Fifty couples tied the knot on Monday in a collective ceremony held in the Afghan capital, Kabul, as part of a growing trend to alleviate the exorbitant costs associated with traditional weddings in the impoverished country.
The joint matrimonial event took place in one of the numerous opulent wedding halls that dot Kabul, but the ceremony itself was relatively modest.
Since the return of the Taliban in August 2021, weddings have become subdued affairs, with dancing and music effectively banned as authorities consider such activities un-Islamic.
The ceremony near the airport saw about a hundred turbaned men, all dressed in traditional shalwar kameez, chatting in groups, with no women present.
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Cars adorned with green ribbons and red plastic roses formed heart shapes to transport the newlyweds.
Roohullah Rezayi, an 18-year-old groom, explained that he couldn’t afford an individual wedding.
“A traditional wedding would have cost us at least 200,000 to 250,000 Afghanis ($2,800 to $3,600), but this time it will be between 10,000 and 15,000 Afghanis,” he said.
Rezayi, a member of the Hazara Shiite minority, earns a meager 350 Afghanis per day from odd jobs.
He added, “We invited 35 people from our two families; otherwise, it would have been 300 to 400.”
The event was organized by the Selab Foundation, which provided each couple with donations equivalent to $1,600, a significant sum in one of the world’s poorest countries.
Couples also received a cake, a kit with toiletries, and household items to start their married life.
Despite the larger gathering, the ceremony maintained a relatively low profile compared to grander and more expensive weddings in Afghanistan that can involve over 1,000 guests and cost upwards of $20,000.
The Selab Foundation received 600 applications from couples, and the chosen 50 couples were finally able to celebrate their long-awaited day.
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