Why more Indian couples are ditching the yellow metal at weddings

‘A acutely aware resolution’

For Dr Sreekutty Sunilkumar, 30, who obtained married in January 2023, the choice got here after studying about how dowry expectations, together with gold, can result in severe points like monetary burden, emotional stress, home violence, and even suicides. “I didn’t need to be a part of a system that not directly helps that. So I made a acutely aware and strict resolution to fully keep away from gold in my marriage ceremony. Gold has historically been an enormous a part of weddings, however I felt it usually brings pointless monetary stress. I most well-liked to focus extra on the that means of the ceremony and the expertise slightly than the fabric facets,” the Kochi-based dental surgeon mentioned.

Dr Sreekutty Sunilkumar (Photograph: Dr Sreekutty Sunilkumar)

Initially, there was hesitation, particularly from the older technology. For a lot of mother and father, gold is tied to emotion, standing, and safety. “They frightened about what folks would say. However after open conversations and explaining the reasoning, they turned extra supportive. Finally, they understood that the marriage mirrored our decisions and luxury, not societal expectations,” she recalled.
Dr Sreekutty selected an American diamond jewelry set that she bought from Chennai for round Rs 2,500. “It gave the identical elegant, bridal look with out the heavy price or stress related to gold,” she mentioned.

‘Simply one other marriage ceremony resolution’

For Basima Shana, 29, a trainer from Kozhikode, who obtained married in 2021, selecting a no-gold marriage ceremony was one thing she had lengthy determined earlier than her marriage. “I’ve by no means been somebody who enjoys carrying quite a lot of jewelry, particularly gold, even from a younger age. So the concept of being adorned in heavy gold ornaments, or treating gold as a necessary a part of marriage, by no means actually felt proper to me,” she mentioned.

When she shared this resolution, there have been totally different opinions. Some kin felt that gold is a crucial a part of custom and recommended I rethink. However I used to be clear about what I needed. “Even my father wasn’t very keen on the customized of closely adorning the bride with gold only for show,” mentioned Basima.

Gouri S Nair (Photograph: Gouri S Nair)

Whereas some wanted time to get used to the concept, others gently recommended carrying a minimum of just a few chains on the marriage day. “It largely got here from a spot of custom and concern, slightly than anything,” she talked about. Curiously, her mates had been “truly excited”. “They saved asking if I’d actually be capable of undergo with the choice and had been desirous to see how it could end up,” she recollected.

Basima selected a easy and chic look the place she wore a elaborate necklace and an earring set that she had rented and value round Rs 1,000. “I paired it with some trendy bangles, and as all the time, I wore a watch on one hand, which is one thing I’m very snug with. My companion additionally saved his look easy, which complemented the general tone of the marriage,” she recalled.

Basima Shana together with her husband Shafeeq (Photograph: Basima Shana)

Basima’s husband, Muhammad Shafeeq, didn’t have any downside supporting her. “Actually, solely later did we realise the financial perspective of it, when gold costs began skyrocketing. On the time of the marriage, it was simply one other resolution like how we selected our clothes, occasion administration, and many others. After I instructed my mother and father, in addition they didn’t increase any considerations. My brother obtained married final 12 months, however the bride wore gold as a result of she selected to.
Each instances, I’d say there wasn’t any dialogue concerning this between our mother and father,” mentioned Muhammed.

‘Why burden mother and father?’

Gouri S Nair, 30, a banking skilled from Thiruvalla in Kerala, determined to have a no-gold marriage ceremony for a number of causes, together with monetary pressure. “I come from a modest household and have two sisters. From a younger age, I’ve been conscious of how onerous my mother and father labored and the way each penny went into our schooling. They’ve really executed their half, and I didn’t need my marriage to grow to be a monetary burden for them. So, I made a decision to not place that duty on my household. My husband and I made this resolution collectively,” mentioned Gouri.

With the constantly rising price of gold, she felt it didn’t make sense to “put myself in debt with out contemplating my monetary state of affairs”. “Gold is an funding solely when it’s bought correctly, not when it’s purchased by way of private loans. The EMIs would have an effect on my future, and I don’t need that monetary burden to impression our life collectively,” mentioned Gouri, who obtained married in Might 2025.

In response to Gouri, gold is one thing meant for every day put on with out tarnish, so she selected to maintain simply the mangalsutra and its chain in gold. “Past that, I don’t consider gold is a should for a marriage or for married life. If somebody has the monetary stability, they will select to put money into gold—however it shouldn’t be tied to marriage or set as a typical, like needing a specific amount simply to conduct a marriage,” she expressed.

Dealing with the ‘what’s going to folks say’ query

When Sharika Rayaroth and Sidharth Punnachalil started planning their January 2022 marriage ceremony, they clearly communicated to each units of oldsters that they didn’t need to buy gold jewelry to impress. “Initially, they had been hesitant, frightened about what folks would possibly say. Nevertheless, Sidharth and I stood agency in our resolution. He spoke to his household about it, and their response was very supportive. My in-laws mentioned it was fully my selection and that they’d no proper to touch upon my jewelry, which I actually appreciated,” recalled 29-year-old Sharika.

Sharika Rayaroth (Photograph: Sharika Rayaroth)

Curiously, whereas planning, they occurred to come back throughout a bridal look on Pinterest that they actually appreciated, and determined to recreate one thing comparable. “As a substitute of gold, I selected zirconium trend jewelry from Kushal’s Style Jewelry. I purchased a necklace set, bangles, and rings, and the overall price was round Rs 28,000. I nonetheless reuse all of them even now. We did embody a gold mangalsutra (taali), because it held sentimental worth for my mom. Nevertheless, we saved it minimal. Since it’s historically bought by the groom’s facet, I made certain it was not very heavy—about 3 sovereigns of gold. As a gesture in return, I gifted Sidharth a 2-sovereign gold chain,” recollected Sharika, who’s at present pursuing her PhD in Structural Engineering at IIT Madras, and is from Kannur, Kerala.

It was an identical case with Dubai-based IT skilled Sruthi Ramprakash. She obtained married in April this 12 months and acquired a “very minimal, easy gold mangalsutra as a result of I meant to put on it every day”. “Because it was a useful piece that may see fixed use slightly than a heavy ornamental merchandise for a single day, I felt it was a worthwhile funding. It was small, significant, and value little or no in comparison with conventional bridal units,” she mentioned.

Sruthi considered her marriage ceremony as a “small however agency initiative” to interrupt the cycle and “prioritise a debt-free, significant begin to our life collectively”. “I didn’t need to exhaust my father’s life financial savings or retirement advantages solely for a one-day occasion,” she affirmed.

Sruthi Ramprakash (Photograph: Sruthi Ramprakash)

Her uncle Manoj Krishna, who drives many social impression initiatives, was so happy with her resolution that he penned a heartfelt observe on Fb about how pointless gold purchases drive money owed in lots of households. “I not too long ago attended a NO GOLD marriage ceremony of my niece, a precondition she had set. The boy’s facet had no downside. The households have identified one another for a very long time. I used to be impressed with a younger lady and her companion for taking such a acutely aware resolution. She wore fancy jewelry that was made from steel, reasonably priced by any customary. The burden that households carry most frequently, shopping for gold jewelry even whether it is past attain, is meaningless,” wrote Manoj, the founder and chief steering officer of The Compass Workforce, which runs social impression programmes for college students, academics, mother and father and company executives.

Sharika candidly admitted that there isn’t any have to showcase wealth by way of gold, particularly on a marriage day. “Typically, it’s justified as a type of financial savings, however realistically, folks don’t show their financial savings publicly on this approach, besides perhaps throughout a marriage. Furthermore, gold jewelry comes with extra prices like making fees, which scale back its sensible worth. To me, this practice sends an underlying message {that a} lady’s price is tied to how a lot gold she wears, slightly than who she is as a person. That’s one thing I strongly disagree with,” mirrored Sharika.

Gold: an indication of standing, sentiment

Gold has by no means been merely ornamental within the Indian marriage ceremony context. It has been foreign money, safety, standing, and sentiment, usually all of sudden. For generations, the load of gold worn on a marriage day carried that means that went nicely past aesthetics, and which is what makes the quiet however rising shift away from it so noteworthy.

“For a lot of of those {couples}, the choice is partly monetary and partly philosophical. Gold-heavy weddings have lengthy been related to show, a efficiency of household prosperity directed as a lot at friends as on the couple themselves. Youthful {couples}, more and more bearing the price of their very own weddings or pushing again towards family-driven extra, are separating what’s personally significant from what’s socially anticipated. Gold, in lots of instances, falls into the latter class,” mirrored Dr Chandni Tugnait, MD (A.M) psychotherapist, coach and healer, founder and director, Gateway of Therapeutic.

Peculiarly, many of those are South Indians. So, is it actually restricted to a area? It could possibly be as a result of conventional South Indian bridal appears are sometimes related to heavy gold jewelry, making its absence extra noticeable.

Nevertheless it’s not a South Indian development. “It’s a broader mindset change. South India is only one place the place the distinction is extra noticeable,” mentioned monetary knowledgeable Hardeep Singh Virdi, founding father of Capital Monetary Distributors.

Dr Sreekutty remarked, “It would look extra seen in South India as a result of gold has historically been a really robust a part of weddings right here…so selecting no gold stands out extra. However the concept itself isn’t restricted to anyone area. Throughout India, extra {couples} are questioning practices like dowry and heavy jewelry expectations. This shift is being pushed by schooling, monetary consciousness, and a want for extra equal, significant relationships.”

‘It’s nonetheless a distinct segment, not mainstream’

Dr Tugnait famous that for earlier generations, gold given at weddings was a lady’s monetary security internet, a transportable, liquid asset she may entry independently. “That logic, whereas not irrelevant, carries much less weight for girls who’re financially impartial and fewer more likely to view marriage as an financial association requiring a backup. When the unique operate modifications, the encircling image naturally loosens its that means,” mentioned Dr Tugnait.

Concurring that historically, gold is deeply embedded in Indian weddings as an indication of wealth and standing, Virdi famous that decreasing or eliminating gold to keep away from monetary burden is the start of a mindset shift slightly than a mass development.

Basima talked about that her selection was additionally about one thing past private choice. “I felt that if extra folks moved away from this expectation, it may scale back the stress on households who discover it tough to rearrange gold for weddings. If it turns into extra accepted, it may make weddings less complicated and extra significant,” mentioned Basima.

Whereas a few of these choices come from a place of privilege, Basima talked about that not everybody has the house or help to make such a selection, even when they could need to. “That’s one thing I stay aware of, and I hope that as views slowly shift, extra folks will be happy to decide on what feels proper for them,” mentioned Basima.

Gold redefined: ETFs, digital gold

In response to Virdi, jewelry itself is shifting to assertion or symbolic items as an alternative of heavy units. “We’re slowly seeing a brand new wave of weddings the place {couples} are selecting that means over materials. Whereas gold has all the time symbolised safety, custom and standing in Indian weddings, the youthful technology is starting to query ‘how a lot is sufficient’ and certainly not at the price of peace or burden.

There’s a broader transfer towards personalised, minimalist weddings with chosen friends and budgeted spend. “For some, it’s about simplicity and private expression; for others, it’s a acutely aware monetary resolution—not locking giant capital into jewelry that will hardly ever be used. That mentioned, that is nonetheless a small however rising shift.”

Gold hasn’t misplaced its emotional or cultural relevance — it’s simply being redefined. “The true development is ‘no gold’, no stress’. From a monetary perspective, the even youthful lot who can afford gold is shopping for digital gold or by way of ETFs (Change Traded Funds) or mutual funds,” Virdi asserted.

Dr Tugnait is of the opinion that gold just isn’t disappearing from Indian weddings. “For a lot of the nation, it stays deeply embedded in each ritual and practicality. However the truth that its absence is now a thought of selection slightly than a monetary constraint says one thing actual about the place the dialog round weddings, and the expectations layered into them, is starting to maneuver,” mentioned Dr Tugnait.