Why Do People Spend So Much Money On Wedding Cards?

It is wedding season again. At every corner of the street, at least one house is decorated with Lights, and flowers and playing peppy music. Songs of parties, marriage and bidaai are being played on repeat. While other houses are either peering outside to grab one look at the groom and bride or getting ready to attend their invite. In all this, what gains my attraction is the hefty wedding cards bundled up on the tables. Each card is unique in its own way. Some are heavily decorated, while others are simple and sweet. I open each card that arrives at my home to see people's creativity. But then I wonder why people spend so much on creating wedding cards. Couldn't invitations be sent through a simple message? Are all the lavish designs really required? Why does everything around a wedding need to be at a significant scale?

A &t=1158s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wedding is one of the most significant occasions in a person's life. So, understandably, everyone wants to make it memorable. We all have witnessed ample weddings that host lavish parties in royal places. Each wedding has its own flavour- some focus on decorations, food and dance. People spend their life's savings on arranging their or their family members' weddings. But in all this, spending a hefty amount on an invitation card seems a little out of place. Of course, invitation cards are essential for a wedding, and some couples save one as a souvenir. But why do they need a heavily decorated card to invite them to the wedding? If they are willing to come, won't they do so despite the nature of the card? In most case, you just look at the address and put a pin on your Google map, and no one looks at the card again. 

Apart from being a memorable occasion, weddings are status symbols too—the more lavish a wedding, the more influencing the host's status. I have seen many families throw a wedding bash to showcase their status and mark a memory in the minds of the people around them. Similarly, invitation cards to are designed in a way to represent the status of the family. As we all know, invitation cards give a brief idea of the family organizing the event. It marks the anticipation of how, where and when the wedding is being conducted. In such a case, people who send embellished cards might want to get the first glimpse of the exciting and grand wedding. 

But should cards decide how the wedding is gonna be?

Should cards be the determining factor of the efficacy of the host family and their status? Whether to spend a hefty amount on a wedding invitation card or not is purely a matter of choice. There is no denying the fact. But the reasons behind it need to be refurbished. Cards should serve one purpose- sending formal invites to people. Sending embellished and expensive cards should not be made a trend as it puts unnecessary and back-breaking pressure on less fortunate people. People should not judge a family's or a couple's choice to not opt for a big-fat wedding. It is time we do away with the unnecessary sending at Indian weddings.

In fact, what is the need to waste a lot of money on buying hundreds of cards when you can create invites online? I recently got a digital wedding invite based on a Bollywood theme, and it was a beautifully created video which was also cost-effective. All one needs is to contact an excellent graphic designer, get one invite made and just forward it to everyone. The cost of creating wedding cards and the courier charges will all be saved without affecting the beauty of the invites. However, this idea might not work in some corners of the country where the mindset is still not modern enough. Even then, things can be worked out if host families plan smartly. There is a need to increase the awareness and frequency of digital wedding invites so that people get used to this idea.

Let us remember that the beauty of a wedding lies in the happiness of the groom, bride and their families. If everyone is happy, the marriage automatically becomes memorable. Even if families want to spend on lavish weddings, they can do so without the aim of using it as a status symbol. Each wedding bash involves effort, so we cannot look down upon other parties when our eyes dazzle in big-fat weddings. While money can get you the eyeballs, it cannot ensure happiness. 

The views expressed are the author's own.