For anyone reading this, I know too many months of wedding planning drains out your energy to stay within your budget. Our life during lockdown has nevertheless changed our lifestyles completely.
We now value time, people, relationships, and money more than we ever did before. And why not, money is after all the key to all our fancy imaginations, especially when we are planning our wedding days.
So, Muslim matrimony has been shaped by society into complete folklore of infinite functions, traditions that are not very pocket friendly.
Fret not. We have researched for you to help you cut down the costs and yet reap the benefits of enjoyable matrimony.
Are you ready for the change? If yes, the following hacks and DIYs will make your life easier.
1. Cut the clutter
Do you need the cake or heavily decorated curtains or photogenic spaces with every aesthetic decor? No. These decorative details will not ensure that your marriage will be more successful. Muslim marriages have become a business where people in society try to trade off their status with the expenditure done on weddings. You need to cut the clutter and see the magic happen. Your matrimonial day will be highly sophisticated, with no extra crowd and confusion.
2. Realize the purpose of matrimony
Ask yourselves what the purpose is? What is the return on investing so much in planning weddings? Muslim matrimony has all the kind of ceremonies hand made by us. If you want to dance and enjoy with your loved ones, why spend so much by turning happiness into a highly lavish Sangeet function? Muslim weddings are the unison of two souls. Stay focussed and keep praying for the same.
3. Go virtual
Of business, education, learning, can go online, why not weddings? Go for the virtual drama. Stay tuned with your loved ones by sharing your beautiful pictures on infinite e-platforms. It is better to use technology for our benefit. You can even opt for e-invitations.
4. Trim your guests’ list
You can skip your friends of friends, relatives of relatives and all those thousand people you did not meet for the last five months. There is no secret formula for keeping your weddings short and straightforward if you cannot cut down your guest list. Prioritize and strategize, and you are a grown-up now who is about to get married 😀
5. Hire locals
A brand is not what you need today, on your wedding day. Muslim matrimony is such a blessed act that you reap the real benefits with good intentions. Instead of spending insanely on big brands and bands, lift the local artisans for simple decorations with flowers.
6. Stick to a minimal Buffett
Did you work so hard to feed all the relatives you have who do not give a second thought before wasting the food on the menu? This behaviour has to stop. Muslim marriages suffer from this a lot because people believe in keeping a vast buffet. Stick to two celebratory dishes that can be well prepared by women in the house. Remember to stick to a list of 40-50 guests.
7. Use sentimental borrowings
We love to wear the iconic, hand-embroidered lehenga left behind as a legacy by the grandmother. Instead of spending too much on a new bridal dress which will be collecting dust later, it is better to wear that show stopper dress that has history and sentiments attached. You can save on costs by shopping online for regular designer apparel like salwar kameez suits or Kurtis. Or just DIY!
8. Accept no gifts
Attach a P.S. to your invitations informing your guests that you will be receiving no gifts. You have no idea, but this has a network effect in the Muslim matrimony scenario. The word will spread to form a new chain of not receiving or giving away gifts. Marriages are complete with the Dua for the bride and groom. You can read more about it on our NikahForever Blog.
9. Say No to dowry
It would help if you said no to dowry until it is enough. No dowry means no dowry. Marriages suffer a lot because of dowry. We have to start changing, and you are responsible for making Muslim marriages free of dowry.
10. Keep it a wedding day and not a wedding week
Skip the pressure of extending your marriage up to a week. Wedding weeks do not make any sense because they only add to more work, expenditure, and more tiredness. Do you want to wait for more to bring your partner home? 🙂 We hope not.
We hope this read was helpful for you. Share it with the ones you love and strengthen the chain of #sayingnotobigbandmarriages.