1 Do you want to get married in the near future? Or perhaps the question should be, can you afford to get married in the near future? All countries must deal with the rising cost


of marriage in one way or another. If you do not deal with problems, they get worse.


2 In many countries in the world, weddings are becoming extremely expensive affairs, with even a relatively simple one costing more than £50,000. The money goes on the bride’s


wardrobe, on her jewellery and, in some cultures, on a sum paid by the groom’s father to her father (called bride price) or from the bride’s father to the groom’s father (called a dowry). Finally, there is often a huge reception for all the friends and relatives. The expense is simply too high for many brides, grooms and their families. If they don’t have the money, they often go into debt to pay for the wedding. In some countries, 80 per cent of all personal loans are used to cover wedding expenses.


3 Young people in these countries know all about the cost of a wedding. ‘When my sister got married, it was very grand,’ said Huda, who is studying Graphic Design at college. ‘It was a


traditional wedding and it lasted three days. It was beautiful and made us very happy, but for me, it was a waste of money. Today, when I ask my sister about the cost, she regrets it. She says, ‘If I had the money now, I would spend it on my child and my house.’ Nabilah, a Media Studies student, nods in agreement. ‘I have a cousin who got married 11 years ago and he is still paying off the debts! When I get married, I won’t spend a lot of money.’


4 In some countries, men solve the problem by marrying foreign brides because the bride price is much lower. But surely that is not really a solution? If men marry out of their religion and their


culture, there may not be enough nationals for the local women to marry in the future.


5 Some countries have taken extreme decisions to solve the problem, making marriages between nationals and foreigners illegal. Other countries go for the more sensible option


of offering incentives. For example, nationals may get loans or gifts if they marry a local girl. These schemes seem to be very successful. In the UAE, for example, a scheme of this sort has helped 44,000 couples to get married in the last ten years.


6 Another possible economy is the mass-wedding, which is a ceremony with hundreds of brides and grooms at the same time. They can be huge affairs, but all the couples share


the cost. When Ali Salem gets married, he will be one of 650 grooms. ‘If I got married by myself,’ he said, ‘I would need over £30,000. But if I go for this kind of wedding, I’ll only spend around £10,000.’ That is still a great deal of money.


7 Couples themselves can reduce costs by hiring wedding clothes. In particular, they should hire the bridal gown. In many countries, these dresses have hundreds of hand-


sewn beads and crystals, and can cost thousands of pounds. However, a wedding dress is only worn once and then it is put away. It makes sense, therefore, to hire the dress for one or two days at a fraction of the cost.


Theme 5: Reading 149


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