5 Sustainable Wedding Invitations for the Eco-Conscious Bride

Traditional Yet Out of The Box Invitations 

“I don’t think the pandemic will change wedding trends, even though people may postpone their weddings in the short term,” says Ravish Kapoor, founder, Ravish Kapoor Invitations.

“After the lockdown, life will return to a ‘new normal’, but people would still want to share their celebrations with their nearest and dearest. Those with a penchant for finer things in life would still want a luxurious and elegant invitation. For more meaningful events, people will want a more traditional yet out-of-the-box invitation,” he states. 

According to him, couples are very willing to experiment with new concepts and ideas to make their invitations memorable. “Recently, we created sophisticated invitations with LED lights, audio chips that play soothing music, LED screens with personalised buttons for each ceremony, and 3D visuals creating a curiosity of what to expect from the event,” he shares.

Virtual Reality Invitations 

“I believe that the transition from regular paper wedding invitations to digital is well underway. We are proud to say that we brought the first virtual reality (VR) invitation to India in early 2019 and have plans to launch a slew of technology-driven products for our clients shortly,” says Puneet Gupta of by Puneet Gupta Invitations (PGI).

Joining the digital bandwagon, virtual reality-based invites, and video invitation boxes are the new in-thing. And VR based wedding invitations combine the best of best worlds, according to Puneet, as they embrace the digital world without leaving behind traditions.

He adds, "Sustainable, eco-conscious living is going to be a norm going forward and weddings are no different. As a strong supporter of Indian crafts, I feel that many couples would also prefer invitations based on their utility and recycling aspect. Now, the quality of the invite will matter, rather than the size. A beautifully-designed thoughtful invitation will be appreciated and become an ideal choice rather than big, bulky boxes. In terms of the graphic language, I foresee neat, minimalistic, and pastel aesthetics taking over the usual overpowering graphics.”

Coffee Table Book Invitation 

“Right from the inception of our company, we have been in favour of making invites as keepsakes and not just pieces of paper that are thrown away once the event is over,” says Yogesh Gajwani of YS Design Studio.

Their coffee table book invites are a favourite with their clients, as they are “timeless and remain with the family forever”. Each book is filled with beautiful pictures and carefully-researched information on a given subject. “We have created art invites that can be framed or displayed as a showpiece. This is how we have contributed to sustainability in our own way,” he states.

Yogesh adds, “We are a nation that loves to celebrate. I think it’s just a matter of time before we are back to the big fat Indian wedding format. For instance, during the demonetisation, the wedding industry felt threatened, but we came back with a bigger bang with larger than life weddings.”

Plantable Invitations 

“We, at 21Fools, have always focused on creating sustainable wedding cards and stationery for couples searching for conscious alternatives for their wedding. Our cards are made from waste cotton and embedded with seeds. Every card is handmade by craftsmen—from the paper-making process to manually printing with eco-friendly inks," says Divyanshu Asopa, founder, 21Fools.

He adds, "We make products by using materials that do not affect the environment in any way. These include waste cotton, khadi silk, cork cloth, and reclaimed wood.

They even focus on the environmental, social, and economic aspects of sustainability, by providing health and educational support to the craftsmen.

“Post the pandemic, we are hoping that people will self-reflect on their choices as a
community. Instead of going back to normal, we should focus on creating a ‘new normal’ world—a world defined by conscious consumerism, that is considerate towards every section of society as well as the planet."

Digital Wedding Invitations 

“Sustainability is the need of the hour and a growing necessity in 2020,” says designer Anita Dongre, who has also designed a gorgeous wedding e-invitation collection with Paperless Post.

“I expect couples to choose beautiful, thoughtful digital invitations, and reject paper invitations, fancy boxes, and fancy gifts—all these are unsustainable options. And so is the packaging a non-essential demand on the planet, which eventually ends up in a landfill. Digital invitations are the present and future.”