We've created an 'underconsumption core' guide for you to be more mindful while planning your wedding. Happy reading...
Have you ever found yourself buying sipper after sipper and stocking it up in your drawer, only to realise you’ve created a collection that you can easily auction off on eBay and earn a fortune? Well, the truth is that many of us consume at the speed of light nowadays. We buy multiple versions of the same item and this has created a large waste production issue for the planet and the rest of us.
Sometime in the middle of this year, the Internet saw a flood of videos where people started talking about water bottles and sweaters they’ve been using since high school or college and discussing being comfortable with not having the latest gadgets and items. This viral trend came to be known as ‘underconsumption-core.’
The underconsumption core trend is centred around limiting one’s consumption but in the most joyful way possible. The idea is to make sustainable and environment-friendly choices, such as being mindful of how often one shops for things. Because, as we all know, consumerism is at an all-time high, and we’ve been seeing rapid climate change take place because of how short the production-to-disposal cycle has become. But other than being mindful of how often we shop, underconsumption-core is also about celebrating being content with one’s material possessions, however they are. It’s the opposite of materialism FOMO, it’s about not feeling a sense of loss when you do not have the trendiest iPhone, or Stanley, or H&M essential.
It seems as though, over the years, as Instagram has become an integral part of people’s lives, the idea of being constantly IG-ready, and aesthetically pleasing has become more and more popular and an unavoidable norm. So, it seems we’re all participating in an involuntary rat race of a sort, trying to keep up with the Joneses, always refreshing our wardrobes, cars, cookware, houses, pretty much everything – which results in what? A blink-of-an-eye of a product cycle. However, on the other end of the spectrum, the trend has been receiving flak for simply renaming a lifestyle choice many people are already following through with because it is a necessity, rather than a willful decision.
When we spoke to a hospitality professional, their take on the current scenario was interesting and almost echoed back to us our own thoughts, “We Indians have always had a big appetite for anything – Big celebrations, big buffets, big gifting, super large decor etc. Our tastes are elegant, but we end up caring about them only till the end of the day of the celebration. Most of us still are not in tune with ecological balance and sustainability, however, as service providers, we are now moving towards sustainable and ecological solutions. There are multiple NGOs who today would work along with florists, decorators and catering teams to collect the waste and use it for manures, food distribution (cooked but unused food) etc. Having said that, we still have a long way to go, but I believe we will get there in no time.”
Robin Hood Army, Mera Parivar and Samarpan Foundation are some reliable NGOs that help with food distribution for weddings. But when it comes to dry waste production, Ambika Gupta, founder of event designing company The A Cube Project tells us “We are constantly trying to include sustainable practices in our work, any opportunity we get. We actively recycle our flowers which are then made into meaningful gifts and used as return favours. Our brides in the past have requested to make potpourri and incense sticks with recycled flowers.” Which is both refreshing and brilliant to hear as a creative idea to limit waste production.
Chetan Vohra, Director of Weddlingline Events and Hospitality tells us about an interesting but disappointing ideology that is currently fueling extravagant weddings; Revenge celebrations. It seems many clients and couples looking to get married are motivated by a sense of loss they felt during COVID-19 when we couldn’t really celebrate anything. “Our rituals around weddings were made when the planet had not plunged into the existential crisis it is facing today. The more the food, the more the flowers, and the more the decor, the more waste there will be when it’s all done and dusted. It all silently makes its way to garbage dumps and landfills in the name of ‘cleaning the venue.’ Today, sustainable weddings are not a norm but a social fad. The Covid period did teach us that weddings could happen with scaled-down numbers and fewer people. But, that was soon forgotten and the concept of revenge partying and revenge celebrations began. I wonder who we think we are taking revenge on? As an agency, we invariably push for minimalism and our ideas are often laced with the principles of reuse, reduce and recycle! It’s our way of trying to do some damage control.”
As we’ve discovered above — by thinking about what can be done with the unutilised food, post the wedding. “Contact NGOs, speak to your vendors/core team. They always have ideas on how to reduce wastage,” Ambika Gupta tells us as she speaks to us. Planning what you would like to do with the extra food, is an absolutely irrefutable idea.
Create digital invitations, because come on, the amount of waste and carbon emissions produced by printing processes and distribution is obnoxiously evident. From the printing ink to the actual emissions and deforestation caused by such a massive production of a paper product, there is a lot to think about. Once again, as Ambika Gupta of The A Cube Project said while chatting with us,“A good idea would be to reduce printing and maybe go digital with the help of technology like QR codes, TV screens etc for information.”
The truth is, the smaller your guest list is, the smaller a venue can be, and the smaller the risk of wastage. This is exactly what Chetan Vohra, Director of Weddingline Events and Hospitality has to say, “The first tip is to be mindful of your guests lists. With reduced numbers, you start by saving on wasteful expenditure. Smaller spaces need less doing up and often can be made into great spaces, personalised to celebrate the couple and their lives together. This gets lost at large gatherings where one is forced to look at mass convenience and that multiplies everything.”
Contact NGOs for what you would like to do with the floral arrangements at the wedding. You can absolutely consider getting the flowers made into incense sticks and giving them out as return gifts to your guests. “We actively recycle our flowers which are then made into meaningful gifts and used as return favours. Our brides in the past have requested to make potpourri and incense sticks with recycled flowers. There are different NGOs who work with waste. So it would be a good idea to encourage more couples to do this and reduce wastage overall.” Tells us Ambika Gupta of The A Cube Project.
As Devanshi Patel, Founder of Shreem Events, a well-known, celebrity wedding planning company, shares with us, one can choose to use potted plants instead of flowers that have been separated from their roots. “One way to reduce waste is by choosing décor elements that can be reused across different events or even after the wedding. For example, opting for fabric drapes, metal or wooden structures, and potted plants instead of cut flowers can significantly reduce waste. We’ve used live plants in several weddings, which were later donated to local schools or temples.”
Instead of relying on a wedding photographer, consider getting your photos imported to a drive by guests who click pictures at your wedding – creating a bespoke digital album. For instance, Valda Binding launched TakeNplace Weddings in 2022, a portal which allows guests to scan a QR code at the venue and share their photos directly to the marrying couple’s online album. You can even request your guests to use a specific photo application so that you can end up with images that align in terms of aesthetics!
Consider prioritising local produce in all aspects, for food, think seasonal fruits and vegetables. Think homegrown and handcrafted spirit and alcohol brands, and consider only having seasonal flowers at the wedding. Having goods imported or transported eventually ends up increasing the carbon footprint. So, keep things simple, local and homegrown.
There’s a lot one can do to make their wedding a celebratory event, yet continuing being sustainable, it seems! Here’s to making underconsumption core weddings a trend to stay!
Harshita Singh is a Digital Writer at Manifest and besides obsessing over aesthetic ‘IT Girl’ Sunday reset reels on Instagram, she finds joy in going down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, exploring new wellness practices and being mildly addicted to oat-milk coffees. View Profile
