Moroccan wedding is truly a once-in-a-lifetime occasion that can last anywhere from three days to a week. A Moroccan wedding combines culture, custom, and the reunification of family. Here’s an outline of a typical Moroccan wedding.
Before Marriage
The bride and groom begin planning their wedding up to a year in advance. An Adoul or notary presides over the signing of a formal marriage agreement between the couple in the simplest ceremony with family members present.
The groom also offers the bride gifts that symbolize aspects of their future together. Milk represents purity, while sugar represents a joyful life. Simpler gifts like as flowers or dates are also used, as are more extravagant items such as bales of cotton, perfume, and jewels.
Traditionally, the gifts are delivered in a huge silver-colored container with a conical cover.
As a purifying process, the bride and her bridesmaids visit a traditional hammam two days before the wedding. Songs are sung, and it is part of the Moroccan marriage tradition.
The henna procedure follows the hammam ceremony. A hennaya, or traditional henna artist, visits the bride and paints exquisite designs on her hands and feet.
The design includes symbolic elements that are thought to bring good luck. Female bridesmaids are also given the henna treatment.
The Wedding Day
In Morocco, the wedding day starts early. It begins with song and music, but there is also Koranic chanting as a manner of honoring Mohammed and blessing the rite.
The guests are then ushered into a spacious chamber, followed by the bride and groom, who are dressed in white kaftans. They are placed in a huge chair called an Amariya and then paraded around the room by four men so that everyone may view and greet the happy couple.
The bride may wear up to seven garments during the wedding ceremony. At a wedding, neggafates surround the bride and are the experts on how to dress, apply make-up, style hair, and many other bridal essentials. They are essential to ensuring that everything runs smoothly at the wedding.
A Moroccan wedding revolves around food. There are several rich delicacies, such as Mashwi or newborn lamb, pastille (pigeon in a pie with cinnamon and almonds), and traditional desserts. There is also music and dancing, and the event normally lasts till daybreak.
Following the feast, there is a car parade across town with horns, cheering, and laughter. The bride and groom frequently ride around town and snap photos at parks. The pair then travels to the groom’s home, where they are usually greeted with dates and milk by the bride’s mother-in-law.
What is the Function of a Negafa at Moroccan Weddings?
A Negara is a lady who serves as a wedding planner and assists the bride in preparing for her traditional Moroccan wedding.
This includes dressing the bride in appropriate attire and adorning her with jewelry and makeup.
The Negara also has a cultural role in the wedding ceremony, serving as a witness and advisor to the bride during the traditional wedding ceremonies.
In addition to assisting with dress and cosmetics, a negata may also provide hairstyling and henna tattooing services to complete the bride’s bridal look.
What is the Amaria in Moroccan Wedding Culture?
The bride is traditionally seated atop the Amaria in Moroccan wedding traditions. The Amaria is an exquisite, roofed platform carried by a group of 4 to 6 men known as the Amaria bearers (typically members of the Negafa’s team).
The groom leads the walk with the Amaria bearers, while the bride is carried on the platform, frequently accompanied by female relatives and friends.
Moroccan Wedding Music
Moroccan weddings are noted for their lively and celebratory atmosphere, with music playing an important role in the festivities.
In addition to the main orchestra, known as l’jouq, many Moroccan weddings include a secondary band known as dakakiya or issawa, depending on the location.
These bands specialize in traditional music styles such as chaabi (Moroccan pop) and Andalusi, as well as local music from the bride and groom’s native region.
