Wedding films in Marrakech: what to expect on the day
A timeline for couples — from the henna night to the send-off brunch. Three cameras, one producer, and the moments worth a second shooter.
Marrakech weddings are three days long. The henna night is the rehearsal, the nikah is the legal ceremony, and the grand wedding is the production. As a videography team, we are present for all three, plus the send-off brunch on day four. This is the timeline, the gear, and the three moments that make the film.
The standard Marrakech wedding film is 12-18 minutes, cut from 8-12 hours of footage shot over 3-4 days. The brief is almost always the same: cinematic, music-driven, family moments prioritised, drone where possible, and a 60-second social cut for the same-day edit. The fee is 65,000-120,000 MAD depending on the team size. The team is always 2-3 videographers plus a producer.
The timeline
Day 1 — henna night. We arrive at 7pm, set up two cameras, and shoot through the henna ceremony, the family dance, and the gift giving. Day 2 — the nikah. We are in position by 10am, shoot the signing, the family prayers, and the smaller family-only lunch. Day 3 — the grand wedding. This is the production day. We arrive at 2pm for the setup, shoot the couple portraits at 4pm, the ceremony at 6pm, the speeches at 8pm, and the dance floor until midnight. Day 4 — the send-off brunch. Two hours, one camera, the thank-yous and the gifts.
- 01Day 1 (Henna): 7pm-1am, 2 cameras, 1 audio recorder
- 02Day 2 (Nikah): 10am-3pm, 2 cameras, 1 audio recorder
- 03Day 3 (Wedding): 2pm-1am, 3 cameras, 1 drone, 1 audio recorder
- 04Day 4 (Brunch): 11am-1am, 1 camera, 1 audio recorder
The three moments that make the film
Moment 1 is the first look. We always recommend a private first look before the ceremony — 20 minutes, two cameras, no family. The footage is 90 seconds of the most cinematic moment of the day. Moment 2 is the father's toast. We plant a shotgun mic on the table and a 35mm on a tripod. The toast is always 2-3 minutes, and the edit always keeps the last 60 seconds. Moment 3 is the drone shot at sunset. We launch the drone 30 minutes before the ceremony, get 4 wide shots of the venue, and land before the first guest arrives.
“The drone shot is not the headline. The father's toast is. Always cut to the toast first.”
The same-day edit
The 60-second social cut is the highest-pressure deliverable we produce. It is shot, edited, and projected at the wedding reception — usually 4-6 hours after the last dance. The team that shoots the same-day edit is a separate two-person unit that does not touch the main film. The edit is shot-list driven, music-locked, and graded in 30 minutes. The couple sees it for the first time on a 4m screen at 1am. We have produced 14 same-day edits in 2025. Every one of them made the couple cry.
Marrakech weddings are some of the most cinematic events we shoot. The light, the architecture, the families, the three-day arc — every wedding is a different film. If you are planning a wedding in Marrakech and you want a videography team that has done this 30+ times, send us a brief 4-6 months out. We book up 9-12 months in advance for the high season (March-June, September-November).
