Getting married in Morocco: The Imilchil Festival

The Imilchil Festival is an engagement festival held in Morocco for 3 days, usually during the month of August. It’s a 3 day instant marriage celebration in the High Atlas Mountains that is filled with traditional costumes and traditional and exotic music.

Imilchil is one of the most popular festivals in Morocco. The festival has its origins in a legend of two lovers from different Berber tribes who were forced to separate. The story is somewhat like Romeo and Juliet whose families want to separate them from each other and this led to their suicide. The 2 members of different Berber tribes killed themselves by drowning and after their death their families had decided to give their children the freedom to marry whoever they wanted and they chose to.

The celebration after the wedding ceremonies is filled with great foods to celebrate the newly wed couples. The marriages used to be celebrated in Agdoud Village for three days from Friday to Sunday together with a market for vegetables, clothing and animals.

Lots of tourists choose Imilchi during this festival to get a glimpse of the heritage of Morocco and a glimpse of their great and amazing culture. Once you’re in Morocco, make sure you check out some of the nearby regions as well and appreciate their very different character from region to region.