#FirstPerson: Here's How We Had An Eco-Conscious Wedding With A Few Simple Tweaks
BY Sakshi | 14 Apr, 2023 | 1729 views | 4 min read
Out of all the weddings that happen these days, there are very few couples who choose to go down the green route. But when someone does, it goes without saying that we have to feature it so others can get inspired too! And something that stands out is that one doesn't need to go all out, a few tweaks can ensure your wedding is eco-conscious and giving back to society!
Sanya and Rahil had a wedding that was inspirational in every sense- not only was it an environmentally conscious one, but everything- the bridal choices, the groomwear and the decor, everything looked amazing too. Over to Sanya and Rahil now, who tell us all about all the small little things that made a big difference at their wedding.
For our special day, we wanted to celebrate in a way that was respectful to nature and all living beings. Keeping this in mind, we took mindful steps to be more eco-conscious for our wedding and looked into different aspects in our attempt to focus on the 4Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover).
Scaling down events
We limited our functions to a mehendi/cocktail and the wedding. This helped us to reduce the scale and also ensured that we had a more relaxed flow for our events.
A compact guest list
We decided to take a conscious step in limiting our guest list and therefore, the size of our events. We were able to cut down on our guest list by 50%, simply by being more thoughtful about the people we wanted to join us on our special day.
Picking the right place & time
We fixed a location where the majority of our guests were situated. This minimized the travel that is associated with outstation and destination weddings. We also chose to have a majority of functions in the day time- this minimized electricity usage (and made for great photographs!)
Being smarter with décor choices
We wanted a minimal yet tasteful look for our events. By choosing open green venues, we were able to combine our decor with natural beauty. We restricted single use items and focused on using setups that were or will be reused by our decorator. We opted for eco friendlier options such as jute in the designs. The flowers that would be a part of the decor were given to the social enterprise, Nirmalaya to be repurposed to make incense sticks and the like.
Reducing food wastage
Our food was completely plant based to lower the carbon footprint of our meals. Plus we didn't want to harm any living being on a day that is to celebrate our love. Also, we donated our surplus food to the less privileged by tying up with the NGO, Robin Hood Army.
Limiting plastic usage
We minimized the use of single use plastic items to a great extent by using glass water bottles, matkas and aluminium cans. And for the plastic items that were used, we segregated those at source and responsibly recycled them by tying up with the social enterprise, Sahaas.
A thoughtful post-wedding project
As a gift giveaway, we planted a tree in the name of every guest. This will help us offset the carbon footprint of our event and also fund tree plantation efforts.
Opting for lab-grown diamonds instead
We opted for lab grown diamonds for our rings as opposed to naturally mined diamonds. Lab grown ones have a smaller footprint and are free of any conflict and abuse.
The Outfits
I made sure whatever I bought could be reused in future as opposed to a one-time buy. The groom's outfits were devoid of any animal products (silk, etc.) and were designed to be used for more than one occasion, rather than be a single use wear.
Vendors: Photography: The White Box; Venue: Iraluxe, Chhatarpur; Makeup Artist: Makeup by Maitreyi ; Wedding Planning: Weddings by Dhruv Chauhan ; Decor: The Good Event Company ; Bridal Outfits: Astha Narang (Mehendi & Cocktail), AK by Rhea Kapoor (Wedding); Groomwear: Ashish Soni ; Catering: Kwality Caterers ; Wedding Consultant: Ripu Daman; NGOs: Sahaas, Robin Hood Army
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