to me all the night long. We finally finished at 3 in the morning. Then everyone slept head-to-toe in the salon and I awoke early to go to school to teach.

Everything has been quite surreal. At the beginning of the festivities, Hassan and I were in a line up of close friends and family out in the streets with the musicians playing and flags surrounding us. We all held hands and bent to and fro to the music. Hassan was carried on the shoulders of his friends several times and when the actual wedding "vows" took place it consisted of his offering me some milk from a small bowl. I drank of the milk, then ate half a date with a nut in it. Then I offered Hassan the milk and the other half of the date. We put rings on one another's fingers and then each kissed the top of the others head.

There are many papers to file with the government to get our offical marriage "act" but we have time. We plan to build a home in the Kasbah which will have three floors and a terrace. Hassan and I will live on the top floor and rent the first two floors to tourists. His brother will corral tourists at Bab Boujloud and bring them to the pension.

All Moroccans who live in the Medina know Hassan and I are married and they seem quite pleased. A few nights before the marriage fest, Hassan's house was filled with family. We spent the night there and his mother gave us her room to sleep in. She prepared the bed for us, spraying perfume on the sheets and sleeping in the kitchen so we could have the prime sleeping spot in the house. Every day I marvel at how my life is unfolding.

Congratulations Evelyn!

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news