SURAT: An eco-friendly wedding is not only going to break many stereotypes in the city on November 27, but will turn into a red-letter day for many. There will be not much carbon footprint,
no use of plastic
, no cruelty to animals and absolutely no noise pollution in the marriage of Zeal Desai,
a naturopath
, and Mexican computer scientist Guillermo Cabrera. Focused on breaking the fat Indian wedding traditions, the couple would be donating the gifts that they receive to charity organizations.
Zeal, 29, and Guillermo, 33, will get married in the presence of family members and friends from 15 countries including the USA,
Mexico
, Colombia,
Malaysia
, Philippines, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain and Turkey. The two had met at the University of Texas at Austin in the United States in 2010.
Zeal said, “The adverse effects of climate change is here for everyone to see. Can we deny the fact that Chennai’s 10 million residents are without access to potable water, France recorded its highest temperature ever and New York City compelled to declare a climate emergency recently?”
“In such a scenario, expensive marriages are a criminal offence. We have decided to gift each of our wedding guests a tree sapling. We will ensure that only recycled material is used for décor,” she added.
Guillermo said, “We hope to replace ‘consumerism’ with ‘conservationism’ to save our beautiful planet. What better way than sowing seeds that develop roots and transform carbon dioxide into oxygen? The Cabrera and Desai families urge everyone to become ecologically conscious and join our efforts in making tree planting a ritual.”
Guillermo had also done four-month computer science research project in Bengaluru. Zeal was in Argentina for a short-term course. This helped both of them to get familiar with each others’ cultures to some extent.
Anup Desai, Zeal’s father, who is a builder, said, “When I came to know about my daughter’s decision on having an eco-friendly wedding, I felt proud. If our younger generation becomes aware, we don’t have to worry much about our planet’s future.”
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