Being eco-conscious Pulkit and Sejal Parik turned vegan a few years back. And when the two decided to tie the knot they couldn’t bear to have a wedding that would adversely affect our planet. So they went in for a eco-friendly wedding. Keeping waste-reduction, recycling, energy-saving appliances, biodegradable and disposable products in mind, Sejal and Pulkit said ‘I do’ in an eco-friendly way.
The trend is catching up among the young and environmentally conscious couples, says software engineer Pulkit. “Indian big fat weddings have irrevocable negative impact on environment. Therefore, we decided to go for a green wedding. We started with sending out handmade eco-friendly invitation cards using only natural colours to save trees,” shares Pulkit about his green wedding.
Eco-friendly weddings are a huge hit internationally and back home too instead of weddings with pomp and show, many couples are opting for green reception or cocktail dinners. “There has been 10 to 12% increase in couples opting for green wedding recently. We expect it to reach 40% soon,” says Manu Mahalwar and Rohan Chaudhuri from Talk Of The Town Events and Decor.
It’s a huge craze among brides, says Liza Varma, CEO, Quintessentially Events and Weddings. “Though in India the resources to create such a wedding are still rather limited, opting for an eco-friendly wedding doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your dream wedding. There are many other options to make a wedding eco-friendly yet luxurious and memorable. To begin with, we can choose a backdrop of a beautiful venue like a palace or château that doesn’t require stages since they involve waste of wood and other materials. Instead of flowers we use plants. Seasonal food and things that are not imported add to eco-friendly wedding,” Liza adds.
As far as the wedding is concerned, eco-friendly products are much in demand with respect to décor and lighting. Paper plates or banana leaf instead of crockery, hanging lanterns, paper lamps, candles, colourful birdcages, papier mache mirror frames and potted plants are being used to make weddings eco-friendly. Also, wooden furniture pieces — antique sofas and centre tables — lend a warm, cosy and rustic look, say Manu and Rohan. They add, “Even destination weddings are passé. Cutting down on fuel cost, many are opting for local resorts.”
Raghav and Preethi Shankaran decided to go against all animal products for their wedding last year in December. Instead of silk they took vows in cotton costumes. “We even decided against serving aerated drinks. We served fresh juices and coconut water to our guests. Initially we were a bit skeptical about the reactions but were showered with compliments for being hatke,” laughs Preethi.
Agrees wedding planner Jasleen from Bougainvilla Designs Private Ltd. “Instead of decorating the area with flowers we use hanging paper cones and use LEDs, which consume 350 watts instead of 1000 watts and save up to 50 per cent electricity. Even using bamboos along with flowers can bring down the cost. Silver cutlery with very low cost re-polishing is also a sound option,” says Jasleen, who insists that though couples going for big fat weddings outnumber those who prefer eco-friendly weddings, the awareness is increasing and green wedding is getting a thumbs up from many.