Riad Jawad

The place

Riad Jawad is a two-hectare estate three kilometres out on the Ourika road, built around a riad-style house with arcaded patios and run as a small hotel of twelve suites and rooms with a spa. Its gardens of olive and palm trees surround a long pool, and the rooftop terrace looks south to the Atlas, white with snow in winter. For a wedding it offers several stages within a short walk of each other: the patio, the garden, a glass-roofed hall, the poolside and the roof. It works best for 40 to 90 guests who want a countryside feel without a long drive, at a price well below the big Palmeraie estates.

Background

Despite the name, Riad Jawad is not in the medina: it is a riad-style house set in gardens in Tassoultante, the green belt of farms and estates along the Ourika road. It has been receiving guests for well over a decade, and couples have been marrying here for years. The decoration follows the riad tradition, red and ochre walls, carved wood, tadelakt and lanterns, while the newer restaurant, the Eden du Riad Jawad, is lighter and more contemporary. The kitchen also runs cooking classes, a good way to keep guests busy on the day before the wedding.

Setting and photographs

The strongest picture is the long table: set under the lanterns of the arcade beside the pool, with the olive grove behind, it photographs beautifully at golden hour and even better after dark. The main patio, with its arches, white curtains and potted trees on red carpets, gives you a traditional Moroccan frame without going into the medina. From the rooftop terrace, a winter or spring wedding can have the snowy Atlas in the background. At night the pool lights turn turquoise, which makes a striking last photograph of the evening.

Ceremony and reception

You can use several spaces in one evening: the ceremony in the garden or on the rooftop, drinks by the pool, dinner at long tables under the lanterns of the arcade or in the patio, and dancing under the glass roof if the night turns cold. A wedding of 90 guests has been held here; ask the team for their maximum for a seated dinner before you send invitations. The restaurant cooks Moroccan food with a modern touch, so ask whether they accept an outside caterer if you have a specific menu in mind, and confirm the music cut-off with the owners.

Who it suits

It suits couples with 40 to 90 guests who want a countryside wedding at a sensible price, with the close family sleeping on site. It suits couples who like a traditional Moroccan look, patios, lanterns and carpets, more than a minimalist design hotel. It suits less well if your list runs past 100, if you expect five-star service, or if you want everyone under one roof, since the twelve suites and rooms take between 24 and 36 people depending on how families share. Most foreign couples marry legally at home first, so the ceremony here will be symbolic, which leaves you free to hold it in the garden, on the roof or in the patio.

Accommodation

There are twelve units: six suites and six rooms. The Deluxe suites are generous, about 70 square metres for up to four people, each with its own name, Lilia, Nafissa, Ouarzazate, Lavande, Abla, Alia; then come the Senior suites and the Comfort double rooms. Expect roughly 115 euros a night for a room and 150 to 160 for a suite, which makes this one of the more affordable places for a whole wedding party to stay together. The spa, with an Oriental hammam and massage rooms, suits the bridal party on the morning of the wedding.

Getting there

The estate is at kilometre 3 on the Ourika road, towards Douar Zemrane, in the Tassoultante area just south-east of the city. The medina is about fifteen minutes away by car and the airport around twenty. Arrange transfers for guests staying in town, since the property sits outside the city and taxis are scarce late at night. Spring and autumn are the best seasons for a garden wedding; winter brings the snowy Atlas views from the roof but cold evenings, so plan heaters, and in summer hold the ceremony late in the day.

Costs

Riad Jawad does not publish wedding prices, so these are my estimates from its public rates. Rooms start at about 115 euros a night and suites at 150 to 160, so the twelve units together come to roughly 1,500 to 2,000 euros a night; with exclusive use of the gardens for a wedding, I would budget 2,000 to 4,000 euros a night. Dinner comes on top: plan on 40 to 65 euros a guest for a Moroccan menu, in line with Marrakech caterers, more with an open bar. For 80 guests over two nights, a full wedding here can land around 10,000 to 18,000 euros before music, flowers and photography. Ask for a written quote that includes the exclusive use of the gardens.

Prices here are grounded estimates from published rates, direct enquiries and what couples report paying. Treat them as a starting point and confirm the exclusive-use and per-head figures in writing for your own dates.

Verdict

Riad Jawad is a good-value countryside venue for a wedding of 40 to 90 people who want patios, lanterns and a garden pool more than five-star polish. The spaces are varied, the rooftop view of the Atlas is a bonus in winter and spring, and the wedding party can stay on site for a modest sum. Its limits are its size and a style of service that is warm rather than palatial. If your budget is tight and you love a traditional look, shortlist it next to Domaine Bahi and La Maison des Oliviers, and visit all three before you decide.