'Spent ₹25 lakh to look rich...': CA cautionary tale about big fat Indian weddings, bigger debts

Massive spending on big fat Indian weddings might look glamorous on Instagram, but the hangover lasts much longer than the baraat. In a post that’s gone viral on X (formerly Twitter), chartered accountant Nitin Kaushik shared a sobering reality check on India’s obsession with extravagant weddings — and the financial stress that often follows.

“They spent ₹25 lakh to look rich. Three years later, reality hit harder than any baraat beat,” Kaushik wrote, recounting the story of a couple who took a ₹20 lakh wedding loan to fund designer outfits, drone shots, and a “full filmi package.” The perfection, he noted, lasted a single day, but the EMIs have been haunting them for years — with interest rates between 12-24% stretching repayments for up to seven years.

Kaushik’s post highlights a growing financial concern in India, where the average wedding cost now ranges between ₹10-25 lakh, and wedding loans of ₹1-5 lakh are becoming increasingly common. Some couples, however, borrow far beyond that — choosing spectacle over stability, often at the cost of their financial freedom.

“We glamorize weddings so much that we forget what comes after the fireworks: rent, savings, future goals — even freedom itself,” Kaushik cautioned. His message has resonated widely, echoing a shift among younger Indians who are starting to view weddings less as status symbols and more as financial milestones that must be approached with care.

In a country where social pressure to celebrate big remains strong, Kaushik’s takeaway is refreshingly simple — and deeply practical: “A ₹10 lakh wedding with peace of mind beats a ₹20 lakh affair with debts that steal your dreams. Marriage is one day. Life is decades. Build for your decades.”