Family & Society

Does social comparison increase wedding spending?

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Answer

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Social comparison can increase desired spending when families use relatives’ events or online images as a reference point for guest count, clothing, décor and photography. Pakistani qualitative research reports this pressure, but no nationally representative study estimates how many rupees are caused by comparison or proves a single causal effect. Income, family reciprocity, vendor marketing and local custom operate alongside social media. The defensible conclusion is that comparison is one plausible spending mechanism; it should not be presented as the sole explanation for high wedding costs or debt.

Evidence

Sources used

Academic Research · 2021

Role of Instagram in Promoting Extravagant Wedding Trends: An Analysis of Social Pressures on the Middle Class

Journal of Management Practices, Humanities and Social Sciences

Local qualitative research on Instagram and wedding expectations. Published in 2021, not 2024; cannot establish a national spending effect.

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Academic Research · 2025

Mediatized Projections: Ritual Transformation, Consumer Culture, and the Political Economy of Weddings in Today’s Pakistan

Pakistan Social Sciences Review

Qualitative study published in 2025, interviewing 25 participants across Karachi, Lahore, Gujrat and Multan. Themes are not national prevalence.

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Reputable Reporting · 2024

Pakistan’s wedding season brings families joy, and financial pressure

Associated Press

Reported examples of contemporary wedding costs and event practices; examples are not a national survey estimate.View source
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