Fifty couples in Afghanistan got married together in a shared ceremony on Monday to save money, a practice becoming more common due to the high costs of traditional weddings in the impoverished country.
The joint ceremony took place in one of Kabul’s many wedding halls, but it was relatively simple. Since the Taliban’s return in August 2021, weddings have become less extravagant, with dancing and music restricted as authorities consider them un-Islamic.
The ceremony, held at the City Star wedding hall near the airport, had around a hundred men in traditional attire, and no women were present. The men adorned cars with green ribbons and red plastic roses to create hearts for the newlyweds.
Roohullah Rezayi, an 18-year-old groom, stated that a solo wedding was beyond his financial means. Traditional weddings could cost between 200,000 to 250,000 Afghanis ($2,800 to $3,600), but the joint ceremony reduced the expense to 10,000 to 15,000 Afghanis. Rezayi, a member of the Hazara Shiite minority, earns a daily wage of just 350 Afghanis.
The Selab Foundation, which organized the event, donated $1,600 to each couple. Additionally, they received a cake, a kit with toiletries, and household items to start married life.
The ceremony took place in a large hall, decorated with garlands, and was attended by hundreds of male guests. An official from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice gave a speech, and there were Quran recitations. The brides remained out of sight until after lunch, fully veiled.
In Afghanistan, larger weddings with over 1,000 guests can cost more than $20,000. For Monday’s mass wedding, 600 couples applied, and those chosen received support from the Selab Foundation. Some applicants had been waiting for this opportunity for years. “I’ve been waiting for this day for three years,” said Samiullah Zamani, a 23-year-old farmer from Kabul province.“I can’t wait to see her,” he said of his fiancee.”