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Earlier this year, Bengaluru-based naturopathic physician and nutritionist Dr Poorvi Bhat got married in a ‘zero-waste’ wedding that went viral on the internet. Opting for a traditional ceremony, Dr Bhat decided to forgo the hullabaloo of the big fat Indian wedding.
The result? An eco-friendly and green wedding that not only was more rooted and meaningful for the couple, but also ended up inspiring many more on the internet.
Weddings generate a lot of waste. That's not new information. Experts have previously estimated that a 'lavish' Indian wedding generates about 800 kgs of wet waste, and almost double that amount of dry waste. The good news, though, is that there are a few who want to set an example, and stand true to their principles, more so on their special days.
The Quint speaks to three people who had environment-friendly weddings.
‘Going Back to Tradition, Not Innovating Something New’
When Dr Bhat was getting married, nothing that she did at her wedding felt to her like she was paving a path. Instead, to her, it was simply following the footsteps of her parents and their traditions.
“When people were getting married 20-30 years ago, there wasn’t as much plastic as in today’s weddings. We were simply going back to tradition. We wanted to bring back the meaningfulness attached to these things.”Dr Poorvi Bhat
And so, planning an eco-friendly wedding came very naturally to Dr Bhat. She got married at her family’s farm under a sugarcane mandap, since sugarcane is grown locally in the area. After the festivities, the sugarcane was fed to the cows at the farm.
Raghav Chakravarthy, a Bengaluru-based entrepreneur, held his wedding in an open venue during the day to reduce the need for electricity and energy. He also booked a venue close to a metro station and encouraged people to use it to reach the location.
Mudit Agarwal, Founder of The Event House – an event management company that’s organised several eco-friendly weddings – tells The Quint that daytime weddings are becoming more popular lately.
“They allow us to utilise natural light, reducing the need for artificial lighting and lowering emissions,” says Agarwal.
Both Dr Bhat and Chakravarthy made some smaller conscious decisions, too. At Dr Bhat’s wedding, the water from the handwashing area was directed to the fields. Waste segregation after the ceremony and donating leftover food to old age and charity homes was a big part of Chakravarthy’s wedding.
Chakravarthy also decided not to get any invitation cards printed and had a small 10-minute secular vow exchanging ceremony so that no waste is generated during the wedding rituals. Another small step he mentions is using reusable cloth napkins, which he then donated to be used in other weddings.
Geeta S, who works in the social sector, decided to get married in an ashram in Haridwar. For her, the planning of a green wedding started with opting for a dharamshala instead of a hotel, with the intent of choosing options that were generating much less waste. Her husband also opted for a ‘no-ghodi’ (no horse) and ‘no-firecrackers’ baraat.
Geeta tells The Quint that not having a ghodi didn't put a damper on any of the fun, because people loved dancing to the dhol beats anyway. But for the couple, it was a very important factor because they wanted to stand true to their values and not cause harm to any animals, which they would have no matter how consciously they would have tried to avoid it, she says.
All of them gave saplings as return gifts to their guests.
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‘Plastic Cups & Water Bottles Are the Biggest Waste Generators’
There’s another thing that all of them did.
Dr Bhat, Chakravarthy, and Geeta all had decided that their weddings would minimise plastic use and waste as much as they could. So, all of them had reusable steel cutlery at their wedding, steel utensils, and water coolers to refill their steel cups. They opted for these rather than the glass or more fancy cutlery that might break and produce waste unpredictably.
They tell The Quint that through wedding planning, they came to the realisation that single-use plastic water bottles are the “BIGGEST WASTE GENERATOR EVER.”
So, all these weddings had a strict no paper, no plastic cups, and no plastic water bottles rule. In fact, Chakravarthy even asked his guests to bring their own water bottles if they could. And he got steel tumblers kept at the venue filled with water.
Instead, they invested in other things to ensure that even in an eco-friendly wedding, hygiene is not one area that gets compromised. Dr Bhat even rented out an autoclave machine.
Another major generator of waste at weddings is the decoration. So, for Dr Bhat, the way to go was minimalism. For her wedding awning (chapras), she decided to use coconut tree branches and erica trees from her farm.
Chakravarthy also had the same learning, which is why he recycled all the flower decorations from his wedding.
Are Eco Weddings Also More Economical?
Eco-friendly weddings can also be economical if you plan them with careful thought. For instance, Geeta booked the wedding vendors locally – from the florists to the caterers to the decorator.
The only slightly expensive part was renting utensils – but, Dr Bhat explains, that in comparison to individual water bottles and caterer-owned cutlery, these were competitively priced too.
Chakravarthy, on the other hand, says that skipping physical invitation cards was a big save, as was hiring a waste management vendor, and avoiding the use of lights during the day.
But ask them why they opted for eco-friendly weddings, and money was the last considered factor for all of them.
Geeta tells The Quint, “We disregarded big fat weddings, for the kind of message it gives from nature’s perspective. It wasn’t exactly planned as a zero-waste wedding, but a green wedding. Conscious weddings are easier said than done. But it’s all about doing things in one’s own capacity considering the planet.”
“Eco-friendly weddings are generally more economical, as long as you spend wisely. By focusing on what truly matters and making thoughtful choices, you can create a fulfilling and engaging event without overspending. However, certain eco-friendly options, like sustainable venue choices, organic catering, or custom-made attire from ethical designers, may come at a premium.”Mudit Agarwal
However, that doesn’t mean they didn’t face challenges.
Communicating to guests why there was no plastic usage was a headache, as was explaining the same to vendors, especially when it’s super convenient to just give in.
Sourcing cloth napkins, utensils, and constantly learning and relearning waste generation was challenging too, they say.
But at the end of the day, it was what helped them derive the most joy from their event.
However, Agarwal does say that the demand for sustainable weddings isn’t widespread yet. There are some couples who want to actively make conscious changes, while there are some who do consider suggestions made by wedding planners too.
As a wedding planner, Agarwal has some suggestions too. Opt for venues that are close to home or within the city to minimise fuel consumption and reduce transportation-related emissions. Use paper-based props. Have potted plants as centerpieces, which can make for sustainable gifts later too. Choose seasonal flowers. Combine multiple events into a single ceremony.
As Chakravarthy puts it,
“It’s not very convenient to do the right thing. But it can be extremely special and meaningful.”
