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For many Indian couples, their wedding is the most important event of their lives. Celebrations go on for days and even weeks, often with hundreds of guests. The party is also an expression of status and wealth. It’s estimated that the Indian wedding business will generate the equivalent of some 130 billion US dollars in 2025. But the glamorous façade often conceals a bleak reality. The pressure to live up to societal expectations is immense. Many families take on debt to cover the cost of a wedding. A tradition obliging the bride’s family to provide a generous dowry plunges poorer families into financial ruin and is often the cause of violent conflicts that have in some cases resulted in the bride’s death. But why is the “Big Fat Indian wedding” tradition still so deeply rooted to this day? And can couples push back against the pressure and do things their way?
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