This was really easy for us to do because we are super passionate about keeping waste low and living as sustainable as we can here in Santa Barbara.  Here are our tips:

1.  Electronic Invitations

We had no paper save the dates or invites.  We kept everything organized on TheKnot.com and sent out e-invites.  All of our guests could rsvp directly from their email.  Plus our registry and our cutesy wedding website I made was directly linked to the invite.  AND, it was free.  For our Save the Dates, we literally just texted our friends to put the date in their calendars.  No frills, super easy and zero waste.  

2.  NO SINGLE USE PLASTICS

No plastic was allowed! We had three parties that week: My bridal shower, the rehearsal dinner, and the wedding, and I did not allow there to be any plastic or balloons.  We used glasses and bamboo plates and utensils for the first two parties.  We said no to plastic straws, cups, water bottles, and utensils.  HOWEVER, the caterer forgot and put plastic water bottles out during the pre-ceremony drinks even though we bought glass sparkling waters instead.  So, I would highly advise to re-iterate this point and how serious you are about it to your vendors.  

3.  Use Seasonal Local Organic Produce and Meats

My husband and his friends caught all the seafood themselves here in Santa Barbara.  Our caterer used local pig and all local produce for our dinner because we reiterated how important that was for us.  The meat industry is a huge contributor to climate change and so not only did we keep meat minimum, the meat we did use was locally grown.  As for our wedding cake, my friend made us a small one with frosting and shells on it only.  There were no artificial decor on the cake like tiers or plastic signage.

4.  Use Locally Grown Flowers and Plants

We bought all of our succulents and flowers from a local grower here in town and we were able to drive down the street and get a few buckets full of flowers and boxes of succulents (and zero plastic wrap on any of them).  We also went to our local farmers' market the day before the wedding to get last minute pieces for the tables.  We also foraged eucalyptus branches because they grow like weeds around Santa Barbara.

5.  Use Upcycled and Rented Decor

We used my girlfriend's vases for the flowers, we re-used tie-dye cloth napkins and table numbers from our coordinators, we collected shells from the beach, I repainted my friends' old wedding signage, and our dreamcatchers were made from foraged driftwood and up cycled linens.  We rented our tablecloths and all glass, plates, and utensils.  We used natural alive plants and flowers for the rest of the decor.  We had no balloons, or candles, or sparklers, or artificial anything on our tables.

6.  Favors that Aren't Wasteful

We asked a local restaurant that throws away abalone shells daily if we could have them for our wedding favors.  They collected the shells for us instead of throwing them away at the end of the day.  We ended up with hundreds of abalone shells from them which we used as the gifts for each of our guests.  We put them on top of each plate too, so they doubled as decor as well.  Those shells can be kept forever and utilized by our guests in their own homes.  We chose not to create more trash that our guests would take home and probably throw away at some point.  

7.  Choose A Venue Close to the Majority of Your Guests

This was easy for John and I because we have lived in Santa Barbara for almost 20 years and the majority of our friends are here.  Our venue was right in town, yet far enough away from other properties.  The venue was so picturesque that it did not require a huge amount of decor either.  And it had all the amenities we needed like bathrooms and a kitchen.

8. Be Thoughtful of What You Ask Your Wedding Party to Wear

We did not have a wedding party because John and I wanted to stand at the altar with just the two of us, but I asked my girlfriends who would have been in my bridal party to wear any shade of blue.  If we did have an official bridal party, I think it is a cool idea to give them a color and have them pick out their own dresses.  Being able to reuse and rewear clothing is more conscious then making everyone buy an expensive dress that they can only wear one time.