Marriage in Pakistan isn’t just about two people coming together—it’s deeply tied to tradition, culture, and society. As time passes, these traditions change to match shifts in society, the economy, and personal preferences. Let’s take a journey through history to explore both old and new marriage trends in Pakistan.
Traditional Marriage Trends in Pakistan:
Matchmaking in Pakistan has a long, traditional history. Let’s talk about some old and traditional marriage trends in Pakistan.
1. Age of marriage
The age at marriage was relatively young, particularly for women, with early marriage being a common cultural practice. Since, people used to believe that girls needed to marry young to start their own families and fulfill traditional roles. Additionally, girls were often encouraged to marry early as it was seen to ensure their economic stability and social status.
2. Arranged Marriages
In the past, arranged marriages were common in Pakistan. Moreover, families played a key role in finding suitable life partners for their children. Additionally, elders would diligently search for a compatible match based on factors such as religious beliefs, social standing, and family ties. Furthermore, marriages often took place with little input from the couple. This approach was meant to maintain stability and strengthen family relationships. Furthermore, meeting one’s spouse before marriage was not always the norm.
Moreover, joint family systems were common, with newlyweds often moving in with the groom’s family. While arranged marriages brought families together, they weren’t easy for brides. They had to adjust to a completely new home with new people and follow unfamiliar rules and traditions.
3. Cousin Marriages
In Pakistan, cousin marriages are quite common and a long-standing tradition. People often marry their cousins as it’s seen to keep the family close and preserve wealth within the family. Since people thought it was good to marry within the extended family because it helped keep everyone close and strong together.
4. Simple & Heartfelt Weddings
In the past, weddings in Pakistan had a different vibe compared to today. Events were small and cozy, not big and lavish like now. People preferred to invite only close family and friends, making the celebrations feel more personal. Moreover, neighbors also played a significant role in wedding preparations, offering their support and assistance. Additionally, weddings weren’t about making money or showing off—they were just about celebrating love and family.
New Marriage Trends in Pakistan:
While arranged marriages are still common, there is a trend towards a more modern approach. Here’s how things are changing.
1. Age of Marriage
These days, People are getting married later, especially women. They’re focusing more on education and careers before settling down. Instead of rushing into marriage at a young age, many are choosing to take their time to pursue their goals and build a stable foundation for their future.
2. Love Marriage
In recent years, there has been a noticeable shift in marriage trends in Pakistan. Young adults now have more agency in choosing their life partners. It’s becoming popular, especially in cities, where families often agree if the couple really likes each other.
3. Grand Celebrations
Weddings these days often feel more like big business deals than personal celebrations. Lavish weddings are becoming normal, with a lot of pre-wedding events like bridal showers, qawwali nights, dua-e-khair, game night, shendi, mayoun, sangeet nights, and mehndi, etc. After all these events, there’s still the traditional Nikkah, barat, and Walima, followed by even more post-wedding celebrations.
Since these grand occasions last for several days, complete with rituals, ceremonies, and amazing feasts. The focus is not solely on the union of two people, but also on displaying the family’s wealth and social standing.
4. Cross-Cultural Marriages
With globalization and increased mobility, cross-cultural marriages are on the rise in Pakistan. This trend reflects a more diverse and interconnected society, where individuals are more open to forming relationships across ethnic, religious, and national boundaries.
All these changes are happening because more people are getting educated, living in cities, and being exposed to Western culture through social media. Unfortunately, many young people blindly follow celebrities without realizing that they’re often sponsored by big brands. They see them as famous personalities and want to emulate their lifestyles. Consequently, these new marriage trends in Pakistan can place undue pressure on their parents.
Driving Forces Behind Change
Many factors contribute to the evolution of marriage trends in Pakistan.
- Education:
As educational opportunities increase, particularly for women, their perspectives on marriage are changing. They seek partners who share their values and aspirations.
- Urbanization:
Life in urban centers exposes people to different ideas and lifestyles. Which influences their views on marriage.
- Social Media:
Social media platforms provide avenues for connection and sometimes, even lead to love marriages.
- Economic Independence:
Another big reason for the change is that people, especially women, have more money now and can make their own decisions about who they want to marry.
Challenges and Considerations
Change doesn’t come without challenges. It’s important to balance tradition with modern dreams, understand what families expect, and make sure everyone agrees.
These changing marriage trends in Pakistan offer more freedom to choose but also bring difficulties, especially in conservative areas. Furthermore, it can be hard when elders don’t want things to change, or when there’s pressure to do things the old way. So, couples who want to do things differently might feel stressed because of what society expects.
Additionally, economic factors play a significant role in shaping marriage trends. Rising living costs, unemployment, and financial instability can delay young couples’ ability to marry. Moreover, it also led them to postpone marriage until they are more financially secure. This shows how important it is to deal with bigger problems in society to support healthy and sustainable marriages.
Future Marriage Trends in Pakistan
In the future, marriage in Pakistan will likely be a mix of tradition with modern ideas. While some might go for big, expensive weddings, others will prefer simpler ones. This clash between tradition and modernity happens in every era, with society always split into two parts. As technology changes the world fast, Pakistan’s way of getting married will also change. Here’s what might happen:
1. Matrimonial Apps: The Future of Matchmaking
The modern matchmaking services or matrimonial apps are probable to become even more popular in Pakistan. People might increasingly rely on these platforms to find compatible partners. Imagine apps that use tests and quizzes to find better matches. Especially with matrimonial apps, families will look for proposals online and talk about them with other family members.
2. Meeting in virtual reality:
While not replacing real meetings, virtual reality may be helping couples or families meet safely, especially if they’re far away.
3. More talking online:
Social media, websites, and new apps are becoming popular places for people to openly talk about marriage and seek advice. These platforms provide easy access to information, personal experiences, and expert guidance, helping individuals learn more about relationships. Here are a few examples of apps that are revolutionizing marriage conversations:
4. AngryGF:
This app provides a platform for individuals to express their emotions and seek advice about their relationships. Users can engage with a community of like-minded individuals and gain insights into navigating the complexities of marriage.
- Relate:
This app offers tools and resources to help couples improve their communication and strengthen their relationships. It provides personalized exercises, expert advice, and interactive features to promote healthy and fulfilling marriages.
- Lasting:
This app is designed to enhance couples’ understanding of each other and build stronger connections. It offers personalized relationship assessments, interactive activities, and expert advice to help couples improve their communication, intimacy, and overall relationship satisfaction.
- Honeydue:
This is an app that focuses on managing finances and budgeting as a couple. It allows partners to track shared expenses, set financial goals, and communicate about money matters, promoting transparency and collaboration in financial decision-making.
Instead of relying solely on advice from friends and family, people are turning to these digital spaces for a broader range of perspectives.
5. Families stay close with tech:
Technology might help families stay in touch, even if they’re far apart. Video calls and online spaces could help, changing how families live together.
6. Values matter more:
With more information, couples might care more about having the same values and goals than old things like being in the same social group.
Last Words
Marriage Trends in Pakistan are changing because of tradition mixing with modern life. Even though some old ways still matter, new ideas from cities and the world are making things different. But no matter what, marriage is still about love and sticking together. We need to accept all kinds of marriages and respect each other’s choices for a happier future.
