I realize a tallis is not the cost of a ring, but I’m just wondering where the line is drawn. As Mammele mentioned, it would be pretty bad for a kallah not to have a ring/bracelet to show off (not that I like that idea, but anyway) and a lukewarm “oh… it’s nice…” wouldn’t be too far off from that… Where does the Shas fall (and does it make a difference if he’s working or learning)?
DY, I was referring to routine family expenses, not wedding costs. Tuition aside for the minute, if there were a way to lower food costs, camp, school supplies/uniform, clothing/shoes (at least for young kids), tefillin/tzitzis etc that would definitely add up. Some of these are available to certain people at a lower rate, but not across the board. (Now you can tell me hachnosas kallah is a higher level than school supplies).
Agree 100% on the third point. Vorts do seem to be going away, if ever so slowly. And for something that seems to have a lot of downsides to a possible few benefits, this not yet kallah would love to be a trendsetter…
Edit: gavra, vorts can be anywhere from “extended l’chaim” to hall with hot food and music +. To play a slight devils advocate, a vort at home is not always feasible depending on setup, timing etc.