Indian weddings are always extravagant and with everyone opting for the perfect millennial wedding these days, it has become a glitzy affair that stretches for days. But with the recent shift in an attitude to conserve the environment, many couples use recycled products in their weddings that make it the talk of the town.

One such couple is from Bhopal who is making the headlines for replacing traditional invitation cards with potted plants.

Businessman Pranshu Kankane was always fascinated by the idea of an eco-friendly wedding and he got the opportunity to turn his “big” Indian wedding into a green affair. It all started with the idea of not wasting food and the family started sending in e-invites requesting people to RSVP.

Though the people accepted the invites, the concept of RSVP was not taken well as Bhopal is yet to get accustomed to it. Also, his mother was unhappy with the new initiative as she was of the opinion that if they didn’t go to invite people, they won’t be able to meet their relatives.

Keeping in his mother’s wish, Kankane and his brother came up with the idea of sending a “Green invite.” Instead of printing wedding cards which would lead to paper wastage, they printed out the wedding invites in potted plants.

A total of 400 potted plants were sent to the invitees and the reaction they received was positive. The wedding invite included 4-5 different varieties of plants including spiritual ones like Tulsi. The invites also had instructions for the guests such as “Don’t bring bouquets” and “Don’t waste food in your plates before disposing of them.”

The brothers also collaborated with an NGO called Robin Hood Army which collects surplus food from weddings and restaurants to distribute among the underprivileged.

Photo credit: @myrjsuhas