Guide To Organising A Sustainable and Green Wedding – Wedamor
The big, fat, Indian weddings end up generating a lot of waste in the form of plastic, straws and leftover food. There are multiple ways to make your wedding green and sustainable while not compromising on any of the opulence and grandeur. There are wedding companies who specialise in sustainable weddings and you can take their help if you are looking for a full-scale eco-friendly wedding.
Here, we give you a few tips and tricks to get you started on your sustainable wedding planning.
Digital Wedding Invitations
E-vites have become quite commonplace now. Send e-vites and only e-vites to friends and family who are comfortable with digital platforms. Ofen an e-vite can be designed in much more detail and precision than a traditional invite, you can even make it interactive. You can type out personalised messages along with the e-vite so that it doesn’t seem too informal.
There will be certain members who will require a physical invite either because tradition demands or because they simply do not use Whatsapp or mail. In those cases go for biodegradable or seed paper and limit the invitation to a single sheet.
Lighting & Decor
While some weddings have to be held in the evening/ night, events like Mehndi and Haldi can be held in the mornings. For the morning events, choose an outdoor save with a lot of natural lighting. With outdoor spaces, you can also avoid the use of air conditioners. Even for indoor events, use only as much lighting as you need. An innovative idea is to use glass mosaic decor, which can help light up the place with minimal lighting.
There are a million ideas for making the wedding decore sustainable and reusable. Either use props which you already have or use waste materials or if you are purchasing something, get something that can be reused.
For example, you can use blackboards or mirrors as signage. Use banners made of burlap or wood; they are green and also add a rustic effect to the venue. Use flowers that are in season and readily available. Coconut husks, decorated umbrellas, wine bottles and origami art are some of the ideas for repurposing existing material. Also, make sure that you utilise whatever is at the venue to the maximum, it could be the green hedges or a large oak tree.
Catering & Cutlery
Use cutlery which is reusable or biodegradable—Ditch plastic straws for steel ones. Companies are offering edible cutlery made of bajra, millets and other food grains, and you can also opt for them. Try and minimise the use of plastic water bottles in the venue.
While you need to account for a few extra guests while ordering, try not to go completely overboard. But however conscious you are, there is bound to be extra food, however minimal. Work out something with the catering company so that the food can be donated to a suitable charity.
Wedding Favours
Wedding favours are a great place to do your part to spread your green initiative beyond your wedding. You can gift seeds as gifts, and even if a small percentage of the guests plant them, it will be worth the effort. Or, you can give off potted plants or herbs; they will have a higher chance of survival at the receiver’s home. You can also give off plants planted in terrariums, they look adorable and can be used as a decorative item.
All of this may seem quite overwhelming at first glance and too challenging to incorporate. Keep in mind that you need not do all of this. Even taking a few steps to make your wedding sustainable can still go a long way. If you have any more ideas, then let us know in the comments.