The Marriage Economy
Sadaq, walima, negafa, seven days — the economics and logistics of a Moroccan wedding
The sadaq (mahr/dowry) is the groom's financial obligation to the bride — paid in cash, gold, or property. The amount is negotiated between families and varies enormously by region and social class. In urban middle-class families, it might be 30,000 to 100,000 dirhams ($3,000-$10,000). In wealthy families, it can exceed a million dirhams. The sadaq is the bride's property — not her family's — and serves as financial security.
The negafa is the wedding stylist — a professional who manages the bride's appearance across multiple outfit changes (typically five to seven) throughout the celebration. The negafa provides the outfits (caftans, takchitas), the jewellery, the makeup, the amariya (the ornate throne-like sedan in which the bride is carried), and the choreography of the procession. A top negafa in Casablanca or Marrakech charges 30,000 to 100,000 dirhams or more.
The walima — the wedding feast — feeds hundreds. Three hundred guests is modest. Five hundred is common. A thousand is not unusual for wealthy families. The menu is standardised in its luxury: pastilla, mechoui (whole roasted lamb), tagine, couscous, fruit, pastries, and mint tea. The catering cost alone can exceed 100,000 dirhams.
Music is non-negotiable. A live orchestra — typically chaabi or Andalusi, depending on the family's taste and region — performs for hours. Top musicians command fees of 50,000 dirhams or more per evening. The music determines the energy of the celebration. Families compete on the quality of their musicians.
The total cost of a Moroccan wedding — including sadaq, venue, negafa, food, music, photography, and gifts — routinely exceeds 200,000 dirhams ($20,000) for middle-class families and can reach millions for the wealthy. In a country where the median monthly wage is approximately 3,500 dirhams, the wedding economy creates enormous financial pressure. Families save for years. Some take loans. The social expectation of a lavish wedding is one of the factors delaying marriage age in Morocco.
Explore the full interactive module — with cost breakdowns, regional variations, and the social economics of Moroccan marriage — at Dancing with Lions: https://www.dancingwiththelions.com/data/marriage-economy
Interactive Module
Data and visualisation by Dancing with Lions
