My big fat green wedding!

NAGPUR: Weddings are undoubtedly a huge affair but they come at a heavy price, not just for our own pockets but also for the environment. Weddings are one of the occasions that witness use of plastic at its most.
Making the big day a sustainable celebration is an Akola-based NGO Srushti Vaibhav which organizes eco-friendly weddings but also makes sure that one does not have to compromise on the special day.Moving beyond the conventional wedding planning which relies more on convenience, Srushti Vaibhav is encouraging people to go green on their wedding day.
Says founder of the NGO Uday Vaze, “When people plan weddings, they think more about convenience and don’t pay much heed to the post-celebration effects on the environment. Everything today is about use and throw and the same implies for wedding ceremonies. People go for disposable cutleries as they are cheap, easily affordable and handy. But what we don’t realize is the adverse effects these plastic items have on the surrounding environment.”
When planning green weddings, the NGO goes for eco-friendly alternatives rather than the usual non-degradable items. “Instead of plastic plates and cup, we use specially-woven biodegradable plates made from leaves of Palash and other trees. Also, recyclable cups made of paper are used. Instead of using thermocol for decorations and flex for displaying the names of bride and groom, cloth materials are used,” tells Vaze.
Talking about how the concept of green wedding kick-started, Vaze tells, “Since almost a year, we were working on this but implementing it was a complex part. We had to make sure that the wedding remains perfect for the bride and groom but at the same time environment-friendly. Our aim is to minimize the ill-impacts of such events,” In the last six months, Srushti Vaibhav has organized 16 green weddings in the region.
Pune-based advocate Vrinda Mahajan, who recently organized a green wedding for her sister in Akola, says that eco-friendly weddings are economical too. “The wedding was held on a large scale but we did not have to spend an extra budget for eco-friendly products. Though initially my sister was not very sure, she had a satisfied smile on her face after the wedding as her big day did not do any harm to the environment,” she said.