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Eco-friendly Thailand weddings – Here’s how to plan a thoughtful celebration
Wedding Planning - Feb 29, 2024
The tropical paradise of Thailand has long been the destination of choice for besotted couples yearning to tie the knot with a luxurious celebration. The pomp and splendor of Indian weddings however can have a tough impact on its local ecosystem. The grandeur of those fun-filled moments soon translates into extreme energy consumption, food waste, non-biodegradable decor elements, plastic, and confetti, and just a few days of revelries leaves a lasting effect on its natural beauty. Surely there is a more thoughtful way to celebrate love!
Photo Courtesy: Alen Karupovic
From choosing a venue with green credentials to curating eco-friendly wedding favors, opting for reusable and giftable decor elements, collaborating with NGOs to donate leftover food, and more, there are countless ways to make weddings a more sustainable affair. If you are planning an eco-friendly celebration in Thailand, here is what you need to keep in mind.
Choosing an Eco-Friendly Wedding Venue
From catering to electricity, travel, and waste management, the venue accounts for a big chunk of any wedding’s carbon footprint. Since it is also one of the biggest investments in terms of your budget, it is important to choose the right property to host your destination wedding, one that aligns with your sustainability goals. So, what should you be looking for in an eco-friendly wedding venue?
– Find out if the venue is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or Energy Star Certified.
– Turning trash into treasure – effective waste management and recycling policies.
– Energy conservation – Rainwater harvesting, Solar energy system.
– Engagement with the local community – donating excess from weddings, and contributing to local causes.
Rosewood Phuket was one of the first hotels in Thailand to be LEED gold certified, while hotels like Sindhorn Kempinski and Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok have been awarded LEED silver certification.
Farm to table
Explore hotels or catering services that curate farm-to-table delicacies with locally grown produce for the freshest flavors and low carbon footprint since ingredients don’t travel thousands of miles to get to your table. Hotels like Melia Chiang Mai, Trisara in northwest Phuket, and several others, offer world-class cuisine to their guests made from ingredients sourced entirely from their own organic farms.
Go Local!
A significant part of going green comes from embracing locally sourced materials and vendors over imported goods and services. While selecting your flowers, opt for local blooms over exotic flowers that will need to be flown in at great energy expense. You can also work with sustainable decor specialists to curate creative and stylish concepts with eco-friendly and minimal-waste materials. Moreover, you can work with local artisans for unique and memorable wedding favors that can be collected locally instead of grand hampers that will need to be flown in.
Photo Courtesy: Liam Collard
Involving and giving back to the local community
Embrace the bounty of natural beauty and rich local culture on offer everywhere in Thailand for enriching experiences. Your wedding will not only be mindful but also unforgettable for your guests! Ask your planners or hotel what activities and local experiences they can curate.
Phuket’s Banyan Tree Resort is known for its contribution to the environment with its annual tree planting and offers experiences such as trips to the local elephant sanctuary and the Thai tradition of Tak Bat – giving alms to monks to sustain the monastic community. Khao Lak’s luxury resort, The Sarojin, is leading the bandwagon on ‘Responsible Tourism’ and is deeply involved in several social projects that their guests are welcome to experience.
Say No to Single-use plastic
Single-use plastics in hotels and other hospitality establishments, such as straws, bottles, cups, toiletries, etc, generate huge quantities of waste, and are one of the biggest contributors to a property’s carbon footprint. Selecting a venue with limited or no single-use plastics is a great way to ensure a sustainable wedding. The Thailand-based Akaryn Hotel group, with luxury properties across the country, has famously made all its properties single-use plastic-free, as have several properties of the Mandarin Oriental, Anantara, and Aleenta group of hotels.
Planning your dream destination wedding in Thailand? Click here to know more.
