Marriage seems to be one of the victims of the floundering Iranian economy.
Weddings are common in the lead up to the start of Moharram, the month of mourning. Brides being picked up by their grooms after beauty treatments are a common sight for Tehran residents. But such sights have become rarer due to the currency decline and economic deterioration, the Financial Times of London reported Saturday.
One hairdresser said that while people in her profession normally had filled schedules at this time of year, that was not true this year. “We’re sometimes sitting around doing nothing for hours,” she said.
The number of marriages registered in Iran was 7.5 percent lower in the first two months of the current Persian year compared to the same period last year.
Majid, a 27-year-old Iranian photographer, said his family advised him to put his wedding on hold. He said his mother told him they could not afford a wedding and they could not meet his fiancée and her family.
The drop in purchasing power is one threat to marriage, as prices for gold and home appliances, a staple for newly-wed life in Iran, increase.
Shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar said they noticed shoppers would check out prices of certain goods and but leave with small purchases.
An example provided by the Financial Times was the Bosch vacuum cleaner. Previously priced at 4 million rials, it now costs 10 million rials.
A high-end wedding planner said she has received few orders this month, pointing out that residents in general are hesitant about spending money in the unstable economic climate.
The Financial Times said recent demographic data also showed a rise in divorce, and many newly-wed couples opting out of having children, with the economic crisis being one of the determining factors.