There was once a time when people of all socio-economic backgrounds would save up for years to spend lavishly on their children’s weddings.

However, the recent wave of economic downturn in the country, along with changing mindsets, has encouraged many parents to skimp on their children’s weddings by favoring daytime events over nighttime events, which cost far more money for the same events.

Aleema Shahzad, a mother from Paposh Nagar, shared her experience of her daughter’s daytime wedding ceremony. “When my daughter was getting married, we mutually agreed with the groom’s family that we would have a low-key daytime wedding that would cost us much less than a nighttime event. This amicable agreement not only relieved us of the typical financial burden, but it also paved the way for other families to consider more practical ways of marrying off their children,” she said.

Similarly, Waqas Anwar, a young welder from Sohrab Goth, also entered into marriage through a simple daytime wedding. “While planning my wedding, I started looking for options that would allow me to get married with minimal financial burden on my family. Luckily, a daytime wedding allowed us just that,” rejoiced Waqas, who spent just Rs250. 000 at his wedding reception, which hosted as many as 250 guests.

According to Zia Qureshi, owner of a matchmaking agency, the display of abstinence in weddings was critical in the current times when high inflation and economic instability had made lavish weddings unaffordable for most families.

“The escalating cost of marriage ceremonies held in the evening has forced many parents to consider simpler and less expensive daytime weddings. Although cultural nuances would previously dictate the time of day chosen for a wedding, today most people go for ceremonies in daytime since they are relatively cheaper to host,” Qureshi concluded.

Corroborating Qureshi’s observation, Imran Saleem, the owner of a wedding hall and an event organizer from the Federal B area, highlighted the price difference between day and night events at wedding venues.

“For main reception events, day rates are typically 40 to 50 percent less than night rates for the same day. Similarly, hosting pre-wedding celebrations like Mayoun, Mehndi and Barat during the day will cost 50 to 60 percent less than the night event,” informed Imran, who also added that daytime events allowed families to exercise moderation by choosing simpler menus that contained only basic dishes.

“Islam clearly instructs all Muslims to maintain moderation in all affairs, including the conduct of wedding ceremonies. Spending large sums on irrelevant rituals and events puts families under enormous financial stress, which is completely against the injunctions 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, highlighted the fact that high expenditure on extravagant wedding rituals had overburdened families to the point where subsequent marriages within the family had to be delayed due to lack of resources.

“All social classes must embrace modesty in weddings and prioritize simplicity over extravagance. Although only a small segment of society currently hosts simple weddings, it still marks a positive shift away from extravagance,” Zahra said while speaking to The Express Pakinomist.