In the serene valleys of Kashmir, marriage has traditionally been much more than the union of two individuals. It has been a deeply rooted cultural, religious and communal milestone, bringing together families, relatives, neighbours and the wider community. The nikah provided the spiritual foundation, while rituals, hospitality, food and collective participation gave the occasion its cultural character. A Kashmiri wedding was not simply an event to be attended; it was a social experience in which people shared happiness, responsibilities, blessings and memories. Yet the character of urban Kashmiri marriages, particularly in Srinagar and other towns, appears to be changing rapidly. The influence of consumer culture, social media, professional event management and competitive displays of prosperity has introduced a new dimension to wedding celebrations. Multi-day functions, elaborate decorations, expensive clothing, large guest lists, extensive menus, professional photography, customised gifts and carefully staged social-media content are increasingly becoming part of the wedding experience. There is certainly nothing inherently wrong with celebrating a marriage with happiness, beauty and hospitality. Weddings also generate considerable economic activity and provide livelihoods to caterers, cooks, decorators, photographers, florists, tailors, transporters and many other service providers. The concern begins when celebration becomes competition, hospitality becomes display and abundance becomes waste. The contemporary Kashmiri wedding therefore raises an important cultural question: when does celebration stop being an expression of joy and begin becoming a spectacle of consumption?

From Sacred Union to Social Performance

At the heart of a Muslim marriage is the nikah, a solemn religious contract that establishes responsibilities and obligations between two people. Its importance lies not in the grandeur of the venue or the size of the feast but in the commitment being made and the responsibilities that follow. Traditionally, the religious and social dimensions of marriage existed together, with celebration serving can sometimes overshadow its deeper meaning. The stage, décor, clothing, photography, food and social-media presentation the purpose of bringing families and communities together. In contemporary urban weddings, however, the spectacle surrounding the marriage can sometimes overshadow its deeper meaning. The stage, décor, clothing, photography, food and social-media presentation may receive greater attention than the spiritual significance of the occasion itself. The nikah, which should constitute the sacred core of the marriage, can become one component in expenditure and wastage when they observe them in other people's weddings. They may criticise lavish decorations, enormous food menus or unnecessary displays of wealth. Yet when the wedding takes place within their own family, resisting the same practices becomes difficult. Social pressure, fear of comparison and anxiety about how relatives and neighbours might respond often overcome personal convictions. Thus, people may intellectually reject an increasingly crowded programme of events. There is also a striking contradiction in this transformation. Many people recognise excessive expenditure and wastage when they observe them in other people's weddings. They may criticise lavish decorations, enormous food menus or unnecessary displays of wealth. Yet when the wedding takes place within their own family, resisting the same practices becomes difficult. Social pressure, fear of comparison and anxiety about how relatives and neighbours might respond often overcome personal convictions. Thus, people may intellectually reject extravagance while socially participating in it. This creates a cycle in which every elaborate wedding becomes a new benchmark for the next. What was once was excessive begins to appear necessary.

The Culture of “More”

The contemporary urban wedding increasingly appears to be governed by one principle: more. More guests, more functions, more dishes, more clothes, more decoration, more photographs, more gifts and, ultimately, more packaged items, in short more extravagance and more expenditure. The scale of the wedding has now become an informal measure of the family's social and economic position. Kashmiri culture has always placed considerable importance on hospitality. Food occupies a central place in social life, and Wazwan remains one of the most distinctive expressions of Kashmiri culinary heritage. Its preparation involves specialised cooks and a communal style of dining that reflects the importance of sharing food and bringing competitive excess. The number of dishes served, the quantity of meat purchased, the sophistication of the venue or the extravagance of the decoration can become ways of displaying economic capacity. Hospitality, which should communicate warmth and generosity, can people together. The richness of Kashmiri cuisine is therefore not itself the problem. The difficulty arises when cultural abundance becomes competitive excess. The number of dishes served, the quantity of meat purchased, the sophistication of the venue or the extravagance of the decoration can become ways of displaying economic capacity. Hospitality, which should communicate warmth and generosity, can gradually become a performance of prosperity. There is an important distinction between celebrating generously and consuming unnecessarily. A family can preserve traditional food, rituals and hospitality without turning the wedding into a competition over quantity and cost. The challenge is to preserve the cultural substance of the Kashmiri wedding while questioning the growing pressure to make every celebration bigger than the last.

Wazwan: Heritage and the Question of Excess

No discussion of Kashmiri marriage can be complete without mentioning Wazwan. It is much more than a collection of dishes. It represents a culinary tradition, a form of communal dining and an important part of Kashmiri cultural identity. Sitting together around the trami creates a shared experience in which food becomes a medium of social connection. Traditional Wazwan remains an important expression of Kashmiri hospitality and communal dining. The concern, therefore, should not be directed at Wazwan itself. Rather, it should be directed at the culture of excessive quantity that can surround it. When food is prepared primarily to demonstrate abundance instead of being planned according to realistic consumption, hospitality risks becoming wasteful. The cultural value of Wazwan does not depend upon how much food is ultimately thrown away. Preserving Kashmiri cuisine and reducing food waste are not contradictory objectives. On the contrary, respecting food can be understood as part of respecting the tradition itself. A meaningful wedding should allow guests to enjoy the richness of Kashmiri cuisine while ensuring that unnecessary quantities do not become part of the celebration.

The Food Waste We Do Not See

Perhaps one of the least visible but most significant consequences of extravagant weddings is food waste. Hosts naturally fear that guests may feel inadequately served, and this concern often encourages caterers to prepare quantities considerably greater than actual consumption. A large wedding may include several meat preparations, rice, vegetables, salads, breads, sweets, desserts and beverages, many of which may remain partially or entirely uneaten. Food waste, however, is not simply the loss of something purchased from a market. Every plate of food represents agricultural land, water, energy, transportation, cooking fuel and human labour. When food is discarded, the resources invested throughout this chain are also effectively wasted. The problem is therefore not the richness of Kashmiri food. The deeper problem is the assumption that generosity must be demonstrated through excess. Better planning, more realistic estimates of consumption and responsible handling of surplus food could significantly reduce waste without reducing hospitality. Suitable surplus food, where safely handled, can potentially be redirected through appropriate food-rescue arrangements, while unavoidable organic waste can be separated for suitable processing. Such practices would allow Kashmiri weddings to retain their culinary identity while becoming more responsible celebrations may be distributed in plastic carry bags, sweets may arrive in individual boxes, beverages may be served in disposable bottles or cups, and takeaway food may require additional layers of containers. Decorative gift bags, disposable plates,.

From Meat Bags to Mountains of Packaging

Food waste is only one part of the problem. Contemporary weddings also generate a considerable amount of packaging. Meat may be distributed in plastic carry bags, sweets may arrive in individual boxes, beverages may be served in disposable bottles or cups, and takeaway food may require additional layers of containers. Decorative gift bags, disposable plates, spoons, tissues and other materials can further increase the volume of waste produced within a few hours. Each individual item may appear insignificant. The problem becomes apparent when hundreds of guests are involved. What appears to be a small amount of plastic or packaging for one person can become a substantial waste stream when multiplied across an entire wedding.
The waste generated after large celebrations illustrates the environmental cost of disposable materials. This issue becomes particularly important in Srinagar because wedding waste ultimately enters the city's wider waste-management system. Reusable steel, glass and ceramic utensils can reduce dependence on disposable tableware, while reusable or appropriately recyclable containers can reduce unnecessary packaging. Decorations can similarly be designed for repeated use rather than being discarded after a single function. The wedding may last only a few hours, but the materials discarded during those hours can remain part of the environment and waste stream for years. ( To Be Continued )

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