Üsküdar Üniversitesi conducted a remarkable study with the participation of university students, revealing young people's thoughts on marriage rituals. A significant portion of young participants stated that they want a simple wedding ceremony, while a significant majority also do not want writing on the wedding car. Classic cars are mostly preferred as wedding cars. Lavish and burdensome weddings can also deter young people from the decision to marry.
While young people prefer simple weddings, expenses can deter them from marriage!
With the end of pandemic measures and the arrival of summer, Üsküdar Üniversitesi's Sociology Department conducted an important study during a period of intense wedding ceremonies. The results of the study, carried out to understand the thoughts of university students across Turkey regarding wedding rituals, were striking.
Women constituted 75.9 percent of the participants
In the study led by Üsküdar Üniversitesi Head of Sociology Department Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı, with the participation of 436 university students from across Turkey, 75.9% of the participants were women and 24.1% were men. Among the participants, 38.5% were in the 18-20 age group, 38.5% in the 21-23 age group, and 2% in the 24-26 age group. 89% of the young people surveyed stated they were single, 5.3% were married, and 4.7% were engaged/betrothed. 73.4% of the participants stated they were undergraduate students, 9% associate degree students, and 8.7% master's degree students. Furthermore, 58% of the sample consisted of foundation university students and 42% of state university students.
Young People Prefer Simple Weddings
Among the questions asked was: “What kind of wedding ceremony would you like to have?” To this question, 36.5% of participants preferred the option of ‘a simple wedding ceremony and dinner with family/close circle,’ while 22.5% chose ‘a large-scale wedding organization in a wedding hall,’ and 2% answered ‘I have never thought about this.’ 6.4% of those surveyed responded ‘I generally find such ceremonies meaningless,’ while 8.3% of participants stated they generally do not consider getting married. Additionally, 0.4% of young people preferred options such as a beach wedding, a country wedding, or a simple wedding.
Favorite Wedding Cars Are Classic Automobiles
The research also included questions about the model and color of the wedding car and the writings on its back, yielding striking answers. 32.1% of participants stated they would prefer a classic car model, while 31.4% gave answers like ‘sports car’ and ‘it doesn't matter.’ 2.3% of university students also stated that they preferred a ‘phaeton,’ which has a nostalgic character.
Women Prefer Black and Flower-Decorated Wedding Cars More
To the question “What color would you prefer your wedding car to be?”, 36.9% of young people answered ‘it doesn't matter,’ while 29.4% stated they would prefer black, 21.1% white, 5.3% red, and 2.5% blue. To the question “What style of decoration would you prefer for your wedding car?”, 31.9% of participants answered floral decoration, while 3% said ‘only tulle is enough.’ A significant portion of participants chose ‘it doesn't matter’ or ‘I have never thought about this.’ In this question, it was observed that women preferred black wedding cars more than men.
Young People Don't Want Writing on Wedding Cars!
In the study, the most entertaining questions for participants were asked in the section regarding writings on wedding cars. To the question “Would you like there to be writing on your wedding car when you get married?”, a very significant portion of participants, 76.1%, answered ‘no,’ while 23.4% answered ‘yes.’ To the participants who answered ‘yes’ to this question, “What kind of writing would you prefer on the wedding car?”, very different and striking answers were received. Among the answers, some expressed a desire for meaningful words from Rumi's mentor Shams-i Tabrizi, such as ‘For one who doesn't love, an ant is a burden; for one who loves, an elephant is an ant; a person can even carry a mountain when they fall in love and believe,’ while others wanted romantic and humorous phrases.
In addition to those who wanted romantic phrases like ‘I found the owner of my heart,’ ‘Allah united our hearts with love,’ ‘Our story begins,’ or humorous ones like ‘We made a mistake :)’, ‘We're doomed,’ writings referring to the pandemic process such as ‘Neither Sinovac nor BioNTech, I'm struck by one tech (you)’ also attracted attention. A significant portion of participants stated they would prefer classic writings such as ‘We're getting married,’ ‘We're happy,’ or ‘just our initials would be enough.’
Creative Wedding Car Writings Are Etched into Memory
When asked about ‘Writings on wedding cars of your relatives and other people around you that you found interesting, entertaining, and memorable,’ participants mentioned phrases such as ‘We were just going to have a cup of tea and leave, look where things ended up,’ ‘I took my angel, I'm going to heaven,’ ‘I took my subject, I'm going to form my sentence,’ ‘Girls, don't be sad I got married, my brother is single,’ ‘My mother's first and last bride,’ ‘They had fun with you, but married me,’ stating that these types of writings attracted their attention more and stayed in their memory. To the question “What do you think about the convoy behind the wedding car?”, 50.2% of participants answered ‘I find it fun,’ while 33.5% answered ‘I am against it because it causes traffic accidents and excessive traffic problems.’
Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı: “Weddings Are Becoming a Means of Power Display”
Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı stated, ‘The research results generally show that young people prefer simpler ceremonies at weddings,’ and continued his words as follows:
“However, especially the concern of parents and close relatives with ‘What will people say?’ and their efforts for ‘Let people see the wedding!’ override the wishes of young people. In this context, weddings are becoming the most visible means by which individuals can display and enhance their social circles, statuses, and power. This situation transforms weddings from their original purpose of being an announcement for the start of a happy home and a virtuous generation, into a phenomenon where the urge to reach the colorful worlds offered by consumer culture, which entices individuals, is realized.”
Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı: “Lavish Weddings Impose Financial Burdens”
Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı shared his evaluations regarding the research results as follows:
“Rituals within wedding ceremonies are also affected and transformed by this era, dominated by excessive consumption and visuality. Today, wedding ceremonies are evolving into a phenomenon where individuals find opportunities to showcase themselves and engage in active participation. Lavish weddings, which arise from a mentality that follows trends largely guided by event companies, wedding halls, and hotels through social media, impose financial burdens on individuals. Research shows that wedding expenses are among the significant reasons that financially strain individuals and, in some cases, deter couples from the decision to marry, as they involve substantial costs. Extravagant wedding halls, the most glittering outfits, invitations, and elaborate catering put both families and young people under great expense. In this context, a study like this is important for examining the thoughts and perceptions of educated youth regarding marriage rituals.”