Nuptials go green as couple ties knot in eco-friendly event

From organic food in buffet to eliminating thermocol in decorations, and donating gift money to social causes, this marriage started off on an inspirational note

At a time when extravagant weddings and their wasteful excesses have become the norm in the name of ‘social standing’, a young couple has tied the knot in the city’s first wholly ‘ecofriendly’ nuptials.

Not only did groom Chetan Gaikwad (27) and bride Poonam Gholap (23) attempt to make sure none of their wedding planning proved hazardous to the environment, but they also went a step further to see that all the money saved in the process, or gifted to them, would be spent in the name of good causes.

From ensuring that all raw materials for the wedding menu were sourced from organically grown crop with plenty of advance planning, to eliminating the use of plastic or thermocol in cutlery, the couple and their families even carefully planned humble decorations for the venue.

And, to the delight of thousands of guests and well-wishers on Sunday, the celebration hosted at the Govinda Mangal Karyalaya in Someshwarwadi turned out to be quite an inspiration.

Environmental causes are not new to Chetan, who runs the Zero Budget Natural Farming Store in Baner, and whose father Anil Gaikwad is a founder- member of NGO Vasundhara Swachhata Abhiyan. After his wedding was finalised, Chetan decided that this being one of the biggest occasions in his life, he would use it as an opportunity to sensitise society on how such celebrations can be done without indiscriminately harming Mother Nature.


Clockwise from top: Chetan and Poonam’s eco-friendly wedding was planned well in advance; a kalash collected gift money to be donated for social causes; ingredients for the menu were strictly organic; PICS: MAHENDRA KOLHE

He told Mirror, “Before engaging others to do something for the betterment of society or the environment, it is important to set an example ourselves. By organising these eco-friendly arrangements for our wedding, Poonam and I meant to convey the message that any function can be organised perfectly properly, keeping the environment in mind. Today, we are at a point where we really need to make sure that our actions don’t lead to a hazardous impact on the planet.”

As in most weddings, a number of decisions had to be planned well in advance. For one, instead of asking caterers to supply ingredients for the dishes served at the wedding buffet, the Gaikwad family bought all this raw material themselves — because they wanted to make sure it was completely organic, and no toxic elements like pesticides or insecticides were used while growing it.

Pushkar Kulkarni, a relative of the groom’s, informed, “Farmers from nearby villages were contacted and informed three months ago that ingredients for a gathering of a couple of thousand people would be needed. Cauliflowers, tomatoes and coriander were sourced from Udse village, while potatoes and onions were brought here from Junnar. Even though nontoxic vegetables were slightly more expensive than regular ones, and it was a bit of extra effort to bring them to town, these ingredients were grown with absolutely zero chemicals, using only natural manures.”

The groom’s father, Anil, shared, “Our daughter-in-law and her family were extremely supportive of this endeavour. We selected a marriage hall that is well lit by natural light, and used only steel plates and glasses as cutlery. No unnecessary wastage of money was made on a DJ or on firecrackers. Even the decoration announcing the couple’s name was handmade, using chart paper, not thermocol.”

Interestingly, the couple also refused to accept any money extended to them in the form of gifts — instead, they placed a kalash near the stage, where attendees could drop off envelopes of gift money. What they are doing differently, however, is that these funds will be donated to the Vasundhara Swachhata Abhiyan for tree plantations and other drives.

This was no surprise for guests, who had been informed about the idea in the wedding invites extended to them. And, to save paper, all invites were sent via WhatsApp and other digital media.

Furthermore, the Gaikwad family is donating Rs 25,000 for the construction of check dam in their native village of Panchwad in Satara. Besides this, Rs 5,000 each is also being donated to three other organisations: the Rajivbhai Dixit Arogya Mandir (RAM) of Alandi, Apulkee Sanstha from Panchwad working for mentally challenged children, and ANNADATA — a citizens’ movement for safe food.

Said Chetan, “We did not want to accept monetary gifts for ourselves, but wished for them to be used for the greater good. Whatever our relatives and friends give us as a blessing will be donated for a number of social activities.”

Anil echoed his son as he summed up, “I firmly believe that charity begins at home. If I am unable to reflect in my own actions that I care for the environment, how can I expect anyone else to follow what I preach? We hope that we have set an example for others and promoted sustainable living.”

█ The hall was lit by natural light; we used only steel as cutlery. The decoration announcing the couple’s name was made with chart paper, not thermocol

— Anil Gaikwad, the groom’s father