“Green Wedding”: 10 things you should know

Traditionally, weddings in India mean big budgets, extraordinary venues, lavish decorations, lavish brides/groom’s outfit, etc. With a little shift in thinking perspectives, people are getting aware of what they are doing wrong. A green wedding is not just a trend or a style of celebrating your big day, it is an opportunity for all of us to be more conscious about the environment and sustainability. When you are starting your new life and making promises for your entire life, at least make one promise for your planet that you're gonna be a part of the solution for the climate crisis, not part of the problem. Your approach to the green wedding will decrease your carbon footprint. 

Now since we understand what Green Wedding is, let’s discuss the basic ways to go green on your Wedding Day

1. Choose the venue wisely

• If you plan to have a green and eco-friendly wedding, then try to go to outdoor venues like any farm, lawn, beach, etc where you can get enough sunlight. 
• Daytime wedding prevent unwanted consumption of electricity in lighting decorations that will decrease carbon footprint
• Solar-powered lights are also a good option for specific functions at night.
• An outdoor wedding needs minimal decorations because nature has made everything so beautiful naturally.

2. Keep the guest list precise

• Keep your guest list very intimate, invite-only those who mean something in your life
• It will make your day more enjoyable and manageable. Only family and close friends together can make your day memorable with a lot of happy moments

3. Green wedding invitations

• Switch from paper invites to e-invites to save millions of trees that would be cut to make those fancy paper invites.
• E-invites are a more easy option to invite people. You can create a beautiful post or a personalized video invitation and send through WhatsApp or Facebook
• Always mention in your invitations about zero-waste weddings to encourage others to do the same.
• Seed paper invitation could also be an option for those to whom we couldn’t send e-invites

4. Eco-friendly wedding dress and jewelry

• When we think about the wedding dress, it always comes like bright, heavy, and expensive outfits with lots of work on it. Indeed it is expensive though. But on the other side of the mirror, it’s a total waste of effort invested to make that dress because it could be worn only once or max twice, opt for pre-loved or vintage
• If you or your family do not prefer the second-hand dress for marriage, you can wear your mother’s or grandmother’s wedding dress or make something new out of it and still look gorgeous on your special day
• If you still have to buy a new dress for D-Day then try to buy clothes from traditional weavers/ artisans or local designers who make eco-friendly dresses and support sustainable fashion. 
• Make your family jewels a signature for yourself. There is no need for buying new jewelry, break that myth that the bride should wear something new

5. Decorations for Green wedding

• Always use locally sourced flowers and plants for your decoration. Ditch all the plastic and paper decorations
• Minimalism is the key for wedding decorations to prevent piles of waste afterward
• Coconut shell carvings decorations could be a creative idea for eco-friendly wedding decorations

6. Gift registry

• A gift registry is a great option to go zero waste in terms of gifts received from guests
• In this way, you can let your guests know exactly what you’d like as your wedding gift. None of the gifts go to waste and your guests get to be a small part of your new life. 
• It is a very convenient way for guests to purchase gifts and they feel satisfied with what their gifts 

7. Catering

• Have a vegetarian menu, remove non-vegetarian food items completely. If you believe in veganism then go for a completely vegan menu. Vegan food can also be exciting.
• It is always sustainable, eco-friendly and money saver to have locally sourced ingredient rich food. So talk to your caterer about it and tell them to cook a sufficient quantity not more than that.
• There should be no use of single-use plastic. 
• Say NO to wastage of food at your wedding. Try to connect with NGOs (FeedingIndia, Robinhood army, nofoodwaste) who can come and collect food and distribute among the neediest, that way there won’t be any wastage
• Cutlery is the most wasteful product at weddings. Use steel cutlery that can be easily cleaned with micro enzymes or go for rental cutlery 
• Edible cutlery is also in trend nowadays. They are made of bajra, millet, and grains. Easy to eat and 100% biodegradable
• A refillable water bottle could be served to guests so that they refill and take back home
• Food can be served on banana leaves or opt for any sustainable option. Skipping the buffet style and opting to serve is a step forward to sustainability 

8. Go local

• Try to promote your local vendors by buying food and flowers from them
• Take a trip to your local markets and nearby cultural small towns so that you can get an idea of having a perfect wedding with minimal expenses 
• Local seasonal fruits and food ingredients could be a great addition to the menu

9. Wedding favors

• Wedding favors are the best way to show your consciousness towards the environment. 
• You can give seeds or potted plants to your guests as wedding favors
• Keep that in mind that what you are giving to your guest should not be thrown as waste harming the environment. 
• Choosing eco-friendly, edible favors is always a great option. You can go for a local bakery made cookies or the best in traditional Indian Bhaji box
• Do not use plastic bags, try to opt for reusable bags to carry gifts

10. Honeymoon for Green wedding

• Honeymoon destination search is always fun but try to search eco-friendly places that come up with such options as resorts having sustainable living initiatives.
• Such initiatives may include a solar-powered resort, water, and animal conservation projects or resorts built from sustainable materials with minimal land disruption
• If you traveling by airplane, try to offset your carbon footprint by planting trees  
• On your honeymoon, go for local environmental initiatives, such as visiting an animal sanctuary, participating in a beach cleanup
• Always try to dine at restaurants that source their food sustainably. 

References

1. 25, September, and Sneha Sivakumar. “Step by Step Guide to Having a Green Wedding in India in 2019!” Wedding Wishlist Blog, 25 Sept. 2019, URL
2. Nath, Sayantani. “7 Perfect Ideas to Celebrate the Perfect Zero-Waste Wedding.” The Better India, 17 Jan.2020, URL
3. Nirwan, Vandini. “Our Exclusive Take On How To Plan An Eco-Friendly Wedding On This World Environment Day.” Wedding, Www.weddingwire.in, 29 May 2019, URL