Getting Married in Marrakech

Late March and April are the most requested months, with roses in the palace gardens. October and November are equally good and often quieter. July and August are hostile to outdoor events, with afternoon heat hard to bear even in shade. Ramadan moves each year and changes the mood in public areas, though hotels keep full service.

Recommended wedding months

October, November, March, April, early May

Peak season is March, April, and the shoulder months are February, September.

Palace hotel garden. The palace hotels have old gardens of olive trees, a rose parterre and lily-pond terraces. A ceremony under the olives in clear winter light, with the Atlas behind, is among the most photographed in North Africa.

Private riad hire. Many medina riads can be hired exclusively for smaller weddings. A riad is an inward-facing courtyard house with a fountain and citrus trees, and it gives a more specific setting than the grander hotel spaces.

Villa and estate in the Palmeraie. Private estates can be taken in full for multi-day events, with garden ceremony settings and lodging for the party under one roof. It is the closest Morocco comes to a private-estate format.

Rooftop terrace. Many riads and boutique hotels have terraces with views over the medina to the Atlas. They suit cocktail receptions and sunset ceremonies from September to May.

Marrakech Menara Airport is the main arrival point for weddings in Marrakech, the Atlas and the road south to Ouarzazate. The medina is a short taxi ride away.

Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK). Direct flights from London and several regional UK airports, all year. Private transfers for guest groups are standard.

Casablanca Mohammed V Airport (CMN). Served from London and Manchester, but a long drive from Marrakech. It makes sense only for guests routing through it, and suits Fez arrivals better.

Marrakech has the most developed upper-end accommodation in Morocco, from large palace hotels to riads with a handful of rooms.

Palace hotels and Hivernage. A palace hotel just inside the medina walls is the most complete self-contained wedding hotel in the city, with the souks, the Koutoubia and the main square within walking distance. A large resort nearby in Hivernage takes overflow from big guest lists.

Royal riad hotel. A hotel of private riads, each a townhouse with its own pool. Its boutique scale rules it out as overflow, and it is built for the wedding party and close family.

Palmeraie villas. Villa resorts in the grove give privacy and dispersed lodging. They suit a Palmeraie ceremony and are less convenient for guests who want evenings in the medina.

Medina riads. Boutique riads cluster in the northern medina, walkable to the main square. They give the most immersive stay.

Marrakech cooking rests on slow braising and preserved ingredients, and hotel kitchens blend French technique with Moroccan flavour.

Tagine. The defining Moroccan braise, cooked in a conical clay vessel over charcoal. Lamb with preserved lemon and green olives is the classic.

Pastilla. Layered filo traditionally filled with braised pigeon, almonds and egg, dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon. It opens formal celebrations, and a seafood version is the modern alternative.

Mechoui. A whole lamb slow-roasted in a clay oven and pulled apart by hand at the table. It is the centrepiece of the most traditional feasts.

Alcohol at licensed venues only. The palace hotels and international chains are fully licensed. Unlicensed medina restaurants and public spaces serve none, so any riad outside the hotels needs its licence checked.

Modest dress in public. Covered shoulders and knees are expected in the medina and souks, for men and women. Inside licensed hotel grounds no dress rule applies.

Public displays of affection. Kissing and embracing in public are strongly discouraged. Inside hotel grounds this rarely matters.

Ramadan. Eating, drinking and smoking in public by day are restricted, while hotels keep full service in enclosed areas. Ceremony times should avoid the sunset prayer.

Entry rules for Morocco depend on the passport held. Requirements and permitted length of stay are set by the destination's government and can change. Current guidance is on the Moroccan government's website and on the traveller's own government's travel pages.

The legal marriage and the celebration are separate. Ask your venue or planner what the town hall requires for the place where you plan to marry.