KARACHI:
There was a time when people from all socioeconomic backgrounds saved money for years to spend lavishly on their children’s weddings.
However, the recent wave of economic crisis in the country coupled with altered mindsets has encouraged many parents to economize on their children’s weddings by favoring daytime functions over evening events, which cost much more money for the same arrangements.
Aleema Shahzad, a mother from Paposh Nagar, shared her experience with her daughter’s daytime wedding ceremony. “When my daughter was getting married, we had mutually agreed with the groom’s family that we would have a modest wedding during the day, which would cost us much less than an evening event. This amicable agreement not only relieved us of the typical financial burden, “But it also paved the way for other families who were considering more practical ways to marry their children,” he said.
Similarly, Waqas Anwar, a young welder from Sohrab Goth, also got married through a simple daytime wedding. “While planning my wedding, I started looking for options that would allow me to get married with minimal financial pressure on my family. Fortunately, a daytime wedding allowed us just that,” reveled Waqas, who spent just Rs 250,000 on his wedding reception. , which hosted a total of 250 guests.
According to Zia Qureshi, owner of a matchmaking agency, displaying temperance at weddings was essential in current times where high inflation and economic instability had made lavish weddings unaffordable for most families.
“The rising costs of evening wedding ceremonies have forced many parents to consider simpler, less expensive daytime weddings. While cultural nuances once dictated the time of day chosen for a marriage ceremony, today most people opt for daytime ceremonies as hosting them is relatively cheaper,” concluded Qureshi.
Confirming Qureshi’s observation, Imran Saleem, a wedding hall owner and event organizer from Federal Area B, highlighted the price disparity between daytime and evening events at wedding venues.
“For major reception events, daytime rates are usually 40 to 50 percent lower than night rates for the same day. Similarly, organizing pre-wedding festivities like Mayoun, Mehndi and Barat during the day would cost 50 to 60 percent less than the evening event,” reported Imran, who also added that the daytime events allowed families to show restraint by selecting simpler menus that included only basic dishes.
“Islam clearly instructs all Muslims to maintain moderation in all matters, including the performance of wedding ceremonies. Spending large sums of money on irrelevant rituals and events puts families under immense financial strain, which is entirely in against the commands of Islam,” said Maulana Muhammad. Tanveer, a preacher at a local mosque in Liaquatabad.
On a similar note, Zahra Salim, a matchmaker from North Nazimabad, emphasized the fact that high expenses on excessive wedding rituals had burdened families to the extent that subsequent marriages within the family had to be delayed due to shortages. of resources.
“All social classes should embrace modesty at weddings and prioritize simplicity over extravagance. Although currently only a small segment of society organizes simple weddings, this still marks a positive move away from extravagance,” said Zahra, while speaking to The Express PAkGazette.
