"The highest happiness on earth is marriage."
William Lyon Phelps
It is about time we stop glamourizing the age-old "the big fat Indian wedding" and opt for more sustainable weddings! However, I would also like to add that a wedding is a personal affair and you should be able to have it your way. This blog isn't written to spread guilt, it is written to provide more awareness. You can learn and try to inculcate as many of these ideas as possible. Every change is precious. We will be discussing everything, right from the venue to the wedding dress, so we hope you are taking points!
Indian weddings are filled with extended families and far relatives and many more people. People from all across the country (or the world) come together to attend the wedding. As we all know air travel and car travel can leave a lot of carbon footprint, we suggest you choose a location that will require the least amount of traveling for most of the guests. It will take time to figure out the venue, but it is a noble cause. Take your time and make the right choice.
We Indians love food, so we have a variety of food items at our weddings. Usually, it is difficult to estimate the food requirement and we may arrange for more food than required. Many guests don't even eat much at the wedding and waste the food. It is better if we arrange for ways to donate the leftover food, so we reduce the food wastage. You will be serving hungry people without having to spend extra on it. What is more perfect than that?
A lot of stationaries can be avoided if we shifted from paper invitations to digital invitations. It is way easier and quicker to reach people through digital invitations and it saves paper. For other things like tissues or food menu, try to ensure that you use recycled paper. If you love having a good stationery decoration, then by all means have it, but look for eco-friendly options.
Every bride and groom want to look their absolute best on their wedding day! and they should look their best, after all, it's the most important day of their lives! You don't have to compromise on anything, all you have to do is look for eco-friendly brands and companies for your makeup, hair, outfits, and accessories. Opting for brands with ethical work regulations is also a good thing. Your vanity should make you and shouldn't cause suffering to other people or animals.
In an ideal world, every wedding shall be plastic-free. But, we live in a world where plastic is used everywhere. By no means, I am suggesting you go full plastic-free, but you can certainly avoid plastic wastage in many places. Having sustainable glasses over paper cups or plastic bottles is a great step. You can also avoid using paper plates and opt for bio-degradable straws. In short, choose more sustainable options wherever possible.
Using firecrackers, balloons, or sky lanterns is extremely hazardous for the environment and animals, so avoiding them is a good pro-sustainable wedding step. You can use eco-friendly décor options like glassware, books, vintage candle sticks, bio-degradable balloons, eco-friendly candles, etc. Your wedding can still look Insta-worthy and pretty without harming or wasting the planet's valuable resources.
Gifts are one of the exciting factors for couples on their wedding day. You can inform your guests beforehand that you are looking for sustainable gifts like solar panels, bamboo brushes, compost bins, etc. You can also ask the guests to make donations to notable causes. By accepting eco-friendly and valuable gifts, you are reducing wastage and also contributing to making this world a better place.
The wedding decoration is full of flowers. We want different colors and types of flowers to make our weddings look as dreamy and grand as possible. Opting for locally grown flowers helps you get the freshest flowers that didn't need to travel a distance to reach you, which in turn reduces the carbon footprint. This one is one of the easiest ways to make your wedding more sustainable.
These are a few basic tips that I had for you to make your wedding more sustainable. You can get creative and think of ways to make your wedding affair a planet-friendly affair. Your wedding should be your happiest day, and you should receive the blessing and good vibe of everyone around you. At the end of the day, it is your choice how you want your wedding to be, but just knowing and being aware of sustainable weddings is a great first step in an eco-friendly direction!
Thank you for reading this blog. I hope you found this informative.