In one Pakistani region, frugal wedding parties

Mahmood said he did not know if anyone had been punished so far. But Mian Tajammal Ilyas, joint secretary of a marriage hall association in Punjab, said the government's announcement is already cutting into the profits of caterers.

He said there are plenty of clients who have canceled orders for multiple main dishes. But the wealthiest don't care if they get fined, he said, because an opulent wedding "is a matter of prestige for them."

Ambereen Karamat, a wedding planner, calls the government's move "a lovely idea" and hopes officials will be strict in enforcing the crackdown. "Even these caterers, the menus, the rates are obnoxious now," she said.

Still, Karamat said that even after she explains the law, many clients balk at providing anything less than a grand array of food.

Ayesha Hakki, founder and publisher of bibimagazine.com, an online bridal and fashion portal for South Asians, says the rule will be hard to enforce and is skeptical it will curb families' desires for lavish weddings. She described it as a mentality of "keeping up with the Jafris."

Over the years, families have resorted to ruses to circumvent the rule, including holding the wedding meal in private homes rather than public places.

"People will disguise the event as a birthday, and then just happen to have a bride and groom show up," Hakki said.

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