Featuring breathtaking views and supremely elegant style, our real wedding couple Gabriel and Farah travelled to Marrakesh for their magnificent two-day celebration. The unmissable, sun-soaked event began with a beautiful traditional Moroccan ceremony in the desert at La Pause followed by a second picture-perfect ceremony at Le Palais Paysan the next day. Wonderfully curated down to the very last detail, check out Gabriel and Farah's dreamy wedding captured by Veronica Onofri and Giandomenico Cosentino below!
Before diving headfirst into the details of their special day, let's get to know the happy couple a bit more! Based in Lyon, the pair's paths crossed in the French city as children when they were 12 and 15 years old. Spending her childhood summers at her aunt's house, the two met through Farah's cousin who was a friend of Gabriel's.
"Summers after summer, we saw each other many times. Growing up, I secretly thought that Gabriel was a good and kind boy (and he was already very handsome!) Then, when I was 20, I decided to live in Lyon. I organised some parties at my flat, invited my cousin and of course he came with friends, including Gabriel. It was like meeting for the first time. We flirted for a few weeks and he decided to invite me to dinner. He was very kind, patient and romantic. We started our relationship. And I knew very soon that he definitely was the love of my life."
Fast forward to their romantic proposal story: "We got engaged at the Grand Tremezzo Hotel in Lake Como because we're in love with Italy. Gabriel organised a private cooking class with the chef in the kitchen of the palace. He proposed to me during the meal, we were the only two in the magnificent terrace of the Grand Tremezzo facing Lake Como."
It was during their stay that they began to think about having a destination wedding in Italy. Although, when it came to organising their special day back home, some details weren't as they hoped and their plans changed, with Gabriel suggesting they should get married in Morocco instead: "My father is Moroccan, we love the country so much and we found that it was a good balance between our classic side and our party side. And it removed all the problems related to the weather etc. So we started to think about travelling with all our family and friends."
Choosing the city of Marrakesh for their breathtaking celebration, the couple held their traditional Moroccan ceremony on the first day in the Agafay desert at La Pause. "Marrakech was the perfect city for partying, resting, or visiting and the city had a lot of activities. We really wanted a wedding where everybody felt comfortable doing their own thing, like a big group holiday. We chose to stay in the Red City a few days before the wedding in a beautiful riad with our closest family and friends. For the wedding we decided to stay far away from the city to create an intimate cocoon surrounded by nature."
A particularly special moment for the couple during their wedding day were the speeches at their religious ceremony: "The speeches by our family and siblings were so emotional. We are very shy people, so it was the occasion to tell each other all the love that we have deep in our hearts."
The next day, the couple's second ceremony took place in the wondrous surrounds of Le Palais Paysan, a a breathtakingly scenic estate outside Marrakesh.
Our glowing bride wore a phenomenal Isabella Boutin ruffled gown for the couple's second day of celebrating, paired with a gorgeous pair of sparkling blush Manolo Blahnik pumps.
A few months before their wedding, Farah found the inspiration for her wedding day while scrolling on social media: "I saw on Instagram the wedding of Bettina Looney and Carlos Segovia. My God it was a revelation! All the things that we loved in a wedding. So the choice of Morocco became obvious, and the mood of the wedding was inspired by them."
In a beautiful touch to the ceremony space, the bride made her way down the picture-perfect aisle that was adorned with warm-toned carpets, holding a stunning pastel bouquet.
Farah and Gabriel had this advice for couple's embarking on their own wedding planning journey: "Take time to prepare all the tiny details. We decided to wait two years before our wedding day, just to be sure to do things calmly. Don't listen to people's opinions too much, do what you really want, trust the process and don't forget that the day isn't just for the guests. It's your day and it will be incredible for sure!"
After a spectacular photoshoot on the grounds of the expansive estate, the couple's evening went on to include an impressive champagne tower and an amazing outdoor wedding reception.
For their first dance, Farah and Gabriel chose the The Bee Gees' How Deep Is Your Love: "One of our favourite pieces of music since the beginning of our relationship, a love song. The lyrics are a declaration we make to each other. We began to dance both of us and all the lovely couples joined in."
In terms of their honeymoon, the couple's plans are in the works: "We wanted to go back to California which is our safe place and a big dream of ours is a trip aboard the Venice Simplon Orient Express."
A very special thank you to Gabriel and Farah and to Veronica Onofri and Giandomenico Cosentino for sharing this magnificent celebration with One Fab Day. There are also plenty more amazing photos from their special day to check out in the gallery below!
Dreaming of getting married abroad? Check out the rest of our beautiful destination real weddings here!
