A GUIDE TO CONFETTI AT WEDDINGS
What’s more joyous than a handful of confetti at weddings? Probably a couple of handfuls of confetti and, even more so, a BUCKETFUL of the stuff.
Let’s be honest, there is something so enormously enjoyable about being surrounded by a whirlwind of colours. Pair it with your nearest and dearest, and you got yourself a perfect moment, photogenic as well, I might add.
I won’t bore you with the history of confetti here, instead I have prepared a guide on everything about confetti at weddings, including some awesome suppliers from the UK.
1. CHOOSE YOUR CONFETTI
Nowadays the choice of confetti is so big that it might be overwhelming. I’d always say go with biodegradable options to minimise the impact on the environment. It would also be easier to convince the venue to allow it should they have objections.
Here are different types of confetti to choose from:
Flower petals
Probably the most eco friendly option out there. They are handpicked and air dried on flower farms. You can choose between smaller or larger petals. Some suppliers also have bespoke mixes and you can ask for a sample (to throw at each other in the name of research and extra pre-wedding fun).
Smaller flowers, like Delphinium and Wildflower, are lightweight and when thrown in the air in great quantities they fall on you gently and look beautiful. Bigger petals, e.g. roses or even whole daisies, are heavier so they will fall down quicker and will be more visible on photos
Leaves
This is another great natural option and apparently growing in popularity – the likes of eucalyptus or ruscus leaves. You can buy them from dried flower confetti suppliers.
Rice paper or tissue paper confetti
Here are two biodegradable paper choices. They come in all colours and sizes, from tiny pieces to large circles or rectangles. Both hang much longer in the air than flowers and spin gently as they fall to the ground.
The only thing to remember with paper confetti, especially rice paper, is that it is water-soluble, so on one hand it is easy to clean up as it will dissolves immediately when in contact with water (a hose to the rescue), on the other hand it’s better to use on a dry day, as it becomes slippery on a wet surface.
I have to say that biodegradable paper confetti has my photographer heart, purely because it floats better in the air.
Snowfetti
If you are getting married in winter or just love snow, you have to check it out! Snowfetti from Adam Apple falls as slowly and gently as the real thing. According to their website it is “a natural, non-toxic, non-staining, biodegradable and water soluble confetti”. You can also mix in some flower petals for a pop of colour. What else would you want!
Sproutfetti
Although this particular confetti brand is from the US (The Confetti Bar), I liked the idea a lot and had to include it the list. It’s made of compostable paper with wildflower seeds embedded in it. As it falls and get into the soil, the paper disappears and flowers sprout the next season.
I tried to find an equivalent in the UK but I couldn’t find anything as small. If you type “seed paper confetti” or “flower seed confetti” on Etsy you will find a bigger size confetti than the ones offered by The Confetti Bar. Still worth a try if you and the venue like the idea.
Cannons
For a bigger impact than hand thrown confetti at weddings, you can get cannons (filled with paper or flowers). These can be used as you walk out from the ceremony alongside normal confetti. Have a few responsible adults simultaneously firing the cannons up in the air as you walk by (it is best not to give them to kids). Other options include having large cannons during the first dance or when everyone joins you on the dancefloor – watch out for the slippery kind.
Whatever you pick there is only one rule – the more confetti at weddings the better. It looks spectacular on photos and larger quantities give your photographer a little more time to capture the magic.
2. THINK OF A COLOUR SCHEME OR A THEME
The easiest option would be to choose confetti that would go well with the colours of your wedding or with the bouquet. White confetti or pastel colours are great against darker backgrounds, it looks elegant and photographs well. If you want to add a bit of glamour to the scene, why not go with gold or metallic (there are some biodegradable options for that as well). A very colourful confetti photographs well in lighter surroundings. To be fair though, it brings a pop of colour and extra heaps of joy to any place.
A theme could be a great idea. Just think of your favourite film and the colour palette it has – any Wes Andersons fans out there? How about your favourite music video? Seasonal colours of when you’re getting married – hello, you crisp autumn tones or fresh spring hues.
A useful tip here, you can use Canva Color Palette Generator to help you extract tones from your photos and voilà, you got yourself a colour scheme.
3. WHERE TO THROW CONFETTI
Ideally confetti is great to be had outside on a dry day. Ideally. However, we do live in the UK so with a little bit of preparation, a rainy day confetti could be just as fun. Just remember: watch out for slippery rice paper. On a sunny day an open shade, like a building (think about coming out from the church doors) or under a big tree would be great. Just talk to your photographer about it, they will know what’s best.
4. HOW AND WHEN TO THROW WEDDING CONFETTI
Yes, throwing confetti at weddings for spectacular effect is an art in itself.
First step is to supply your carefully chosen confetti to your guests after ceremony – a task for your helpful friends.
Second step is to gather your guests close enough so that when they throw it in the air, confetti rains down on you. An arms reach is ideal. There are two option here. A) they can form a tunnel which you go through or B) they all gather around you in a semi-circle. A tunnel is great for capturing movement as you walk and when you have plenty of guests. With a semi-circle, everyone will throw confetti at the same time and all of your guests will be visible on the photos.
Third step – your guests have to throw confetti up in the air, not at your faces. The best confetti photos, in my opinion, are when guests are using their hands to throw, rather than cones or bags. Some confetti can clamp together, especially paper one, so using hands would mostly solve this issue.
The last step is very simple – enjoy the moment! If you’re walking through the tunnel, walk slowly, keep your heads up or look at each other so you don’t close your eyes when confetti is close to your face. At the end stop and kiss to give your guests a chance to throw the last of their confetti for a great photo opportunity.
5. IMPORTANCE OF GETTING PERMISSION
Before you start planning which type of confetti to pick, talk to somebody at your venue or church. Some venues don’t like any types of confetti, others allow only natural ones.
6. WHAT TO HAVE IF CONFETTI IS NOT ALLOWED
How about if you are not allowed any confetti type or you prefer not to be have any? Don’t give up, there are other options to consider.
Bubbles – nice and colourful, but you will have a silent walk through as everyone concentrates on blowing bubbles. Kids love that option, though. There are also bubble wands, but you need extra space to move them around.
Ribbon wands – nothing will be falling on you and there will be a lot of cheering going on for sure
Sparklers – ideal for winter wedding when it gets dark quickly or just because you want something extra special before you hit the dance floor
Maracas – that’s definitely an option when you like to let the world know that you just married the love of your life!
7. WHERE TO GET CONFETTI
You can find great quality paper confetti at: Proper Confetti, Confetti Supermarket.com and Flutter Darlings
For the dried petals I have chose two flower farms for you: The Real Flower Confetti Company and Shropshire Petals.
Another great place for dried flower, but also Snowfetti, leaves and flower cannons is Adam Apple.
If you would like to have a look at Sproutfetti, visit The Confetti Bar. They ship internationally from the US, however you will need to check with them whether they send wildflowers to the UK.
Here is more wedding advise, check my interview with a wedding planner, Valentina Ring.
