This Bride Wore 3 Designer Dresses for Her Breathtaking Moroccan Wedding

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"It was pretty magnetic immediately," recalls Hanane El Moutii as she reflects on the moment when she met her husband Marc Ange at a business meeting in Los Angeles at Chateau Marmont. El Moutii—the founder and CEO of Éclat Public Relations, a firm specializing in PR for design and lifestyle brands—and Marc Ange, a designer and artist at the helm of Studio Ange, both have careers in the luxury design worlds, so it was only a matter of time before work brought them together. But it instantly became clear that their relationship was destined for more than business. "We didn't see each other for about six months after that day. Work brought us together again, and that was it! We never really dated—we fell madly in love and moved in together almost instantly," El Moutii says. They now refer to each other as soulmates.

It was three years later when the couple was traveling that Marc Ange proposed. "We were on a work trip to India—if visiting Aman properties in India can be called work—when Marc Ange surprised me with a detour to the Maldives and proposed on a private island," El Moutii says. "We both cried of joy, jumped into the sea, and spent the day sunbathing while fantasizing about the wedding. The day after saying yes, we were canceling the rest of our trip and running back to the U.S. due to the pandemic. During the months of isolation, we fell even more in love, decided to elope in the Utah desert, and exchanged our vows over fuming sage at the beautiful Amangiri."

After eloping in the canyons of the American Southwest and building their home together with their son, Leone, in Los Angeles, El Moutii and Marc Ange began planning their wedding festivities and landed on a destination weekend in Morocco—a place tied to El Moutii's roots—at a hotel the couple had been visiting for years. "I was born in a small village in Northern Italy, and my roots are in Morocco. I lived my childhood between two worlds, spending the school year in Italy and summer soaking up the Moroccan sun," El Moutii shares.

The magnificent wedding set at the foot of the Atlas Mountains in Marrakech was breathtaking down to every detail. Scroll on to see how the wedding weekend unfolded, including words from the bride on planning a destination wedding, all of the details for her three wedding-day looks, and the moment she wants to relive again.

"We hosted a welcome party in one of our absolute favorite places in Marrakech: L'Hotel—a boutique hotel. It's a small hidden gem in the heart of the medina that we discovered a couple of years ago. Marc Ange wore a custom silk tunic and Marrakshi Life pants in olive green with Ferragamo loafers. I changed twice—I couldn't choose between the two—and started with a custom traditional tlija caftan in green and gold (I asked the tailor to make the same caftan that my mom wore on her wedding day) with Aquazzura heels and Maison Mèrenor jewels, then changed into a caftan of my own creation I made with the help of some incredibly talented artisans from Moroccan Touch. [It was] shorter than a traditional caftan, with orange and gold accents and large sleeves."

"Our son Leone was with us every step of the way."

WWW Weddings tip: "Go on a vacation before your wedding, or find some time to completely unwind and disconnect before the big day. You'll need all the rest you can get."

Guests arriving to the welcome party.

"[I wore] three dresses, as three is my lucky number. The first dress was a Monique Lhuillier lace gown. I had given up on finding the perfect white dress until I bumped into Rebecca La Sposa in Milan, a bridal boutique with the most curated selection and my size in Monique Lhuillier! [Marc Ange]��started the evening with a custom Rives Paris suit he designed featuring white silk pants and an ochre jacket. He wore this with a bespoke Rafinity shirt that celebrated Moroccan craftsmanship and handmade Salvatore Ferragamo loafers from the Tramezza collection."

WWW Weddings tip: "Take a walk through your wedding venue right before you start getting ready. This will allow you to share any last-minute changes with your planner and make sure everything looks to your liking."

"I wore the [Monique Lhuillier] dress with Aquazzura satin platforms and Maison Mèrenor vintage jewelry."

"The talented Karima Maruan, who has a fashion editorial background, did my makeup. I didn't want a 'traditional' makeup look, and I also didn't want anyone that would fuss about my decision to do my own hair!

"So thankful for my girlfriends and sisters who thought of everything! The silk robe, the champagne, and, of course, the latest hit songs to calm the nerves."

"[Marc Ange wore] a chocolate-brown custom Rives Paris suit, also his design, complemented with an embroidered silk tie designed in collaboration with Rafinity."

"Our wedding took place at the Selman Hotel in Marrakech. We've been going to this hotel for years, and it always feels like home. The hotel is family run, and no detail is spared. It's a glamorous palace where effortless elegance is celebrated. The rooms and common areas are complemented by the owner's private collection of vintage Moroccan art and furniture, which gives it a historical edge. We knew our guests would fall in love just as much as we did."

Moments after the couple exchanged vows.

"Marc Ange and I wanted the ceremony to feel like a renewal of vows and stay consistent with our elopement, so we used the same text we had used three years prior."

"[The invitations were] a collaborative effort, and we absolutely loved creating these invites together. I created the logo by combining our names in Arabic calligraphy, and Marc Ange designed the illustration. We printed our invites in Milan because we happened to be there for work."

"My two nieces, Alissa and Sherine, were our beautiful flower girls, and they wore custom white dresses with a floral crown designed by The Bloom Room Marrakech."

The bride on her wedding day.

"My team at Éclat planned the wedding alongside us, and I have to say it was a fun process. We went back and forth between L.A. and Morocco because I wanted to personally select all the vendors, flowers, accessories, and décor elements. We wanted something effortless and timeless. We wanted to celebrate Morocco's poetic beauty while staying true to our taste."

WWW Weddings tip: "Plan for slippers at the end of the night, but I'm sure you've heard this one before."

WWW Weddings tip: "Consider an exotic destination wedding if you can. The setting alone can enrich your wedding and make it unforgettable."

"After the ceremony, we were all guided toward the cocktail reception by a beautiful horse dressed in traditional Moroccan gear."

"Once we both changed into our second looks, we were carried back into the scene on traditional Moroccan mida tables, and that was the moment I would want to relive again and again."

"I fell instantly in love with a couture red caftan with handmade embroideries by Rafinity. It felt more like a piece of art than a dress. I loved the contrast between wearing white and changing into something this bold and regal."

"Marc Ange and I have had the chance to travel quite a bit together since we first met seven years ago. For the wedding, we definitely drew inspiration from the places and flavors we encountered in Italy, India, and Morocco."

WWW Weddings tip: "Change! Change into one or two dresses to fully express yourself. Have fun with it—it's your time to shine."

The couple arriving for the reception.

"I finished the night with a minidress by Vivienne Westwood."

WWW Weddings tip: "Consider eloping prior to your ceremonial wedding. It takes so much pressure off and allows you to enjoy the party."

"The color palette and design essence of the wedding came naturally. We both wanted something timeless and to stay true to Morocco's already powerful beauty."

The couple cutting their wedding cake.

"The evening reached its climax with a dazzling fireman show filled with glitter and spinning fire, followed by the beats by Dana [Boulos]."

Photographer: Andreas Holm

Videographer: Jester Jungco

Makeup Artist: Karima Maruan

Wedding Planner and Designer: Éclat Public Relations

Florist: The Bloom Room

Wedding Cake Artist: Mounia Eloukkal

Stationary Printer: Tipografia Pezzini

Welcome Party Venue: L'Hotel Marrakech

Wedding Venue: Selman Hotel