Well i know of several, who's parents are just fed up of their daughters copying other people's weddings..attitude that involves "she did this i must have it too...but bigger"
sometimes it's the parents, my friends dad insisted on having a photo booth with book thing because he enjoyed it at another person's wedding. he insisted the bridal party to make giant baskets with personalized bottled water (also something he liked from another wedding) and filled with granola bars, chocolates, bags of chips and stuff for ever guest on the groom's side that was staying in a hotel for the wedding. she's simple yet her dad pushed her to much more expensive and heavier outfits, jewelry and to the point that she cried bc she wanted a simple set and he told her if he doesn't marry her off "properly" his friends will think he's cheap, or that they are poor.
A lot of times people spend way too much on their weddings because they feel they have something to prove. This can be on the bride's side, the groom's side on the parents. I think that's why we are lucky we have a valima bc that's all responsibility on the groom's part. But i've heard of in-laws demanding a certain number of outfits for the mother, the aunts and cousins. I think that's retarded, buying stuff for immediate family is normal but all this extended stuff is uneeded and parents should be more considerate.
I applaud those of yall that know you won't be breaking your parents bank just to have a few days of "lifestyles of the rich and famous".
let it be known this isn't just a pakistani problem it's a desi problem. my friend's husband wanted such high class decor and finally my friend told him her father has 4 other daughters and if he wants it he should pay for it. so brides too need to be able to stand up for their families.