New Delhi: Composted decor, e-vehicle baraats, and tribal-made hampers... Indian luxury weddings are becoming less fat and more green, as saving the planet becomes the latest status symbol.
Boutique hotels are tapping into a growing demand for eco-luxury weddings, embracing full-circle sustainability-from composting kitchen and floral waste into manure and biogas to partnering with local NGOs for redistributing leftover food.
"As vendors, planners, and venues adapt, this green movement is likely to become the new normal for many Indian weddings," said Tejas Chavan, director at Green Spaces and Grape County Eco Resort & Spa.
"With rising awareness about climate change, pollution, and waste, many couples are now thinking twice about the environmental footprint of a big fat Indian wedding, which can generate tons of waste," he said.
Recently, the resort hosted a Gujarati family residing in Kenya for a green wedding.
Small, intimate weddings had become the norm for a time during the Covid pandemic. Now, many wedding couples are keen to hold on to the values of less waste and more thoughtful planning.
"While we don't typically host large-scale weddings, we are increasingly seeing interest from eco-conscious travellers seeking intimate, sustainable celebrations," said Anant Kumar, cofounder of Brij Hotels, which runs multiple boutique properties across the country.
Jaipur, Dharamshala, and Varanasi are among the popular destinations among such guests, he said.
"We hire over 70% of our workforce locally, operate with minimal single-use plastic, and are in the process of transitioning all properties to renewable energy sources," Kumar said.
Kush Kapoor, CEO of Roseate Hotels & Resorts, said, "We have a plastic-free philosophy, with glass-bottled alkaline water, bamboo amenities, and biodegradable packaging."
The chain of luxury hotels follows a farm-to-table dining experience, with 100% organic produce from its own farms-including millets, fresh herbs, and hydroponically grown greens, he said. "Guests also get our Sattvik-certified food and rooms, free of chemicals and animal contamination."
The hotel uses solar energy, LED lighting, energy-efficient HVAC systems, and is transitioning to a hybrid vehicle fleet, Kapoor said.
These boutique hotels are encouraging wedding parties to source hampers from tribal artisans and swap traditional processions for e-vehicles or golf carts-pushing eco-weddings beyond just water and power savings.
"We urge people to marry in the great outdoors, do sunset or morning ceremonies to reduce the need for artificial lighting," Chavan of Green Spaces said. "We use bamboo or rice fibre cutlery. We avoid plastic usage as much as possible. We have a vermicompost and biogas plant at the resort. We get our bride and groom to do tree plantations and also urge them to give tree saplings as wedding favours," he added.
"Most people have a misconception that green weddings are simple and boring or very expensive. We love to show that an eco-friendly wedding can be grand and beautiful, but mindful at the same time,"said an industry expert.
Boutique hotels are tapping into a growing demand for eco-luxury weddings, embracing full-circle sustainability-from composting kitchen and floral waste into manure and biogas to partnering with local NGOs for redistributing leftover food.
"As vendors, planners, and venues adapt, this green movement is likely to become the new normal for many Indian weddings," said Tejas Chavan, director at Green Spaces and Grape County Eco Resort & Spa.
"With rising awareness about climate change, pollution, and waste, many couples are now thinking twice about the environmental footprint of a big fat Indian wedding, which can generate tons of waste," he said.
Recently, the resort hosted a Gujarati family residing in Kenya for a green wedding.
Small, intimate weddings had become the norm for a time during the Covid pandemic. Now, many wedding couples are keen to hold on to the values of less waste and more thoughtful planning.
"While we don't typically host large-scale weddings, we are increasingly seeing interest from eco-conscious travellers seeking intimate, sustainable celebrations," said Anant Kumar, cofounder of Brij Hotels, which runs multiple boutique properties across the country.
Jaipur, Dharamshala, and Varanasi are among the popular destinations among such guests, he said.
"We hire over 70% of our workforce locally, operate with minimal single-use plastic, and are in the process of transitioning all properties to renewable energy sources," Kumar said.
Kush Kapoor, CEO of Roseate Hotels & Resorts, said, "We have a plastic-free philosophy, with glass-bottled alkaline water, bamboo amenities, and biodegradable packaging."
The chain of luxury hotels follows a farm-to-table dining experience, with 100% organic produce from its own farms-including millets, fresh herbs, and hydroponically grown greens, he said. "Guests also get our Sattvik-certified food and rooms, free of chemicals and animal contamination."
The hotel uses solar energy, LED lighting, energy-efficient HVAC systems, and is transitioning to a hybrid vehicle fleet, Kapoor said.
These boutique hotels are encouraging wedding parties to source hampers from tribal artisans and swap traditional processions for e-vehicles or golf carts-pushing eco-weddings beyond just water and power savings.
"We urge people to marry in the great outdoors, do sunset or morning ceremonies to reduce the need for artificial lighting," Chavan of Green Spaces said. "We use bamboo or rice fibre cutlery. We avoid plastic usage as much as possible. We have a vermicompost and biogas plant at the resort. We get our bride and groom to do tree plantations and also urge them to give tree saplings as wedding favours," he added.
"Most people have a misconception that green weddings are simple and boring or very expensive. We love to show that an eco-friendly wedding can be grand and beautiful, but mindful at the same time,"said an industry expert.
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