470 of 540 guests traveled by train from Surat to Bhuj. By getting everyone on one train, the family saved the equivalent of 135 cars' worth of emissions.
Sustainable Event Planning
Private Events
Birthdays, weddings, family gatherings, and social celebrations planned with less waste and better climate choices.
Case Study · Private Events
540 guests. 12 countries.
540 guests. 12 countries.
Zero plastic. Zero fireworks.
Zero meat.
When a Surat couple set out to celebrate their marriage without hurting the planet, they asked The Earthist to measure every tonne. The result: one of the most exhaustively documented green weddings on record — and a UN carbon offset certificate to prove it.
No imported flowers. No synthetic hangings. All décor — marigold and jasmine from Kutch — was 100% reusable or compostable. The haldi ceremony was held in an open garden so turmeric could return to the soil.
A single guest uses five plastic water bottles a day. Multiply that by 540 guests over three days: 23,900 bottles. Glass dispensers and copper bottles in every guest kit eliminated them entirely.
The resort's 1 MW solar plant generated surplus electricity that was exported back to the grid. An estimated 13,000 KWh of electricity emissions were avoided through on-site solar infrastructure.
Jaipuri jute bags and Kutchi shawls from local artisans whose livelihoods had stalled post-Covid. Heirloom pieces were threaded into the wedding attire. Guests wore their own clothes to the ironing room — zero laundry waste.
100% plant-based across all four days. Locally sourced. Only 496 kg of organic waste generated over the entire event — and 100% of it was composted at a municipal facility.
The Earthist’s Role
The couple measured every tonne of carbon dioxide their celebration produced — and then offset it. The Earthist carried out the full carbon assessment across travel, accommodation, food, energy, water, and rituals. 98 Certified Emission Reductions were retired against UNFCCC-registered renewable energy projects in Hazira and Satta, Gujarat. The remaining 44 tCO₂e was addressed through tree planting. Total footprint: 141.94 tCO₂e. Every tonne measured. Every tonne addressed.
“We could have had the most lavish wedding in Surat. Instead, we put all our energy into making it truly justify the phrase, ‘Marriages are made in heaven.’ It changed how I live.”— Jash Ruwala · Bhuj, January 2026
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