"Don't Spend Rs 20 Lakh To Impress Relatives": Bengaluru CA Urges Couples To Rethink Lavish Weddings

Lavish weddings continue to be a hallmark of Indian celebrations, with grand venues, destination festivities, and extravagant gifts. But once the celebrations end, many are left wondering whether the expense was worth it. That's why a growing number of couples are choosing a different path. Instead of spending a fortune on a single day, they are opting for simpler ceremonies and investing the money in long-term assets such as buying a home or building their financial future.

A Bengaluru-based chartered accountant has reignited this debate by explaining how a wedding budget of Rs 20 lakh can disappear in just two days while leaving behind a much longer financial impact. Meenal Goel, a former KPMG and Deloitte employee, recently shared a social media post breaking down the typical costs of a Rs 20 lakh wedding. Through a detailed expense analysis, she highlighted how spending on food, venues, decorations, photography, entertainment, and other arrangements can quickly add up, urging people to think beyond the wedding day.

According to Goel's estimate, around Rs 6 lakh goes towards food, Rs 5 lakh on the venue, Rs 3 lakh on decorations, Rs 2 lakh each on photography and entertainment, while the remaining Rs 2 lakh is spent on miscellaneous expenses.

She pointed out that most of these expenses are short-lived. Once the celebrations are over, the venue is vacated, the food is consumed, the decorations are taken down and guests move on, but the financial cost remains.

"A wedding is a celebration. It doesn't have to become a financial burden. Celebrate within your means, create memories, and start your married life with financial peace—not financial pressure. Build a marriage, not just a wedding," the video was captioned. 

Watch the video here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Meenal Goel | Finance (@ca.meenalgoel)

Goel encouraged people to consider how the same amount, or even a portion of it, could be used to build long-term financial security. She suggested that the money could instead go towards a down payment for a home, an emergency fund, investments, or future education expenses.

At the same time, she clarified that her message was not against celebrating weddings. Rather, she stressed the importance of celebrating within one's means and beginning married life without unnecessary financial pressure. According to her, the focus should be on building a strong marriage instead of spending excessively on a single event.

Her post has since sparked a wider conversation online, with many users agreeing that extravagant wedding spending is often driven more by social expectations than personal choice. One user wrote, "Thank you for saying that. Hearing this from a woman is truly appreciated. If more people shared this perspective, many middle-class boys and their families wouldn't have to worry so much about the financial burden of expensive marriages. Society definitely needs more women who think this way."

Another user disagreed with the post and wrote, "Sorry but it's a once in a lifetime event I will spend as much as required."