While eco-friendly weddings have been fashionable in India for a while, there are always ways you could cut down on the environmental impact of your nuptials, particularly in a beautiful (and sensitive) tropical setting like Phuket. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to miss out on the fun parts of the event. You can still have the extravagant festival-like event you always wanted, but with the added feeling of satisfaction that you’re not going to ruin the world for your kids. Here are some fun ways to help make your Indian wedding in Phuket an eco-friendly one.
Wedding Favours
Giving each guest a little gift is as much a part of Thai weddings as it is Indian ones, but why make it a tacky plastic toy when it could be something genuinely fun, interesting and even useful? Give each guest a sapling, a small plant, seeds, bamboo toothbrushes, jute bags or something else equally eco-friendly and affordable.
Wedding Invitations
Welcome to the 21st century, where paper invites are as redundant as they are wasteful. There are plenty of cool digital invites you could use which look just as cool as the paper versions, but don’t require spending a fortune on postage or wasting a small woodland’s worth of paper. Alternatively, just keep it informal and send a quick email or WhatsApp message.
Tree Planting Ceremony
Increasingly available as part of wedding packages in Phuket, a tree planting ceremony is a way to breath new life into the world as a couple (other than by having children, of course). It’s quite fun and cool, too.
Give away your food waste
Catering for a huge number of guests is bound to create a lot of food waste. However, there’s need to dump all the excess in the bin when it would certainly be appreciated by needy communities. Even a paradise like Phuket has its unfortunate families who would appreciate any extra food they can get. Discuss it with the caters or your wedding planner to make sure they get it fresh, though.
Have a daytime wedding
Sounds pretty obvious, when you think about it, but imagine how much electricity you’ll save by using the sun instead of lights to illuminate your ceremony! Of course, this comes with the obvious downside of bringing the daytime heat with it, which can be pretty intense in Phuket. On the other hand, it makes a beach wedding a practical option, which is one that’s certainly worth investigating.
Confetti
The plastic stuff takes forever to degrade and throwing rice can potentially harm the local wildlife, so try throwing plant petals instead. Not only is it prettier and more colourful than either of the two previous suggestions, but it’s more eco-friendly, too.
