The welcome dinner of a wedding weekend in Marrakech is usually held the evening before the ceremony, for every guest who has travelled. Choose a setting that differs from the wedding venue, keep the programme light, and organise transfers so guests do nothing but arrive. A privatised desert site in Agafay, 40 minutes from Marrakech, gives the weekend a first evening that feels like an event in its own right.
Why the welcome dinner matters
Most guests at a destination wedding have taken a flight, sometimes two, to be with you. The welcome dinner is the first time they are all together, and it sets the tone for the whole weekend. Families meet, friends from different parts of your life are introduced, and the nerves of the big day are still far away. It is often the evening with the most time to talk to your guests.
That is why the welcome dinner deserves its own idea. If the wedding takes place in a riad, a palace or a hotel in the city, the desert offers the contrast: open space, the Atlas on the horizon, golden hour and then a sky full of stars. If the wedding itself is in the desert, the welcome dinner can live in the city and the desert keeps its surprise for the big day. For help with that first choice, see our comparison of a wedding in Marrakech or in the Agafay desert.
Which night, and who to invite
The classic weekend runs over three evenings: welcome dinner, wedding, and a relaxed brunch or lunch the day after. Hold the welcome dinner the evening before the ceremony, or two evenings before if many guests arrive early and you want a quiet night before the wedding.
- Everyone who travelled. Inviting the full guest list is the warmest option for a destination wedding.
- Family and close friends only. A smaller table, closer to a traditional rehearsal dinner, if the wedding guest list is very large.
- Mixed format. A seated dinner for family, joined later by the other guests for music and dessert.
Our base formats run from 30 to 300 guests, up to 300 seated, with other sizes studied on request. We host one group per evening, so nobody else is on site.
What the evening looks like
There is no standard package. The evening is composed from your story, with guest designers for the scenography and guest chefs for the table. A frequent shape: arrival at golden hour, a slow moment to look at the landscape, a long shared table, short words from the families, music, and time to talk. The lighter schedule leaves room for speeches that would feel rushed on the wedding day. Timings are studied with you from the brief.
Keep a thread with the wedding without repeating it: a colour, a flower, a dish from the family's origins, a playlist. Guests remember the contrast between the two evenings as much as the evenings themselves.
Logistics for your guests
Guests arrive tired, on different flights, and many do not know Marrakech. Make the evening effortless for them.
- Transfers. Private transfers from Marrakech to the site and back are part of our offer. The last stretch is a 4x4 track, so we plan vehicles and departure waves with you.
- Information. Send one clear message before the weekend: time of pick-up, dress, what the evening includes, and that it gets cooler in the desert after sunset.
- Arrivals. Direct flights make Marrakech easy to reach: about 3 h 30 from London, about 3 h from Paris, Geneva or Zurich, under 2 h from Madrid. Our guide to flight times for event groups has the details.
- Plan B. Agree a written fallback for weather during preparation, so nothing is improvised on the night.
Key points to remember
- Hold the welcome dinner the evening before the wedding, for the guests who travelled.
- Choose a setting that contrasts with the wedding venue.
- Keep the programme light: arrival, table, short words, music.
- Organise transfers and send guests one clear practical message.
- Book the welcome dinner at the same time as the wedding venue.
Frequently asked questions
How far is the site from Marrakech?
About 40 minutes, with private transfers included in our offer.
How many guests can the welcome dinner host?
Base formats run from 30 to 300 guests, up to 300 seated, with other sizes studied on request.
Can you organise only the welcome dinner if our wedding is elsewhere?
Yes. The ceremony can take place in the city and the welcome dinner in the desert, or the reverse. One contact coordinates the evening with your wedding planner.
How quickly do we receive a proposal?
Within 24 hours of your brief.
To plan the whole weekend, see our destination wedding in Marrakech page and the guide to what to budget for an Agafay desert wedding. We take reservations from mid-December 2026. When you have your dates and an idea of the guest list, send us your brief or write to table@thelongtablemarrakech.com.