Simple vs Grand wedding

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In today’s pandemic situation, intimate weddings are mandatory. But such weddings are just the necessity of the hour or the new trend?  Which one is right- a Grand wedding or Simple, fast and intimate wedding? 

The decision of keeping the wedding simple or grand has both emotional and financial sides. 

Weddings are once in a lifetime event. So the emotional side says,the event must be special and unforgettable. People spend lavishly on their son/daughter’s wedding like never before. A 4-5 days event, DJ , decorations, designer clothes, jewellery, big wedding halls or lawns, 100 item buffet may seem a dream wedding.  Surely, such weddings will be unforgettable and it remarks the best day in your life. once.In other words , this type of a wedding is every girls’ dream knowing that this is once in a lifetime kind of an event.

Now, if you consider finances, such weddings contribute 10% of India’s GDP. It has great power of employment attached to it. So grand and lavish weddings surely have pros. And after all,  it’s a question of status. 

But are those wedding bells ringing with the clink of coins in the coffer? Have you considered your family’s finances after such a lavish wedding?

A marriage merges 2 hearts, 2 lives, even 2 families together. So, does it really need an extravagant celebration? 

Many people opt for a grand wedding celebration even if they have to opt for personal loans, just to show off their status. As much as 80% Indians take loans to meet grand wedding costs, depending on the future income and never plan for retirement or future finances.  And on the same ground, a survey shows 70-80% young people want their weddings to be simple. So why spend so much on the “status symbol” event and not the real marriage? As per an Indian study, as close as 15% of all grains and vegetables in India are wasted through “extravagant and luxurious functions”.

Many times, parents start saving for the wedding from the day of child’s birth. But again, what about parent’s retirement? And even if that is planned for, that hard earned money can be used as a real blessing for the newlywed by saving it on their names to secure their future instead of wasting it on 500-1000 (many of them unknown) guests who are merely interested in the rituals, get together, blessing the couple but mainly interested in the celebrations as party.   

There is nothing wrong in any type of wedding celebration. But it’s all about the budget you allocate towards it. More than the emotional part, first, finances should be sorted out.

A wedding is a financial goal, but it must spare space for all other important goals as well. If you have the budget, spend it completely on people who actually matter. If you don’t, choose cheaper alternatives, simpler options in wedding. If the other side pressurizes for a grand wedding, be frank about the finances and make sure the choice is right.

At the end wedding is more about traditional rituals for harmony of two individuals for ultimate eternity and not about social status or “log kya kahenge”!

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