Wedding in India is a grand affair in every possible way. However, its becomes a financial burden for several families who have limited means to spend on the occasion.

A Delhi-based NGO Goonj has taken up the responsibility to make sure that it people with less money, planning their functions, end up with almost everything they want. Goonj has been involved in collecting used wedding attires from urban cities, remodeling and distributing them in rural villages through the local panchayats.

They recycle and use ‘mata ki chunni’ (used in bulks for religious ceremonies) to make lehengas for brides.While many discard those chunnis in the river and some give them away, Goonj urges and requests people to give them those Chunnis so that they can make wedding kits for people.

With some skill and innovation, this shiny cloth can produce surprisingly beautiful apparel. As for the kits, they include an array of items such as clothing, footwear, purses, makeup & cosmetics, jewelry, bed sheets and a set of utensils. This practice has taken away a lot of financial burden for the kin of these brides and bridegrooms and they’re now able to arrange weddings at significantly reduced costs.

By now, Goonj has delivered hundreds of kits in Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar, making several lives happier than ever.

Much of the content in these kits is far beyond their expectations, giving them an opportunity to savor little luxuries that would have been unattainable otherwise.

A typical Wedding Kit includes the wedding dress for the bride and bridegroom, general clothing, footwear, purse, makeup box, cosmetics, jewelry, bed sheets, set of utensils etc.

Goonj

This is a classic example of how small things can make a big difference. Goonj also collects wedding apparels from cities, carefully sort them out and then put together a collection of new, fancier clothes by modifying the collected material.

Goonj Facebook Page

Recipients are chosen based on their economic condition through volunteers and local Panchayats.