Ajumma World: The Bride-to-Be

She thought love alone would be enough, but the moment wedding preparations begin, the heart keeps turning into numbers. Looking closely at the reality ahead of marriage, calculations far removed from love line up one after another — the wedding hall, the home, the dowry, the gifts. That is why she made the bouquet, a symbol of blessing, out of paper bills. The wish to begin something beautifully seemed to overlap, in this image, with the real costs one must pay to make it happen. Marriage, she reflects, is a promise between two people, yet it also sets in motion the time and finances of entire families. Why must beginning a life together first require securing so much?