The Ruling on Excess in Celebrations

Q: The celebrations held in hotels, which cost a great deal of money, are they considered excess? If they are excess, we hope you will point that out, Your Eminence?

A: The celebrations held in hotels contain errors and multiple faults. Among them is that it is generally the case that they involve excess and additions that are not needed.
The second point is that this leads to making a show of preparing feasts, being excessive in them, and having people attend who are not needed.
The third point is that it may lead to the free mixing of men and women, including hotel employees and others. This constitutes a shameful and blameworthy mixing. The same applies to the wedding halls that are rented for large sums of money. It should be left off, and one should not make a show of it, out of consideration for people, a desire for economy, and to avoid excess and waste. This is so that those with moderate incomes can afford to marry without making a show of it. Because if a man sees his cousin or relative making a show of things in hotels and large feasts, he will either imitate him and incur debts and heavy expenses, or he will delay and hesitate to marry out of fear of these expenses.
So my advice to all my Muslim brothers is not to hold them in hotels or expensive wedding halls, but rather to hold them in a hall with low costs or in homes. There is nothing wrong with that. Not holding them in wedding halls and being content with holding them in the home, where possible, is better and further from making a show and excess. And Allah is the One to be asked for help.