The Wedding Guests
Morocco 2002
I watched these two girls, who were sisters, dress for the wedding of a kinsman. They rummaged in sacks and pulled out skirts, blouses and shoes. They added the skirts, blouses and head coverings to what they were already wearing. Berbers often wear two or three layers of clothing.
The girls are about 15 years old and going to the wedding meant that they might meet their future husband or, better yet, his mother who, in a traditional family, would have more say in the matter than the young man. Needless to say the girls became rather giddy in a subdued way as befits a Berber girl.
Once dressed they happily sat for a portrait. It’s a good thing the girls sat with their heads side by side. That way both sets of eyes are in focus. If a person’s eyes aren’t in focus, the portrait is ruined.