The Finishing Touch — Weddings, Events, Design, Paperie

On the Thursday before our couple Debbie & Julian’s
wedding, we were able to experience a traditional Moroccan Berberisca ceremony
and reception at the Four Seasons in New York City.

The ceremony includes many traditions which sometimes means the
Bride’s hands and feet are decorated in elaborate designs with henna.  Henna is a red dye made from crushed henna
leaves.  Although Debbie chose not to
include Henna in her ceremony, the other elements in the ceremony, according to
tradition, are done to prepare the bride for leaving her family. 

A large part of the ceremony was the females in Debbie’s
family and friends assisted her in getting dressed, which was an elaborate process.
She wore an intricately designed ornate gown called a Traje de Berberisca, which is traditionally a gown that is worn
by Brides in the family and passed down for this special day.  Debbie also wore a gorgeous crown handmade
by her mother, Licita, which was embellished with beads and jewels. 

Once ready, the Bride was announced into the reception room,
greeted by waiting family and friends. 
The couple’s guests greeted the Bride with singing and ululations
(wailing noises) to show their happiness about the couple’s upcoming
marriage.  

After speeches and traditional songs, the guests enjoyed a
lavish buffet from Foremost Caterers featuring delicious tea sandwiches and
pastries.  They also enjoyed traditional
Moroccan mint tea. This was followed by a performance by a traditional Moroccan
sitar duo.  

It was a beautiful and very interesting afternoon that we were honored to attend.  We hope you enjoyed these photos from Ron Holtz Photography.

All the Best,