<story><title>Marriage Costs in China Are Out of Control</title><url>https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-09-29/why-marriage-costs-in-china-are-out-of-control</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>williamdclt</author><text>Genuine question: how is it possible to invite 1200 people? I can&amp;#x27;t imagine that you and your partner know 600 people each, I&amp;#x27;d have a hard time finding 100 people to invite if I needed too</text></item><item><author>puranjay</author><text>I would like to see an equivalent study on Indian weddings. All the people I know who got married recently spent between $50-$100k on their wedding. My own wedding was about $50k. Food alone was nearly $20k (over 1200 guests were invited - which was on the low end)</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>lotsofpulp</author><text>It’s not so important about who the groom and bride knows, it’s more about everyone the groom and bride’s parents and grandparents know also.&lt;p&gt;It’s more of a “bring the whole tribe together” affair, but only makes sense in villages when food and labor was cheap.  But that was within the grandparents’ and parents’ lifetimes so it still lingers around, only now it’s a status symbol to show how well you’ve made it, and of course, some (most?) people choose to over extend themselves and choose to show off to the tribe rather than invest in their own future.  Especially since the “tribe” is further and further away from the original rural villages which were geographically next to each other.&lt;p&gt;The new tribes are split along educational and wealth boundaries, so anyone who thinks wasting money entertaining the tribe will help keep them in it is sorely mistaken.</text></comment>
<story><title>Marriage Costs in China Are Out of Control</title><url>https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-09-29/why-marriage-costs-in-china-are-out-of-control</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>williamdclt</author><text>Genuine question: how is it possible to invite 1200 people? I can&amp;#x27;t imagine that you and your partner know 600 people each, I&amp;#x27;d have a hard time finding 100 people to invite if I needed too</text></item><item><author>puranjay</author><text>I would like to see an equivalent study on Indian weddings. All the people I know who got married recently spent between $50-$100k on their wedding. My own wedding was about $50k. Food alone was nearly $20k (over 1200 guests were invited - which was on the low end)</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>throw930336</author><text>In Chinese weddings, when you invite your friends, you also invite their relatives and families as well. It can definitely add up.&lt;p&gt;And it&amp;#x27;s not just you inviting people, but your parents and their parents.&lt;p&gt;It&amp;#x27;s not uncommon to actually not know 2&amp;#x2F;3s of the people at your wedding.&lt;p&gt;The best part however is that each guest will give you a &amp;quot;red envelope&amp;quot; of money. It&amp;#x27;s basically the wedding gift. The more people you invite, the more money you can possibly make (even after the expenses of the wedding).&lt;p&gt;This money is then used for the new coupe to start their family.</text></comment>