How green is your wedding?

Green weddings are on the rise, with couples opting for sustainable elements to reduce their carbon footprint. From edible plates to plantable cards, eco-friendly options are becoming popular.

Harsha Puthussery and Nikhil Mulakkal hosted, what they call, a 100% green wedding reception for their friends and family in Thrissur in May 2023. And people are still talking about it. “Especially my dress,” laughs Harsha, “which was made of upcycled textile waste.” It was not easy to find a designer who could relate to her sensibilities, says Harsha, but she finally zeroed in on Hannah Liz Jacob in Mumbai, who created a unique dress out of fabric waste. “I got the dress just two days before the function, but I was happy,” she says.

The open-air event, which was held at Eco Garden resort in Cheruthuruthy, had sustainable decor, which included lanterns made of jute, bamboo baskets, a backdrop done in screwpine mats and mango leaves instead of flowers. The food was served in edible plates and the glasses used were steel. “We exchanged tulsi garlands so as not to order flowers,” she adds. She wore handloom for the main function and the invitation cards were made out of recycled water hyacinth fibre, by a Kerala-based student startup. Harsha and Nikhil also ensured that the food waste generated was managed responsibly.

Harsha is the founder of Iraaloom, a startup based in Alvua, which makes innovative products from natural materials and Nikhil is the founder of Zewa, a Thrissur-based company which rears black soldier flies to convert organic waste into sustainable protein feed for livestock farmers. “Even for people like us who work in the sustainability sector, planning a 100% sustainable wedding was challenging. But we would not have had it any other way,” she says.

The wedding was managed by Kozhikode-based Febinora Events, which specialises in curating green ceremonies. Fathima Febin, who started Febinora early this year, says she has been getting requests from clients on how to organise low-waste, conscientious events. “I have a client who says she does not want to wear makeup on her wedding day, as some of the products have animal derivatives,” says Febin.

Harsha’s and Nikhil’s wedding is the most recent of the green, ethical and sustainable trend in weddings. As eco-awareness grows , people are opting for intimate events, which aim at reducing carbon footprint.

When Narayan Sunil and Anwesha Behra decided to get married in 2022, they were emphatic that it should be a minimalistic affair without any frills. Gayatri Sunil, the bridegroom’s mother, a resident of Thiruvananthapuram, recalls that their guest list had only 25 people for the wedding in Benglauru. “We did away with events such as sangeet, haldi and so on, which have nothing to do with Kerala. My first cousins, my daughter Rukmini and her friends got together at home to apply mehendi. The gold neckpiece I gave Anwesha was a piece of mine that I refurbished for her. My daughter wore saris of mine for the wedding and reception. Anwesha wore a simple Kerala cotton sari.”

Gayatri did away with the videographer, event planner et al. The money she had set apart for the wedding has been used to sponsor the education of children from economically weak families.