These days a lot is spent on dowers and dowery. In the time of Companions, the mahr or dower used to be gold equivalent to the weight of date seed. This was indeed very small! There was no concept of dowery then. These days people give large amounts in dower. A lot of dowery is given. There is great frenzy over all this. All this is contrary to Islam.
When the Prophet migrated from Makkah to Madinah, there were many other Muslims called Muhajirun, or Emigrants. Madinah was a small town then, not a big city like Delhi. There was a Companion called Abdur Rahman ibn Awf in Madinah. He didn't come to the gathering of the Prophet for several days. Then he came one day after a long time. The Prophet asked him why he hadn't come since so long. He replied that he had got married due to which he couldn’t come for some days. (Sahih al-Bukhari 2049)
Madinah was a small town. A Companion of the Prophet got married there and the Prophet didn’t even come to know! These days a lot of money is spent on every invitation card. Very elaborate wedding cards are printed and a lot of people are invited. People even come on aeroplanes from faraway places. Many come from America only to attend weddings. People come on trains, cars, aeroplanes to attend weddings. There is a grand celebration. People spend thousands, lakhs, even more than their capacity. All this has no relation with Islam. In Madinah, a Companion of the Prophet got married. The Prophet was present there, but wasn't invited to the wedding. In his wedding, there was no celebration or fanfare.
These days a lot is spent on dowers and dowery. In the time of Companions, the mahr or dower used to be gold equivalent to the weight of date seed. This was indeed very small! There was no concept of dowery then. These days people give large amounts in dower. A lot of dowery is given. There is great frenzy over all this. All this is contrary to Islam.
Why is this so? People have not made God their concern. Their concern is matters other than God. Their status is their concern. If they have spent so much, I too have to spend this much! If they have given all this to their daughter, I too have to give all of it! If these many people came to their wedding, I too have to invite these many people! If in their wedding people came in cars, in our wedding they should come in aeroplanes! These days status is God. God Himself is not anybody's concern.
A person's concern is his God. A hadith says: An age will come when people's lord will be their child. ان تلد الامة ربتها. (Sahih Muslim 8) A person's son will become his lord. What is the meaning of rabb, or lord? One's lord is one's concern. A time will come when people's children will be their supreme concern. This is how someone or something becomes one's lord.