Prerana Agarwal Saxena, founder of Theme Weavers Designs, helps you plan a sustainable wedding
From sending plantable invites to gifting saplings as party favours, event planners are working to offer couples more eco-friendly ways to hold sustainable occasions. We, too, are working on options to further enhance the event’s décor using creative yet sustainable design ideas. Here are ways you can make your wedding more sustainable….
Go Digital
The use of technology is an easy way to go eco-friendly. Even working with your wedding planner no longer necessitates travel – which helps minimise the carbon footprint of the occasion – and planners can be in constant touch with clients and vendors to help them make informed decisions and finalise updates. Consider the conscious options of e-invites – made popular at the height of the pandemic – or recycled paper for invites. Give your eco-friendly wedding a good start with the resulting reduction of waste that is usually produced while using vellum paper for invitations and wedding stationery.
Choose An Eco-Friendly Venue
India has locations such as Jaipur or Goa that have become favourites for destination weddings, but it also boasts other spots such as the sand dunes of Khimsar that offer stunning picturesque views. One can also explore the unparalleled beauty of the jungles of India with a wedding at a luxurious wildlife property. Surrounded by towering trees, the sweet chorus of forest birds, and the sight of herds of jungle chital, the enchanting stay will offer an experience like no other, while reducing the carbon footprint of the event. You also get to experience exotic vistas and bring a vibrancy to the event with local culture. This ensures you and your guests have an immersive experience of the location without sacrificing style to be sustainable.
Choose To Go Native
Make it a point to work with local artisans at the destination at which you are having the wedding. This will give you the opportunity to blend the creative roots of the area into the décor for a unique style statement. Choosing to go local further offers one value by having everything done within the location’s vicinity. For instance, in Rajasthan, the traditional glass-blown technique can be incorporated as a décor item. Local craftsmanship brings an unforgettable dimension to the festivities, and the inclusion of local craftsmen, vendors and distributors also helps generate employment.
Be Smart With Lighting
Make a decision to use LED lights rather than regular ones. LED lights give out the same amount of light as traditional lights with just 36 watts consumed. They convert 95% of their consumed energy into light and only 5% into heat. This also helps the environment as LEDs demand less energy from power plants and also emit fewer greenhouse gases.
Opt To Reduce Food Wastage
Choose to limit the number of dishes on the menu and opt to have a sit-down dinner instead of a buffet. This helps to reduce food wastage. You also have the opportunity to choose a sustainable menu that is local. Because there will be no transport of food and reduced packaging, a smaller carbon footprint will be generated.
Plan To Reuse And Recycle
While planning the wedding, think in advance of ways to reuse and recycle décor items such as mirrors, lanterns, signages, or artificial flower décor. These can be easily donated to an old age home or an orphanage. Theme Weavers Designs, for example, collaborates with NGOs to ensure the proper distribution of leftover meals and décor items. And, of course, avoid the use of one-use-only plastic bottles, and instead choose to have glass bottles or copper jugs at the function.
Also Read: Detailed & Ultimate Wedding Planning Checklist