Wedding is a costly affair. It involves family honour even amid soaring inflation
Business
China, battling low birth rates and high costs, encourages frugal weddings
- Social norms needs to be set aside for more cheaper and affordable marriages
LAHORE (Web Desk) – Marriage is a costly affair in Pakistan. In a traditional setting, it starts with sweets, gifts and ring. The whole saga ends up hosting at least hundreds multiple times during the days-long wedding ceremony.
The hosts – both bride and grooms – are worried about many things, but the food served to the guests remains the top priority. They know “poor quality” will trigger gossips as always ready angry aunts and uncles never miss an opportunity to protest, which starts a snowball effect.
However, it is not just the angry aunts and uncles. The wedding menu remains sole focus of nearly all the relatives and friends at a time when you can’t miss anyone from the guest lists. It’s a matter of pride for both the hosts and those to be invited.
But food is just one of the top expenditure heads at weddings. There are much bigger things like dowry to deal with, which can involve anything from jewellery to a car and house, and the hiring the services of hotels and marriage halls for these ceremonies.
With Pakistan experiencing a record-high inflation and shrinking purchasing power, the social norms needs to be set aside for more cheaper and affordable marriages. Resources will be required later when the couple expands the family with new babies. It’s a question of redefining your priorities.
Read more: China childcare costs among highest in world, think tank says
Meanwhile, the rising costs of living isn’t just a Pakistan-specific problem. It’s a worldwide issue. So how others are coping with this challenge? Let’s check what the young people in China are doing, who live in an ageing society with low marriage and fertility rates, as starting a new family is no more a priority of the majority of Chinese women.
AFFORDABLE WEDDINGS
Reuters has reported that young couples in China planning "simple" weddings, rather than traditional banquets with hundreds of guests, was one of the top hits online after an article urging more frugal nuptials was published by the government body in charge of women's rights.
The article by the All China Women's Federation, featured on Chinese search engine Baidu's "hot list" on Tuesday, said couples were exhausted by the expense and time required for big weddings.
Changes include shrugging off rituals such as renting luxury cars, fancy photographers and souvenirs for the guests, instead opting for a small-scale party for family and close friends.
One couple interviewed said they spent around 6,000 yuan ($831) for their nuptials, significantly lower than traditional wedding banquets that can cost over 200,000 yuan ($27,700).
The shift to a more simple style is important to develop good future customs, the article said.
"From a social perspective, extravagant celebrations of happy events are a bad habit... the rise of minimalist weddings meets the demand for frugal weddings and will help to develop a good custom."
The post comes as the number of new marriages in China jumped 12.4 per cent in 2023, compared with a year earlier, reversing close to a decade of declines as many young couples tied the knot after delaying their nuptials due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Policymakers are grappling with how to reverse the fall in new births after China's population fell for a second consecutive year in 2023.
Marriage rates in China are closely tied to birth rates, giving some cheer to policymakers that a tick up in marriages could yield to more babies being born and soften the population decline in 2024.
China's Premier Li Qiang pledged in March the country would work towards "a birth-friendly society and promote long term, balanced population development" and reduce the cost of childbirth, parenting and education.
Many young couples have put off getting married and having children due to high costs. China is one of the world's most expensive places to bring up a child, relative to its GDP per capita, a prominent Chinese think tank said in February.
