Wedding in the mud house

UX designer Bala Gopal and Montessari Guide Ambica Banu hosted a sustainable wedding in May 2023, in a venue made of mud. Why did they do so? What were the sustainable elements in the wedding? They tell us.

Why did you want a sustainable wedding?

We wanted to opt for a registered wedding. However, our families from both sides wanted us to host a wedding ceremony and invite people. We agreed. And since we have been following a sustainable lifestyle for some time now, we wanted our wedding also to be sustainable. To the extent possible.

How long did it take to plan the wedding?

Over two weeks. We partnered with The Bartan Company - an entity that helps organize waste - to help put together things for the wedding.

Some of the sustainable elements, that I am aware of, that were part of your wedding was the venue and gifts, were there other elements as well?

Yes. The decoration was of flowers and banana leaves. There was no use of single plastic anywhere. The food served was in porcelain crockery and the water offered was in steel glasses. Both the flowers and banana leaves used in decoration were eventually, post the ceremony, sent to the farm for composting. There were posters inside the venue to dissuade the guests to use single use plastic. The gift included a zizi plant which is an air purifier and an organic soap, both packed in a newspaper bag with a thank you note that was made of seed paper. When left in the soil, it meant to germinate.

Did you receive any feedback from the guests saying they liked this new concept of wedding or somebody thought it wasn’t how Indian weddings were to be conducted?

All the 70 attendees appreciated the concept we chose. None had seen a wedding like ours. In fact, the owner of the venue - Our Sacred Space in Hyderabad - was apprehensive as to if it would all go well. After all, that was the first sustainable wedding hosted there. But then, everything went well.

Would you share the cost of the wedding?

Around 2-2.5 lakh, which slightly went beyond our budget.

Personally, how do you feel about hosting a wedding in a mud house with educative posters? When you look at your wedding pictures, does it feel normal?

Yes, this is what we wanted. An earthy theme with all things eco-friendly.