Is it time to start thinking about travel again? Do we dare? Hopping on a plane with your fiancé to elope on the other side of the world—it sounds like a possibility in a distant dream. But even if worldwide travel isn’t nearly just around the corner, adventure elopements and weddings are somewhere in our future. So, how about we just manifest a little magical travel vibes and dive headfirst into Ellie + Justin’s (pre-pandemic) destination wedding in Morocco? LET’S GO.
Justin and I are not a traditional couple. We have creative jobs (I’m a hairstylist and he’s a photographer), we live in a van, and we’re are always on the go. We aren’t tied to anything and of course, we love to travel. When we planned our wedding we wanted it to be a unique experience for our guests and us. Heading to Morocco with our immediate families seemed like the perfect adventure.
And who else should join the journey than celebrated photographer Jordan Voth? Let’s have a look at how it all went down.
Bride Meets Dress
Ellie wore a fringed Rue de Seine dress that’s SO perfect for a Morrocan setting. But it certainly what she initially sought out to find:
To be honest, I was never a believer in “the one” when it came to finding a dress. I went to four different shops and in total, I probably tried on 20+ dresses. I thought I wanted something more sophisticated and simple, so I originally ignored this dress because it was heavily designed and was covered in tassels.
Turned out, this dress was the one all along!
I went back to the first shop on a whim since my sophisticated look wasn’t working out. As soon as I tried it on, I knew it was the one. I experienced that moment—where you tear up thinking about your life with your partner—and it made me feel like a beautiful bride.
Married in Morocco
With family in tow, Ellie + Justin said their vows on the rooftop of the riad where they were all staying—a decision that wasn’t finalized until the morning of! But just HOW perfect is this?!
Newlyweds Around Town
An intimate destination wedding or elopement gives you an opportunity to focus heavily on one area: photography! And these two certainly made the most of it with some epic wedding portraits around Marrakesh.
Work that fringe!!
Choosing a Destination Photographer
Planning your wedding can be stressful and, obviously, time-consuming. For us, photography was the most important part. Choosing Jordan to be our photographer was the best decision we could have ever made. To say he did an incredible job would not be saying enough. We are so grateful for the experience and will never forget our time spent in Morocco.
Ellie aka bride aka MUSE.
They are perfect!
To the Desert
Our reception was in a large tent in the middle of the desert. It was absolutely gorgeous and filled with colorful pillows, ornate lamps, soft intimate light, and incredible Moroccan food. Halfway through our meal, traditional Moroccan performers entertained us with music and dancing. They passed around a cap with a tassel on it and you were supposed to swing your head around to get the tassel to move like a helicopter. It was way harder than it looked! My mom was chosen and absolutely crushed it! She had the whole tent laughing.
The day after we all rode camels through the desert in our wedding attire (which got some stares) and we got some really incredible images with the Moroccan sunset in the back! Something we will never forget!
Is it a destination wedding in Morocco if camels and desert landscape don’t make an appearance?
Planning a Destination Wedding in Morocco
If you’re planning a wedding in another country, research the culture and transportation and make a list of your “musts” as far as sights go. I would also set expectations for the guests, especially if they aren’t used to traveling. At the end of the day, after everything is planned you just have to stay flexible and realize some things just don’t go as planned. Luggage gets lost, things are more expensive than you thought, it can be uncomfortable and challenging. However, the “worst” parts can still make the best memories.
We are SO ready for destination weddings to return again. But in the meantime, if you’re set on Morocco and not ready to venture out just yet, here’s how to bring Marrakesh to you. Thanks to Ellie + Justin for sharing your beautiful day!
photography: Jordan Voth // venue name: Marrakesh, Morocco // wedding dress: Rue de Seine