Dowry

Submitted by Jordana Ghannam-Ahmed (United States), Jan 25, 2020 at 00:54

Dowry amounts and customs can vary alot by region/country, that much I do know. But, as an example, I was married in Egypt (this was years ago too, the inflation and economy in Egypt has changed significantly since making Dowry and marriage a hardship or even an impossibility) and my mahr or cash Dowry was 70,000 LE (approx $10,000 USD at the time give or take, as I recall). Then the shabka (wedding jewelry and gold usually custom made, matching, super formal stuff nobody ever wears) cost around 20,000 LE but in Lieu of the gaudy stuff I opted to get just really high quality and classic set of any occasion jewelry in both white and yellow gold, as I'm really very basic in my Material desires. Our wedding rings we had designed and purchased from a jeweler in Minneapolis as the cost of high quality gold and especially high grade diamonds in USA was far better. My dowry is considered relatively conservative nothing extravagant or hardship causing, but of course also the brides family SHOULD (in theory anyways not always in practice) consider the financial means of the groom in addition to the rights and value of the bride and determine dowry according to both their interests and the interests of their future together.

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