"Lalit Vikamshi creates special paper with seeds."Mallika of wedding planning company Pandoras says, "People these days are increasingly turning towards a no-wastage policy, even for weddings. Instead of just chucking the card into the bin, it could be planted in moist soil and watered regularly to give life to the young seeds. Thus, Tulsi signifies Goddess Laxmi. A beautifully crafted box contained organic products that were close to her heart. Once the pencil is sharpened to the very end, instead of just throwing the rest away, one can go zero waste by just planting what’s left in the soil and make the world a greener place.When it comes to the tulsi plant or its seeds, it’s considered extremely auspicious. So this is a smart solution for it," says Renu Rao, the owner of Deckle Edge."On asking why she chose these products, Priyanka says, "I wanted to give some pure things that I came across in my life while travelling. Wholesale Knitted Fabric Factory Deckle Edge also includes seed-embedded papers for a few wedding invites and people are loving the idea. We have made wedding cards which double up as photo frames so it doesn’t need to be discarded. Modern-day brides and grooms are approaching marriage customs with a more eco-friendly outlook and opting for innovative and useful wedding cards.So when Niharika and Abhinav decided to get married, their parents pleasantly surprised the guests with a unique invitation.On her Instagram account Samantha posted the picture of the invitation box of Woven Fashion Show 2017 filled with organic goodies sent out to guests. It’s about cutting down on waste and contributing to a cause that will actually make a difference in the long run. They send e-cards to their guests instead. Laxmi went to the rescue of Ganga, only to get cursed by Saraswati that she would be born on earth as a plant. Anju Poddar, who has authored the book A Wedding in the House: Ceremonies Relating to Weddings & Childbirth, explains, "Scientifically, Tulsi is very powerful since it makes the soil fertile, has great anti-oxidant properties and since it has high levels of mercury content, it is placed in the aangan of a house so if there is lighting around the house, the plant will attract it towards it and will prevent it from striking the house. "We came across this artist who was working on this seed-imbedded paper, and we thought it would be a great idea for a wedding card.The artists who created the special paper with seeds are Lalit Vikamshi and Shweta Bhattad."

There is often a question about how to discard the cards appropriately because usually there’s an image of Ganesha on it and it may be disrespectful to throw it away.Actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu has also been championing for the cause of handlooms and as a part of the Woven Fashion Show 2017, Anam Mirza’s event company, The Businesswalas, curated invitation boxes filled with organic goodies. Priyanka had come across these products during her travels. The paper is handmade by the sisters and mothers of the farmers, thereby providing employment to many. There was a terrarium, an organic chocolate fudge and an almond and date fudge that people seemed to enjoy," says Anam, adding that she has also received a wedding invitation along with a bag of seeds in the recent times."However, Rajiv Lulla, Founder and CEO of Capricon Gifting Solutions, says that it is not just in weddings that a green transformation is taking place. This is the second wedding order that we are catering to and the seeds are bought directly from the farmers and have more than 90 per cent success rate. Organic honey is healthy, sweet and can be used any time without the fear of it getting spoilt," shares Dr Venkatesham.She adds, "Another way that people are trying to avoid wastage is by making wedding cards that can be upcycled. A personal message written by her explained the contents in the box: "Honey from Uttrakhand, cinnamon from Cochin, homemade  almond oil, walnuts from Jammu and traditional bath powder personally crafted from green gram by her cousin, tulsi, neem, turmeric, a face pack of rose petals and orange peels, along with homemade chocolates from Ooty. Guests can keep the plant as a memory of the wedding. Then, lord Vishnu lifted the curse, and said that while Laxmi need not be bound to the ground, a part of her will remain in a Tulsi plant. Venkatesham, Police Commissioner of Nagpur and his wife Mamatha. People are also gifting our pencils which have a seed embedded at the very end of the body. "Since it was a handloom event, we gave small notebooks with a handloom fabric on the cover. "People are increasingly getting conscious about the planet and it is great to see that getting translated into weddings. Cumin, mustard, fenugreek, basil, tomato, chilli and fennel seeds are embedded in the pencils," he says.Producer Ashwini Dutt’s daughter, Priyanka Dutt, who got married a few years ago, also opted to send out organic baskets as wedding gifts.

The outer covering is recycled from old newspapers."Notably, a gifting store in the city, which uses only handmade paper, has also dabbled in this area. In Hinduism, legend is that Tulsi is the manifestation of goddess Laxmi.. My travels have changed my perspective, so I wanted to start somewhere and my wedding was a chance to give people a taste and smell of organic things. Perhaps this is why giving out tulsi seeds, be it embedded into a paper or on a bag, is a popular gifting choice these days. Along with the card, we also gave organic honey.The organic wedding card of Niharika and Abhinav’s wedding. Explaining the initiative, Lalit says, "This is a part of the Gram Art Project that we have started. It aims to work on various issues related to rural India, mainly focusing on art activities, working with the community, issues related to women, farmer exchange programmes and water. It’s crazy how we’re taking the earth for granted. It’s a good omen to give sweets to people but we cannot really do so since some many may be having diabetes or some others may be watching their weight.In an age where the magnificence of big fat Indian weddings are foretold by elaborate wedding cards, a budding trend — defying all stereotypes — is on the rise. I have had customers who have calculated the amount of money it costs to print and send out wedding cards and they’re donating that money to a cause that’s dear to them. When lord Vishnu was courting Ganga, Saraswati got jealous and brought her to the ground. "We offer pencils that are 100 per cent biodegradable and non-toxic. The invite came rolled up with a piece of string and the message was printed on handmade papers imbedded with tulsi, parijat and cotton seeds.The brilliant idea came from Niharika’s uncle, Dr K.