A Romantic Destination Wedding in Marrakech And A Lovingly Handmade Dress

Ever dreamed of jetting away to marry in a far away land? Dave and Naomi did just that earlier this year, on the 19th February 2014, with a fabulous ceremony and elegant celebrations at Les Jardins de Mouassine, a charming riad in the very heart of Marrakech, Morocco.

Naomi, owner and designer at Damselfly Flower Girls created her astounding hand  stitched dress with her talented mum, with intricate beading and that stunning cutout back detail, it’s just a bit gorgeous! I adore the effortless elegance and ease of the day; the delicate, vibrant spring flowers and the dashes of pale pastel pinks, greys and blue decor.  These lovely images are courtesy of Raby Adams Photography.

“We took a little influence from the country. We wanted it to feature in the ceremony but not be too overwhelming, so we did little details like making the invites look like Moroccan lanterns. The colour scheme was because I loved it.”

Photography Copyright (c) 2014, Raby Adams Photography

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

Dave a college lecturer and wedding photographer, proposed to Naomi in the moonlight in the desert while on holiday in Morocco and they fell in love with the place.

After Dave proposed, we had a few more days in Marrakech and we kept talking about how wonderful it would be to get married there in such a beautiful, vibrant country – so we did!

We decided to get married in Morocco because we wanted to keep it small and intimate, we didn’t think that would be possible in the UK – we had started to make the guest list and it got longer and longer. We set a limit of 25 guests and when it came to writing the list of who to invite to Morocco, it was easy.

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

Naomi and Dave enlisted the help of wedding planner Stéphanie Benetiere of Kech Events to ensure their plans ran smoothly.

We wanted to do as much of the wedding as we could, but it was difficult to organise certain things at a distance and Stephanie really took the worry out of things for me.  The venue specifically was hard to choose, Marrakech is filled with thousands of riads and many of them are impossible to find. Thankfully, Stephanie knew the area inside out and we looked at about 10 venues in 2 days! Les Jardins de Mouassine was perfect, just enough rooms for all of our guests, only a few minutes walk from the main square Djeema el fna and most importantly it was beautiful. It just felt right.

We had lots of tea lights and flower arrangements of roses and irises. The riad itself was already filled with Moroccan lanterns and rugs. The aisle and the stairwell were lined with rose petals.

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

Mum (Faith) and I do all the design, pattern cutting and making for Damselfly Flower Girls and so we used our skills to make my dream dress. We had gone all over the place to look for a dress, but nothing I tried was quite right….so we made it. I knew that I wanted to use a beaded lace and it took us weeks and weeks to find the perfect one.

It took several toiles to get the shape; sleek and elegant with a wide spreading train. Mum made up the real dress, because it was such a delicate fabric all of the seams of the lace had to be stitched by hand – it was a real labour of love!”

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

I do all of the beading for Damselfly, so I created all of the extra beaded embellishment that went around the neckline and on the silk satin belt. Nothing that I bought could have been any more perfect. Partly because it was made to fit me like a glove, but also I think because so much love went into the making of it.  I think because we spent so long making it, with numerous fittings, that I got more attached to my dress than I might have been with a bought one.

I don’t quite know how to explain it but I didn’t see a dress and fall in love with it. We created it and the more we worked on it the more I loved it.

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

My shoes were from Poetic Licence but mum and I added some little silver beads and sequins to match my dress.  The bridesmaids all chose their own shoes. They’re all different heights and I wanted them to feel comfortable.

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

We have a 1920’s Honiton Lace veil in the family which I desperately wanted to wear. It was so old though, that it had become quite discoloured and we just couldn’t get it it white enough to match the ivory lace of my dress.

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

My eldest sister Hannah did my hair and make up for me and my hair accessories were from Ebay.  I also wore Gucci II – the first perfume that Dave ever bought me and still my favourite summer fragrance.The bracelet that I wore was my Mum’s when she was a bridesmaid when she was a child. It just fitted me.

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

The bridesmaids all had Joma Jewellery bracelets as their bridesmaid gifts from Naomi and their pretty floaty dresses were by Lydia Rose Bright.

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

The flowers were put together by a local Moroccan florist at the flower market. I took them pictures to show them what I had in mind. Morocco is famous for growing roses so I was always going to have them in my bouquets.

February was also the season of the iris though so we just had to include some. I wanted a mostly pale bouquet with just one or two irises in each bouquet to add a little brightness.

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

Dave and I first met when we were 11 when we started secondary school. We got together when we were 15. We lived about 30 miles apart but during the summer holidays he would cycle to see me every day. So much has happened in our lives in the time that we’ve been together – we’ve grown up together really.

We were both mature students when we went to university. I was 20 and decided that I had to follow my heart and study fashion. Dave did an engineering degree and then became a teacher. He got his first job and we went on holiday to Morocco to celebrate. That was in 2012, we’d already been together for 8 years and my friends quite often teased Dave about when he was going to pop the question!

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

Whilst we were in Marrakech it was over 40 degrees everyday. A couple of days into the holiday we went on a 2-day trip to the Sahara desert – I had insisted on a camel trek! What we didn’t realise was that this would involve 8 hours on a mini-bus, we stopped at midday at a Kasbah which would have been beautiful but it was now approaching 50 degrees.

There was no shade and it quickly became apparent that Dave had heat-stroke – the rest of the journey was a bit traumatic, Dave spent the whole time trying not to be sick and spraying his face with water…..I don’t think he really enjoyed the camel ride!”

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

Our camp was literally in the middle of the desert and as soon as we arrived, Dave went straight to lie down. A few hours later, once it had gone dark, the temperature dropped back below 50 degrees and I convinced him to go for a little wander to try and get some fresh air.

The moon was full and as we wandered along, Dave dropped back and said “isn’t the moonlight beautiful on the sand dunes?”, it’s not the sort of thing that Dave would normally say and when I turned around to say so, I saw that he was down on one knee. He asked me to marry him and I was so surprised that I just said “No way!” When I pulled myself together I of course said yes.  I wanted to stay up and dance to the traditional Berber band that were playing but poor Dave just wanted to go back to sleep. We were engaged for about 18 months before our wedding day.

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

Dave’s smart grey suit was by Hugo Boss from Pockets  with a super on trend Bow tie and pocket square was from Mrs BowTie.

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

Naomi walked down the aisle with her dad to Pachelbel’s Canon in D…

“We weren’t that keen on the vows the celebrant suggested, we did some research on the internet and combined a few options that we felt suited us best:

‘Dear friends, out of affection for David and Naomi we have gathered together to witness and bless their mutual vows which will unite them in marriage. To this moment they bring the fullness of their hearts as a treasure to share with one another. They bring the dreams which bind them together. They bring that particular personality and spirit which is uniquely their own, and out of which will grow the reality of their life together. We rejoice with them as the outward symbol of an inward union of hearts, a union created by friendship, respect and love.

Repeat after me, David/Naomi, I love you. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle.  I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.'”

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

“We had three readings, My mum read Apache Marriage Prayer. This was one of the suggested readings from the celebrant, it felt right that a parent should read this as it felt like guidance and advice.  Dave’s cousin did the second reading. Dave’s an only child but he and Ben are very close. Ben read Cloths of Heaven by William Butler Yeats. Dave found this when we were looking for readings, he showed it to me and it made me cry. It’s only a few lines long but is so powerful.

The third reading was my friend Kate. She and I have been friends since we were at nursery school and so it was important to me that she was a part of the wedding. She read If Thou Must Love Me by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. I chose this one, purely because we thought it was beautiful.”

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

I loved that our guest list was so small, every person there means so much to us. I’ve been to some weddings where the couple don’t seem to get to spend much time together as they’re trying to see all of the guests. We didn’t have that, some people hadn’t met before but by the end of the 3 days, we were like one big family.

The guys at the riad were lovely too, they made us and our guests feel like it was our home. We’ll definitely go back there one day, maybe for an anniversary in a few years time.

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

All catering was done by the staff at the riad. Everyone said that it was the best wedding food they had every eaten. For the main course, each table had a tagine of chicken and lemon and a tagine of lamb….on one table they were arguing over who got the last of the lamb!

We didn’t have a cake. I’m not a huge cake eater and it just seemed like a tradition that we didn’t need to bother with. Instead we had Moroccan mint tea and Moroccan pastries.

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

Helena Raby – a friend of ours, the sweetest folk singer with an acoustic guitar, played whilst we had cocktails and canapes on the terrace after the ceremony and then again after the meal. It was beautiful and was a stark contrast to have such traditional British folk music compared to Dakka Marrakchia.

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

We were entertained by Dakka Marrakchia, a traditional Moroccan band of men. We were a bit unsure of having a Moroccan band but I’m so glad that we did. They played just before the ceremony, welcoming all the guests onto the roof terrace where the wedding was held and then again afterwards. We hadn’t met them or even heard them play before the actual wedding but they were really good fun, they got everyone up and dancing.

For our first dance, we danced to Norah Jones – Come Away with Me.

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

“It’ so difficult to choose a favourite part of the day. I think seeing Dave’s face as I walked up the aisle – I’d spent such a long time with my dress I think I sort of forgot he didn’t know what I would look like! The only thing I wish we’d done, was to have a videographer too. The whole day was so magical and I would love to be able to watch it over and over.”

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

Words of Wedded Wisdom

Try not to put to much focus on making everyone else happy, it’s your day after all! I was in tears a few hours before everyone arrived at the riad because I was so worried that people wouldn’t like what we had planned.  Above all the day needs to be what you want, don’t compromise too much to do what you think will please others.

marrakech wedding, morroco wedding, raby adams photography

What a stunning affair! Thank you so, so much to Naomi and Dave for sharing their gorgeous wedding day with us, congratulations to you both, I’ve so enjoyed being able to write about it for Love My Dress.  Thank you again too to Tom Raby of Raby Adams Photography for the stunning images of the day. May I just say, I really think Naomi and her mum should be designing more wedding dresses in the future to add to the Damselfly collection, such talented ladies don’t you think?

Are you planning a wedding abroad? We’d love to hear where and all about it (and maybe get an invite too!).

Love Rebecca x

 

Photographer – Tom Raby Raby Adams Photography
Venue – Les Jardins de Mouassine
Wedding Planner – Stéphanie Benetiere of Kech Events
Brides Dress – Damselfly Flower Girls
Brides Hair accessories – Ebay
Brides Hair and Makeup – By Brides Sister
Bride’s Shoes – Poetic Licence
Groom’s Attire – Hugo Boss at Pockets
Groom’s Accessories – Mrs BowTie
Wedding Rings – T H Baker
Bridesmaids Dresses – Lydia Rose Bright
Bridesmaid’s Bracelets – Joma Jewellery
Entertainment – Helena Raby
Flowers – Local Flower Market
Stationery and Favours – By the Bride and Groom

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