Wedding attires

Similar to what happens in the western world where the members of a bridal train all dress in matching gowns, in my region, the bride's party also turn out in matching and colorful attire on her wedding day.

Weeks before the wedding date, the bride-to-be selects a specific clothing material that would be sewn into dresses that are to be worn by her sisters, friends and colleagues on the day of the ceremony. Everyone of these women would have to buy and sew the selected clothing materials with their own money.

This practice is very common among young women in honor of thier friend on her wedding day. Most men don't bother about such matters.

So, let's say if six of your friends are getting married this year, you would have to buy and make six different dresses that you would wear on each of the various wedding dates. Depending on the quality, the cost of some of these clothing materials can be quite exorbitant or sometimes cheap. The more beautiful the clothing looks, the higher their price.

Although, some reasonable brides might want to consider the financial burden involved and would simply ask her friends to pick a clothing material that they could comfortably afford, since all fingers are not equal.

But sometimes, a bride-to-be would want to choose a brightly colored clothing material which would add to the brilliance of her wedding ceremony . Such materials could be very expensive you know.

The cost of such materials for making the dresses could be as high as 15 to 30 dollars. The more quality materials could cost more. No matter how much these clothing materials might cost, you just have to buy, after which you'd take it to a tailor that would help you make a dress out of them. You also have to pay the tailor for his service ofcourse.

In most cases, if you know the bride personally or you are part of her inner circle of friends, it is preferable you don't attend her wedding at all than for you to appear in a different attire. You wouldn't be comfortable looking odd from the rest of the pack, would you?

And you know when the bride notice your absence especially when it's time to take pictures, she might smell envy and begin to think you blatantly refused to come to her wedding. Your relationship between you and that friend might not be thesame again.

Revealing that the reason why you couldn't attend the ceremony was because you couldn't afford to buy the dress might be quite unbelievable. Afterall, you definitely have a boyfriend or a husband that could take care of your bills. Lol, well I think that true.

I could remember whenever I requested money from dad to purchase these wedding clothes, he'd scream at me as soon as he hears their outrageous cost.

"Fifty dollars, just for a wedding attire ?! Are you the one getting married or your friend? What is wrong with you kids of nowadays, you think I pick money from trees? That money is enough to settle half your tuition fee. Infact I don't have money for frivolities......" blablabla. Dad would go on like that for few minutes while I look at him with a tired and bored expression on my face. Finally he gets tired of ranting and raises both hands in an exasperating manner.

At this point, he finally manages to meet my eyes and orders me to go get his briefcase from his bedside. From the bag, he brings out a bundle of currency notes. As soon as he begins counting, with a frown on his face, ready to give me the sum I had requested, I'd pretend to look at another direction, but of course I'm mentally counting too.

As soon as I have collected the money from him, he'd launch into another series of vociferation and I'd interrupt him by yelling a " thank you" while jumping towards the door. Dad would still grumble " Let this be the last time that you'd be asking me money for any stupid wedding attire". But dad already knows that I would come to him again for money for a new wedding attire in the nearest future. And he also knows that I Know that he wouldn't be able to refuse me each time I came.

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