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Having extravagant and lavish weddings have now become part of our ‘culture’. And when it comes to brides, our society looks forward to which designer dress she’s wearing, how much gold she’s wearing and where has gotten her makeup done from. These things have now become a status symbol and some people don’t realize that this does not by any means represent your financial well-being.

Here’s a story that a bride had shared on Facebook, and how she opted for nothing but a simple wedding – without spending a huge chunk of money.

“I walked into my wedding reception wearing grandmother’s white cotton saree with zero makeup and no jewelry. Many asked me why. So here is my reason. I was troubled by the singular image of a bride that our society has – with tons of makeup, a profligate dress and mounds of jewelry weighing her down. Don’t be fooled, this lavish image of a bride does not represent the financial well-being of the girls family, but every parent is obliged to orchestrate a big fancy wedding to conform to the societal norms. This sometimes happens against the bride’s will.

I have hardly attended any wedding where I didn’t overhear people gossiping, “Is the bride pretty enough?” “How much gold does she have on?” “How much did her dress cost?” Growing up listening to these comments, a bride feels pressured to look for the best makeup artist in town, pay a hefty amount, but ends up looking nothing like herself. Because the society constantly reminds her that her actual skin color isn’t good enough for her own wedding.

She has learned from her aunties, peers, and the corporates that a bride is “incomplete” without her ornaments. She and her families’ status depends on how much gold she puts on, on her special day. She can hardly fight it because it determines her families’ dignity. And because of this reason, everyone keeps pushing you with, “You’re a girl, why wouldn’t you wear gold on your wedding?”

Again, to look like a bride, she needs to wear a crazy expensive dress, which ironically makes walking difficult for her (due to its weight) and never comes of any use after the wedding. But the society won’t accept it any other way.

Don’t get me wrong, if a girl wants to wear makeup, jewelry and expensive clothes for herself, I am all in for that. But it is a problem when she doesn’t want to. And it’s wrong when the society forces her to doll up and look like a different person. It gives a message that the authentic look of a girl isn’t good enough for her own wedding.

Personally, I feel that we need to change this mindset. A girl should not need a whitening lotion, a gold necklace or an expensive saree to be accepted as a bride or to make her feel confident. So I arrived at my wedding venue wearing my dadu’s saree, with no makeup and no jewelry. People may call it simple, but it was very special to me, as it was what I believe in and what it means to me.

I faced a lot of resistance and criticism from many quarters after making this decision. Certain members of my family even said that they won’t take any photographs with me because I didn’t dress like a bride. Shoutout to the few family members who have supported me in this endeavor, and a special shout out to this person beside me, Khaled, who has not only supported me unconditionally but also beamed at me with so much pride, for taking a stance against the stereotypes.”

Do you think she made the right decision?  Let us know in the comments.