Confetti
This week in the wedding guide, I wanted to look at one of the cheapest wedding accessories that can help make the best photographs at your wedding. Confetti!
The tradition of throwing flower petals and rice paper over newly married couples has evolved a little since the ancient Romans who threw rice to Symbolise fertility, the custom evolved, and people showered newlyweds with corn, barley and wheat for good luck and prosperity ever since. In recent times this has evolved into glitter, dried flowers, artificial petals and even popcorn to not just wish the couple well, but also create a stunning image
One of the reasons that confetti shots are so popular is because unlike a traditional group shot, you get some really natural, happy reactions, everyone is so busy throwing handfuls of petals, they stop posing and focus on who can throw the most!
A lot of people are unsure about who should buy the confetti and organise the distribution. In the past, guests would bring confetti and I remember as a child my grandma would always take a box to weddings without fail. These days people don’t always remember to bring it so if having a confetti shot is high on your list, I would definitely recommend that you organise this yourself.
If you are having confetti, it can really help to put it to small bags or cones. Its tempting to put it out onto every seat for the ceremony but it can often be left behind or people throw it too early (usually when you are walking up the isle!) it’s better to ask your bridesmaids or a helper to distribute it right before you plan to use it.
Before you head out to buy your confetti, it’s really important that you check with the venue, the most common policy is biodegradable only, this means you are fine to use dried flowers and biodegradable paper but no glitter, metallic paper, or artificial flower petals (the manufacturer will usually state if its biodegradable on their website or packaging if it is biodegradable) some venues may stipulate that it can only be thrown outside or in certain areas, so again, check beforehand.
Some venues have a strict no confetti policy, this is especially common in conservation areas such as loch Lomond as they must be extremely careful of the local environment. There are however some great alternatives.
Bubbles can be just as effective as confetti and some venues even let you use them indoors which can work really well, but in case your venue doesn’t allow them, there are a few other options. Smoke bombs have become very popular in the last few years, you still need to obtain permission from the venue and you must remember that they are classed as pyrotechnics so you do need to be really careful and follow the safety instructions, but they do create spectacular images. Another alternative is sparklers, they work well for winter and spring weddings when it gets dark earlier, but they look beautiful and create gorgeous effects.
