Re: I wish a new tradition would arise, spend the least amount of money on weddings.
A fancy wedding is just wrong. You can do a tasteful wedding within your budget or by saving money in the right places. Fancy weddings are just a dikhaava. See, after your wedding is when the real kharcha will come. Your honeymoon,a car perhaps, a apartment/house to live in, bills to pay, doctor visits(if bachey r to come), etc etc. So I say, spend wisely on the wedding so you may live a comfortable life afterwards. Getting married Islamically is a very simple and personal process between a man and a woman done at the nikkah. Islamically there is no such thing as a mehndi, maiyoun etc but there is nothing wrong in having those parties but remember..have you given money to the poor? If you can afford to give money to the poor then do so before thinking about a lavish wedding. In my opinion the places that need the most spending/priority are: 1. dulha/dulhan dress (Hey all eyes r on you and you wanna look your best) 2. Food ( you want guests leaving full and saying good things about it. The food can make it or break it) 3. Location- you want to remember this day forever and you want to be able to find a place that will fit every1 you're inviting. Plus, the better the wedding venue, the less decorating you will have to do ( It also saves money so you buy less deco. I went to a wedding where the ceilings were very high and the lamps on the walls were very beautiful and the curtains equally nice so thus there didn't need to be as much decorations besides the stage itself and the table centerpieces)
Going further, I feel a wedding is a personal thing and should be celebrated by those close to the bride and grooms family. there is no use sharing your special day with ai bai shai people. The more people the more shor and hungama. But that can be fun in itself except the bride and groom don't want unnecessary attention. See, there is no need to invite that auntie who your mom met once at a party and liked. Unless they are the best of friends and have hung out many times since that party then there is no need in calling her. The less people, the less you'll have to spend. No need to be kanjoos, but just cut out unnecessary people. I went to a wedding where there were two tables full of American people. I asked the brides sister who they were and she said everyone who worked at her dads office even though they were not that close or even though they had not hung out much after work. He should have invited only one family from his work whom he has actually hung out with or is true friends with. And thats a personal opinion..