Question

During the season of marriages you have seen people spending a lot of money only to satisfy their ego. All  the money thus wasted can be put to some constructive use. Write an article in 150 - 200 words on ‘Simple  Marriages’. You are Anu/Anup. 

Answer 1

                                                 Not a Big Fat Wedding Anymore

By Anu/Anup, Class XII

A simple Indian wedding is not that costly, as people picture it to be. The grandeur and pompousness ,incur  cost.

Some tips to have a simple, cost efficient, wedding: 

• Invitees : You don't have to invite the distant cousin of your mother's father's uncle's sister's husband.  Keep it simple, just invite the ones who actually know you, and care for you. Half of them won't even  know you by your first name, they usually come to eat the sumptuous feast, and find small faults.

• Venue : A big portion of the cost is incurred in booking just the right auditorium/garden. If you have a  sufficiently big home, keep your wedding (and engagement) there. It feels warm, and it is really fun that  way. If your house is not big enough, then maybe a close relative's ,who is willing. Even if that is out of  the picture, go for a simple garden,an inexpensive hall.

• Food : Once the invitees are less, and are sure shot, you can plan food accordingly. I personally hate it when tonnes of food goes waste, in weddings.Cut off the number of dishes, 5 starters and 6 main course dishes aren't required. Bonus points, if you can get people to cook the meals at home. The cost  per plate would reduce drastically.

• Say no to Dowry : If there is any talk of dowry, Say no to it. Not only is dowry demeaning, let's face it, it drains our money too.

• Bride's attire : The wedding dress(es),make-up, etc. are really expensive. Don't buy a saree which you'll not wear in your life again. Go for a dress, by its beauty, not by its price o take it on rent for a function of few hours.

• Make-up : Make-up artists gain a lot during wedding season, with their bridal packages. Try not to fall  into it. If you are interested, sure. But is it really necessarily to putty your face with all those paints?  Anyway, be sure to choose the most economical, and efficient package, suitable for you.

• Wedding Planners : Costly, try to avoid. If you have someone in the family who can do it, let it be. Usually, in joint families, all the cousins used to plan and execute weddings. Do something like that, it will be a good bonding time for all too.

• Pre-Wedding Events : Bollywood has popularized events like Sangeet, Reception, Mehndi. Keep it an informal friends and family event, let your sibling organize it.

• Gold : This is prevalent more in the Southern parts, where women are weighed down by ornaments. Sure, Gold is an investment too, but don't go beyond your means to show off.

• Other Costs : There are many miscellaneous costs, some of which I would like to cover :

• Photographers : With every person owning a DSLR, it is very likely that one of your friends/friend of friends is a photographer, or a good one, if you are lucky. Let them capture your beautiful day.

The last, and the most important point, which summarizes all the others are, Avoid Show-off.

Have a wedding to celebrate your union, not to display your ostentatious bank balance. And do not, spend more than you can afford. If you are not the decision maker, make your parents, or whoever is responsible, understand.

People take loans at times, to please strangers for an evening. They spend their whole life repaying the debt, while those strangers forget about the wedding in a week.

And as to help people :
• Make a deal to donate the food to a nearby orphanage/ to those in need.
• Use the money saved, to do some philanthropy.