A DREAM WEDDING AT EL FENN
British-born Emma Paton lives in New York with her American husband Robert and when the two of them were choosing where to get married, it was clear that neither side of the Atlantic would do. Instead, they brought their families and friends together at El Fenn.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO GET MARRIED IN MOROCCO?
El Fenn was definitely the draw for both of us. The design, colour, layout, team and overall magic of the hotel meant it was our first choice from the get-go. Every time you turn a corner, you find another beautiful space – it couldn’t be more perfect for a wedding.
WHICH AREAS DID YOU WANT TO MAKE THE MOST OF AND WHY?
The inner courtyards for their undeniable Moroccan charm and stunning features, the roof terrace to capture the incredible light at dusk and the main pool area for a dance party surrounded by beautiful candlelight.
HOW MANY GUESTS DID YOU HAVE FOR HOW MANY DAYS & WHAT WAS THE PROGRAMME?
We had 85 guests – and really felt it was the perfect number – for the celebrations which spanned three days. We started with a welcome cocktail and party on Friday evening on the roof which was a true Moroccan celebration with flame throwers, belly dancers and incredible drummers. Saturday was the ceremony followed by dinner on the roof and dancing and there was a more relaxed brunch on the Sunday. We wanted to give our guests time to wind down and explore at their own leisure as well as join in the festivities.
WERE YOU WORRIED ABOUT WHAT GUESTS WOULD DO WITH ‘DOWN’ TIME OUTSIDE OF THE WEDDING AND HOW THEY’D NAVIGATE THE CITY?
We definitely made use of all the information contained in El Fenn’s magazine and issued it in advance so our guests could read up and plan. But it was also really important to us that we didn’t take up all of people’s downtime by over-planning it. So many of our guests have such busy lives, we wanted to give them time to relax, breathe in the magic of Marrakech and maybe grab a hammam or a medina tour on their own time.
BEST BITS OF THE WEEKEND FOR YOU?
Marrying my soulmate and seeing all the people we love fly in from all over the world to be with us and enjoy the whole El Fenn experience. The staff were also simply incredible and made the whole process so much more manageable for us as well.
BEST BITS FOR GUESTS?
The ceremony, the dinner on the roof at El Fenn and the dance party – so all of it essentially!
WHAT WAS THE MOST COMMON THING GUESTS SAID ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE OF YOUR WEDDING AT EL FENN?
Almost every one described the weekend as ‘magical’ and ‘full of love’. I think ‘take me back’ was also said a number of times too!
DID YOUR WEDDING LIVE UP TO ALL THAT YOU HAD HOPED IT WOULD?
A thousand times over. I wish we could come back and renew our vows every year at El Fenn.
If you have a special event that you would like to celebrate with us at El Fenn, please get in touch with Kamar by email, our events specialist. The beautiful wedding of Kat and Dan (below) took place last year. Thank you to Sandra – Wedding Photographer for allowing us to use her imagery.
