23 Aug 2021
A greener, zero-waste wedding is now possible
Who would think that a wedding, an occasion of celebration and joy, is also a source of waste and pollution? Ambika Gupta, a luxury event planner, also a TEDX speaker and an award-winning entrepreneur behind The A-Cube Project, may be known for creating transportive weddings for celebrities like actor Kajal Aggarwal, but she also encourages […]

Who would think that a wedding, an occasion of celebration and joy, is also a source of waste and pollution?

Ambika Gupta, a luxury event planner, also a TEDX speaker and an award-winning entrepreneur behind The A-Cube Project, may be known for creating transportive weddings for celebrities like actor Kajal Aggarwal, but she also encourages a green and yet bespoke design language.

The celebrity designer and event planner advocates a more responsible, planet-friendly approach to celebrations.

“COVID-19 should put things in perspective for us. We cannot now endlessly consume our resources, generate vast amounts of waste and live as if there is no tomorrow because there is. And if we don’t change, the next generation  will have to deal with the fallout of the climate crisis in a more serious way,” said Gupta.

The A-Cube Project was founded by Ambika Gupta over eight years ago in Chennai.

She is a bio-tech engineer, has a postgraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication but found her calling as a much-in-demand designer and planner of weddings. This year, she had to work around the challenges of the post-COVID-19 scenario. 

As she designed events with safety protocols in place, she also started conversations with her clients about greener, more responsible weddings.

“The pandemic has forced families to have smaller events. That automatically cuts down waste but many of my clients are also well-informed about climate concerns and in fact want their weddings to set an example. For instance, for a Pondicherry wedding, the couple and the team worked closely to address the issue of floral and food waste. This was a special request from the bride who is very sensitive to environmental concerns. The flowers were composted and the extra food from each event distributed locally. India Wasted and The Robin Hood Army came onboard to help us manage this,” Gupta added.

Some pro-tips by Ambika for a greener wedding:

  1. Order local floral produce as this will cut down the carbon footprint and help distressed farmers in these times. Instead of using excessive floral accents, choose statement arrangements that will really be noticed
  2. Instead of store-bought gifts, engage NGOs that support artisans to create one-of-a-kind giveaways. For the Pondicherry wedding that Ambika designed,  jute bags with Van Gogh inspired embroidery were made by Purkal Stree Shakti (An Uttarakhand-based NGO), and gifted to guests
  3. Use disposable cutlery and crockery made of biodegradable materials like bamboo
  4. Choose wedding cards made out of recycled paper or go for e-invites
  5. Use materials like clay, straw, living plants, and recyclable materials to create props. For Kajal Aggarwal’s wedding, Ambika themed an event around a Kitsch Mandi and used Kutch workmanship in furnishings, traditional dry palm weaves,  a Chettinad console and brass pots with banana leaves. She also used  “pettis” , contraptions used by coconut farmers as a backdrop in place of a wasteful prop.
  6. Consider ‘mini-monies’ where the number of guests is minimum and the couple get married at a local venue.
  7. Use classic furniture that can be hired or reused by the designer instead of plastic chairs.
  8. Think of lighting options that are less energy-consuming

“Sustainable weddings are in and small is the new big because a more thoughtful approach  impacts the planet positively. I read recently that more than 10 million weddings take place in India every year and  leave behind mountains of  trash, discarded plastic cutlery, used flowers and wasted food. I believe , together, we can all do better than this,” said Ambika.

Are you also planning a wedding or event in your family?

Then use these tips for making a waste-free wedding and follow letmebreathe for more stories on climate change, sustainability and waste management.

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