2016 Oct 8
by Azraa Killru
Most likely than not you have been part of a grand wedding plan. Whether it was your own or someone else’s, you would know the number of errands you need to run, the endless to-do lists, liaising with suppliers, event planners, caterers, designers and then there’s the shopping spree which never seems to stop until the actual wedding day. Even the simplest wedding affair is an immense deal.
Wedding expenditures takes up a hefty chunk of one’s savings, but it seems worthwhile because it is the union of two souls; a blessed milestone in anyone’s life and a celebration is obligatory. But why is it a must? Three reasons fuel the extravagant spending by the couple and their families:
- Compulsion
Most of the weddings in Sri Lanka are a family event rather than a couple’s decision to have it the way they want. There is a little bit of compulsion from everyone around you insisting on adding this person and that to your guest list, pulling it towards a staggeringly high headcount. The longer the guest list, the more you need to spend! Maintaining your reputation within the community creates the need to spend on a lavish wedding even though it might not be something you sincerely desire.
- Competition
“She wore the designer dress by this this designer.”“Their wedding cake was 12 tiers, mine has to be 12 and a half, at least!” The wedding plan that replicates the spending of others and driven by the need to be superior to the other is one sure to be a budget spoiler.
- Fairy-tale Imagination
Pinterest, Instagram, celebrity wedding themes and a wild imaginations are to blame here. It’s natural to want to have the most magnificent wedding when you are a dreamer, and a very creative one at that.
These three factors are so powerful, no matter what the current economic climate is, how drained your financial situation is, the wedding must happen spectacularly. It’s natural to expect your wedding to be a memorable one, so wanting to spend as much as it needs is common. It’s okay to want the best but it’s not okay to let this temporary wedding blind you from what you’re committing yourself to.
Many couples complain they made wrong choices and spent too much just on one day. Some get trapped in a mountain of debt while others regret the post wedding sacrifices they had to make such as the dream honeymoon, investments or buying property.
So, what makes even the well planned, budget-adhering people to exceed their initial financial plan? The wedding market, of course! With spellbinding marketing tactics and out-of-this-world creativity, innovation and thought, the ventures are sure to add magic to your wedding day, and the “magic” is what’s going to get you spending and spending.
“Matching shoes for the flower girls, natural flower bouquets for the bridesmaid and Rolls Royce for the married couple to ride in” screams the bridal tabloids. The table décor could be better with a vintage basket as opposed to cut glass jars, they suggest. And your skin needs this particular treatment for the added glow on your big day, and the beautician successfully persuades you to upgrade your bridal package. Voila, you would feel a sense of satisfaction when you have entrusted your deals to professionals who know how to give you that Dream Wedding you have been planning on.
Not too long ago, the internet went crazy over the Billion Dollar Wedding in Moscow, the Russian Oligarch Mikhael Gutseriev’s son, Said Gutseriev’s and Khadija Uzhakhovs’ lavish wedding. Elle Saab’s haute couture bridal gown, a parade of Rolls Royce and Bentleys, performances by J Lo, Sting and Enrique Iglesias, along with thousands of blossoms adorning the venue from walls to banisters and from ceilings to balconies. The total cost for the opulent wedding is reported to have been $1 billion, with it being just one installment of the celebration.
Although the wedding industry is flourishing, what with all the emotions and “love” they use in their strategies to win whopping revenue, this is also the era of rebellious youngsters, who continue to crave new and unique methods to go about things.
A recent wedding took place in India, where the young couple Abhay Deware and Priti Kumbhare from Amaravati cut all extravagance and tied the knot in simplicity. The ceremony was a humble affair with a simple menu but speeches by noteworthy personalities and activists highlighted the event. The focus of the couple was to raise awareness towards the anguish of farmers and rising suicide rates among them. Wedding expenditure and dowry takes a mammoth toll on the community. Therefore, they decided to set a new trend by using their wedding expenditure to donate towards ten farmers’ families who lost their bread winners due to rising debt and crop failures. They also provided five libraries with books of competitive examinations.
Another inspiring move made by a Turkish couple last year fed 4000 Syrian refugees on their wedding day. Fethullah Üzümcüoğlu and Esra Polat decided to opt out of a lavish wedding to feed the victims of the Civil War in the border of Kilis. They say a delicious meal for their family and friends were not necessary when so many around them were in hunger. So the couple, their families along with a relief organization prepared to serve the refugees. The couple were also involved in the food distribution, operated with food trucks and it was a delightful sight to see the bride serving the food, in her white gown and golden tiara.
The point is, whether you want a Billion Dollar Wedding or prefer a private ceremony, the goal is making smart choices that adds positive impacts to not just the wedding day, but for a healthy married life. Stuck in a mountain of debt, falling out with partners due to financial issues or wondering where all your money went once the wedding haze passed is felt by many. If exceptional is what you want, perhaps you would fare well if you consider novel ways of celebrating your special day rather than limiting your ideas to expensive wedding functions.
