In India, a desi wedding is not just a wedding, it’s a phenomenon. With five different functions, a ton of guests and elaborate outfits, most couples dream of their big day to look like a set of a Bollywood film. But did you know that on an average, every Indian wedding generates about 30-40kgs of waste? Statistics show that we have more than 10 million weddings in India each year… Imagine how much waste we’re producing then!
However, there are several young couples who are conscious of this fact and opt for sustainable options for their D-day. Bollywood celebrities too have been promoting eco-friendly shaadis and it’s definitely inspiring.
Following the trend, a Mumbai-based couple decided to throw an eco-friendly wedding, and they did it beautifully. Ashwin Malwade and Nupur Agarwal met through common friends and bonded at a beach clean-up.
The couple’s mutual passion about the environment brought them closer and they soon made it a weekend ritual. So naturally, when they decided to tie the knot they were committed to having a minimal waste wedding.
Ashwin Malwade, a chief officer in the Merchant Navy and Nupur Agarwal, a marketing professional, made sure that there was no harm caused to the environment by their celebrations. They have been cleaning the beaches for more than three years now and have their mentor Afroz Shah to thank. He is the one who sparked the environment consciousness within them.
Choice Of Venue
Ashwin and Nupur consciously chose Pune as their wedding destination as the city has a very evolved recycling system.
Upcycled Wedding Decor
Couples spend months planning their wedding decor. Exotic flowers, colourful drapes and the works. For Ashwin and Nupur, it was about keeping it basic and using upcycled material. Of course, they used flowers but made sure that they got into composting the very next day.
Organic Clothing for Dulha-Dulhan
The outfits of the bride and the groom were completely handmade from organic cotton. Nupur’s lehenga was from Falguni Designs had hashtags #BeatPlasticPollution and #SaveThePlanet embroidered on it, while Ashwin’s sherwaani from TISA Studios had #ClimateCrisis on it.
What a stylish way to spread awareness, isn’t it?
Go Green With The Baraat!
Ditching the concept of a regular baraat which involves a beautifully adorned ghodi, Ashwin chose to enter driving an electric car instead.
4 Plants For 1 Guest!
To make up for the carbon emissions, the couple decided to plant four trees for every guest that showed up at their wedding. They had already planted a couple of saplings before their D-day.
Food Waste Segregation!
Segregation of food waste is extremely important for easy recycling. The couple made sure that the entire waste was segregated into dry and wet waste and even encouraged their caterers – Uttam Caterers – to use bagasse products instead of plastic for the crockery.
Ashwin and Nupur’s wedding moments were captured by WhatKnot Wedding Photography and here’s a video that sums up their ‘green wedding’ beautifully.
About leading an eco-friendly lifestyle, the couple shared: “We’d like to tell people that we’ve had enough of a convenient life. Given the situation, we have to look towards a life of survival now. We’d like everyone to start working towards sustainability. Even small changes in your lifestyle can make a difference. Be it use of glass bottles instead of plastic ones, reducing the use of earbuds or straws or protect the marine life wherever possible. We don’t want to preach anything but request everyone to give it a try. It’s not impossible.”
Weddings can be eco-friendly, and they proved it! If you or a friend is getting married anytime soon, make a list of these ideas and incorporate them wherever you can. Here are some more expert-approved ways you can make your desi wedding sustainable.
Featured Image: WhatKnot Wedding Photography/Instagram
