Bold Colour Wedding Marrakech

Clare & Richard

English couple Clare Blacker and Richard Clarke, met at work and bonded over their love of travel and adventure. A conventional English wedding was not for them and they chose Marrakech as their destination after having fallen in love with the exoticism of the city during their travels.

The couple chose the venue a luxury villa, formerly the home of a French art and antiques collector, for its exquisite mature gardens and grounds and the warm private home feeling.

The bridal suite with its antique décor, tiling, stained glass windows, art deco bathroom and terraces and balconies overlooking the gardens was the perfect setting for Clare’s preparations, hair, make up, etc.

Thanks to Andreas Holm Photography www.andreasholm.com

Friday

Clare and Richard chose to welcome their friends and family and give them a real flavour of Marrakech the night before the wedding with a visit to the famous Djeema el Fna square. Boutique Souk’s team of guides lead the group of guests through the famous open-air market, full of tattooists, acrobats, snake charmers and storytellers, to a reserved stall for Mint Tea. Guests were then whisked away by horse and carriages to Le Comptoir, Marrakech’s hot nightspot for a supper of tajines and cous cous and entertainment from Moroccan musicians and bellydancers.

Décor and Reception

Clare chose a fuchsia pink theme with turquoise, teal and gold accents for the ceremony and reception, reflecting the pink bougainvillea, which added such wonderful vibrancy to the villa’s gardens. Clare also introduced Dar Ayniwen’s exotic birdcages by featuring birds and birdcages on the invitations and welcome packs. A theme that was featured throughout the décor with gilt birdcages decorating the cocktail, hanging from trees and adorning the table.

Guests followed a path of fuchsia rose petals through the park, past the birdcages to a fountain patio for mint tea on arrival before being seated in the stunning garden pavilion for the ceremony. Fuchsia curtains billowed in the afternoon breeze between the pavilion columns, Moroccan lanterns and rose petals lined the aisle and 2 stunning bouquets of fuchsia Atlas roses framed the couple as they exchanged their vows.

Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed champagne and canapés in the olive grove at sunset on Moroccan rugs, poofs and cushions. Before being seated for dinner, guests were surprised by a performance of local ‘Gnawa’ musicians and acrobats, which finished with most of the guests dressed in the Gnawa costumes and hats and joining in the singing!

The couple chose to have one large, long table for all their family and friends, running alongside the swimming pool. Fuchsia table linens and bespoke gold and fuchsia napoleon chairs created a wow factor table which was adorned with hundreds of candles including some 1.2metre candelabras which illuminated the dining table.

Clare and Richard wished to create a relaxed dining experience with a Mezze of salads, served on tall cake stands as a starter, for all the guests to share and experience the spices and flavours of Morocco followed by a BBQ served with cous cous and traditional baked potatoes and salads. Supper was rounded off with a French Strawberry Fraisier dessert that was accompanied by fire-eaters performing an atmospheric flame throwing and fireworks display.

After dinner, guests were invited to the poolside Club for the ‘cutting’ of a tower of strawberry, Raspberry and vanilla macaroons and the ‘first dance’.

Dancing continued into the early hours and revellers were sustained with a late night Sharwarma bar and many cooled off by paddling or dipping in the pool!

Wedding Planners

Rosena and Fred Charmoy of Boutique Souk, an Irish and French couple who met and married whilst planning other people’s weddings and events in the intoxicatingly, exotic Marrakech.

Rosena said, “we loved working in this stunning venue and creating the bespoke décor for Clare and Richard. We especially loved the setting for the ceremony and the fuchsia colour looked stunning in the gardens. Clare’s attention to detail in her planning, the beautiful invitations and welcome packs she sent to her guests and her choice of music etc made for a very elegant event and all the guests seemed to thoroughly enjoy their weekend.

It was very rewarding to see such a happy couple and their delighted family and friends dance the night away under the stars.”

Quote from Bride

“It was an absolutely amazing weekend, everything we’d hoped for and more. Watching all the plans we had made with Rosena and Fred take shape really added to the anticipation. They, together with the Dar Ayniwen team, ensured every detail was perfectly taken care of, leaving us to make the most of our time with our family and friends. We were genuinely relaxed and had so much fun! Marrakech fully played its part too, winning over our guests in the same way it had done us several years before. We’ve joked we’ll have to return every year on our anniversary – and I’m sure there’ll be some that now attempt to join us!”

See more of this wedding in Media Reviews:

Wedding Obsession March 2012

Peonies and Pearls Feb 2012

Fly Away Bride Feb 2012

Reverie Magazine Feb 2012

See more Boutique Souk Marrakech Weddings featured in the Weddings Press.