Wedding Antics

✒ K.M. Kunjikkoya Vengeri

7 October 2026, 26 Rabi' al-Thani 1448 AH

Marriage today has turned into a stage for various kinds of antics. Extravagant wedding spectacles lasting for three days or even a week are taking place. Days before the Nikah. events like "yellow" (Haldi) and "green" (Mehendi) wedding ceremonies, musical concerts, and more are held.

Nikah is held in a lavish convention center. To solemnize the Nikah, a Thangal or a prominent Qadhi is required. The roads get blocked due to the huge influx of vehicles. During the speech delivered in Malayalam prior to the Nikah, the Khatib criticizes wedding extravagances, the bursting of firecrackers, and musical events.

Right after the Nikah ritual is complete, someone takes the microphone and announces: "Food is ready in the dining hall; no one should leave without eating.”

Those who rush and reach the door of the hall first get a seat. Nowadays, it is mostly a buffet system. One has to hold a plate and stand in line like a beggar. Mandi, ghee rice, biryani, mutton, beef roast, beef fry, broasted chicken, alfaham, fish dishes...which one to choose?
People load onto their plates whatever they see. They eat a lot, and leave a lot behind as waste; the waste bins overflow.

After washing hands, onto the next counter: there, various drinks in different colors and flavors... then Mysore pak, jalebi, pickles... and beyond that, ice cream, fruits...

Food can certainly be served according to one's financial status, but what justification is there for extravagance and disrespecting food?

Without applying lipstick on their lips or smearing various products on their faces, women are told they cannot go to a wedding. The bride is taken to a beauty parlor early in the morning for makeup. After spending thousands of rupees, her appearance and color are transformed to the point that she is barely recognizable.

The bride is brought in by her father, mother, sisters, and brothers under a four-legged small tent decorated with flowers. Meanwhile, deafening music plays. Little flower girls scatter colors around. In the background, Oppana and dance performances intensify. Then comes the rush of the photoshoot on the stage. Friends of the groom and bride, along with all the relatives, pose for photographs alongside the couple.

How simple was the marriage of the Prophet Muhammadﷺ and his companions! What is the point of religious preachers advising about all this when the community hesitates to put it into practice!

There is no end to the reckless antics pulled off by grooms and their friends. Grooms arrive in JCB excavators. Recently, a video went viral on social media showing a groom and his friends arriving wearing terrifying masks. There is no one around to question those who have fame, status, and money.

None of this is said while forgetting the fact that, even if it is a small section of people, there are still those who show earnest diligence in conducting weddings in accordance with Islamic etiquette and decorum.