Graduated! Marrakech edition
Our wedding was a few weeks ago outside of Marrakech and it was a DREAM. Everything we wanted it to be and so much more. It was hands down the best weekend of our lives and it really felt like the 18 months of meticulous planning paid off. There were some things that didn’t go right, things we forgot, things I would change if I could do it all over again - but honestly none of them matter(ed) because everything was so stunningly beautiful, overwhelming emotional, and just so overshadowed by all the love. Our guests have also raved about our wedding - saying it was the best wedding and weekend they’ve ever been to, with a strong sense of community and just overflowing with love.
This sub has been my safe place and a source of so much knowledge during wedding planning - hoping to pay it back by sharing my experience, numbers, and some unsolicited advice.
Full cost breakdown: 69-guest, 3-day destination wedding in Marrakech (Sept 2026) — €130,319 / ~$143,350, including all costs like attire, flights, lodging, etc.
3 days & 3 wedding events: Welcome Party, Wedding Ceremony/Dinner/Party, Pool Party / Recovery Brunch
Things I’m so glad we did:
Centered (almost) all our decisions around guest experience. We had a multi-day destination wedding that most people flew 15hrs for and stayed for a week. Upgrade the bar, provide (delicious) food constantly, comfy seats, mocktails for non-drinkers, if it’s hot - fans/parasols/flavored water, print out schedules and write thank you notes for each person, just center your guests.
Made the wedding our own. We almost got caught up in tradition or expectations around typical wedding things, but thankfully we checked ourselves, especially in the weeks before. We ended up cutting the first dance and all the parent dances (we still danced! It just wasn’t a performance since that wasn’t us!), we played Big Poppa by Notorious BIG while cutting the cake, we had an insanely long ‘do not play list’ for our dj which included all the classic wedding hits that we both hate, we didn’t have a bridal party, we kept our guestlist super tight and didn’t invite our extended families, and we served food and cocktails that we loved. We also didn’t hire a content creator or videographer because we couldn’t find anyone whose work we loved within our budget - instead we bought a vintage video camera and gave it to our friends to record (and the results are amazing!! - more on that below.) Just give yourself permission to question what’s normal and cut anything that doesn’t feel like you! The result will be so much more authentic.
Had 3-6 days of events, almost all at the same location. Most of our family/friends had never met so it was really important that we had multiple days to connect with everyone and spend more quality time together. We held all 3 of our official wedding events at the same boutique hotel where 90% of the guests stayed (the rest were walking distance). Some of our favorite moments were the morning coffees with friends and late night chats between the events. I also was adamant about no group transportation- I loathe a wedding bus - and this helped us avoid that + messy logistics. I also organized a few optional events (a dinner at a rooftop resto and a pool/lunch day) the 2 days before the wedding began with everyone already in town. Those were some of our favorite days and moments, and allowed us to slowly expand our circle as the days progressed (and more quality time as a group)!
Personally designed all our day-of stationery and add in my own creative vision to each day. I was lucky to have the time to devote to this as I’m not an artist, but I loved the creative side of wedding planning and I really tried to make everything cohesive around some central themes. Our wedding night was on the full moon, and I was really drawn to celestial imagery - sun, moon, stars. These were woven throughout the weekend - in custom matchbooks, on tables, on dinner menus, welcome cards, hand fans, silk scarves, seating chart, our embroidered welcome sign, etc. It made everything cohesive and connected. Also I had FUN doing it and saved a ton of money doing it myself + ordering all customized stuff from Alibaba (which I highly recommend!!!!)
Fired our first planner early on. We had loads of red flags, terrible communication, and clear lack of professionalism. We cut our losses early and pivoted to a new planner - who wasn’t without faults - but ended up doing an amazing job. We were so pleased with her and her team - she was a consummate professional and she really delivered. If you’re having doubts about your planner, don’t settle!! There are amazing planners out there, especially at this budget level.
Used AI (Claude paid) to aggregate all my data, spreadsheets, and budgets + write vendor emails, keep me organized, and double checks planner and venue’s budgets. I honestly don’t know how people are planning weddings without Claude!! So happy to help other brides with this too…
Planned at 10 month bridal glow up schedule! Did all the things: fractional laser, PRP sessions, microneedling, Botox, filler, skin booster, facials, lymphatic drainage, peptides, mesiotherapy, workout routine, clean eating, and the list goes on. Some things were more effective than others. At the end of it, I felt like my face looked at my best and I have no regrets! Personally, I loved the results of PRP and the fractional laser, but Botox and a little filler are the OGs.
Budget breakdown:
Beverage and bars — €20,526 (15.7%)
Food — €19,136 (14.6%)
Attire and rings — €16,703 (12.8%)
Decor, furniture and rentals — €16,013 (12.4%)
Venue, exclusivity and our own rooms — €13,670 (10.5%)
Florals — €8,800 (6.7%)
Photography including travel — €7,700 (5.9%)
Planner fee — €7,300 (5.6%)
Sound, AV and lighting — €6,720 (5.1%)
Entertainment, DJ plus a live jazz trio and pianist on a baby grand during ceremony — €3,745 (2.9%)
Transport and travel — €2,990 (2.3%)
Stationery, signage and printing — €2,301 (1.8%)
Hair and makeup — €2,455 (1.9%)
Favors and gifts — €1,079 (0.8%)
Cake — €684 (0.5%)
Personal, spa and laundry and pre-wedding stay — €498 (0.4%)
Total: approx. €130,319 / ~$143,350
Things I would do differently if I had a magic wand and could do it all again:
Start hair and makeup an hour earlier. Running late started a domino effect. Photos got squeezed, the sun set on me, and I didn’t get the shots I dreamed of. Golden hour waits for no bride!!
Go big on photo and video. Book a second shooter, book your photographer for every day, and maybe hire a videographer or content creator if you really are about videos, or at a minimum, hand out a few videos cameras and give your phone to your most creative friend. We only had one video camera and I love the result but wish we had bought a couple to have more angles / content captured.
Plan for sweat. I sweated through the ceremony, my curls dropped, and I spent all of cocktail hour getting my hair redone. It still didn’t hold. Next time? Messy updo and straight to the champagne. Same goes for outfits: my second look needed fashion tape that wouldn’t stick to a glistening bride. Only wear something you love that works in the heat.
Write your vows early. Writing them the day-of is not cute or spontaneous. It’s stressful! Trust me. I had so many good jokes planned and I just forgot them in the heat of the day.
Rehearse the ceremony. My dad’s walk and the handoff to my husband were a bit of a fumble. Practice once and save yourself the chaos. My planner said we didn’t need to but in retrospect I wish we had.
Feed the bride. Plan bridal suite lunch early and have someone save you food. I missed the passed appetizers and shawarma both days and I’m still sad since I was so excited about the food.
Get your bags together. Pack an organized getting-ready kit, a post-ceremony bag, and a speaker with a playlist that YOU love. I brought everything and found nothing, even tho I was super organized! The day really goes by sooo fast and every second you spend away from your party sucks.
Print the stuff. I made ceremony cards and never printed them (rough for a bilingual wedding), and skipped a day 3 drink menu so nobody knew what to order. Wish I just printed everything!! But I was tired.
Make more of what you love and keep some. Electrolytes and hangover meds vanished first from the welcome baskets (we did these in the lobby vs individual bags for each person which turned out great), and we didn’t get any of our favorite matchbooks or custom goodies, including my favorite custom napkins!
Don’t test out a new hair color or glaze or gloss the weeks before your wedding. Amateur mistake on my part! Turned out fine but I literally had to wash my hair 10 times in like a week to get it to the color I wanted after a semi-permanent gloss.
ETA: I bought a pair of platform heels to change into from my wedding shoes (gorgy Dior pumps that would have been ruined in grass) and I thought they would be a comfy/safe option but they ended up KILLING my feet and I ended up dancing barefoot all night. I guess my advice is don’t buy Larroude Bianca Lows and definitely break in your wedding shoes. Or put your blister stick somewhere you can find it!
There are more things I’m sure!! Our bar was supposed to be covered in plum fabric but it turned out red and I lost too much weight right before the wedding so my dress literally didn’t fit, etc etc but even with these ‘regrets’, I actually have none. It was a perfect day and perfect weekend and there will never be a more special event in my life !! where everyone I know and love is together, and where I got to commit to a lifetime with my most wonderful partner.
My main advice to other brides to be: read all the advice you can (especially on this sub!!), ask for help when you need it, don’t settle for bad vendors, and enjoy the process! It should be fun.