Throwing rice or confetti on your wedding day can be a fun and gorgeous tradition that let’s all of your guests celebrate with you as you leave your ceremony as partners in life for the first time.
The tradition dates back to the representation of prosperity and fertility for a couple, but now it’s used more for a great celebratory photo op. While grains of rice or wheat made way for paper confetti, many couples are now looking for more eco-friendly options that don’t necessarily involve so much mess.
Bio-degradable paper options, bubbles, sparklers and ribbon wands are all popular alternatives for couples wanting to have that celebration with their guests still, however they’re still artificially made. So if you’re not afraid of the mess and are looking at having a more natural substitute to confetti options at your weddings, here are a few ideas that we just love.
Lavender - Not only does lavender smell delicious but it can also make really sweet confetti for your wedding day. The small lavender buds are the perfect size for throwing up in the air, and they’re not heavy either so nothing is going to hit the couple too hard!
You also usually get several stems on a lavender bush, so you should be able to quite a few lavender buds for confetti without too many issues. Lavender most popularly grows in gorgeous shades of purple, but you can also get a more cream-coloured lavender if you’re looking for something to match the feel of your white wedding theme.
Different types of herbs - Herbs are another option that will not only work well as confetti, but also smell delicious. More woody leaves such as rosemary or thyme will work well here, and again they can grow in abundance. These woody herbs are also more likely to be able withstand different temperatures and be available all year round, making them even easier to access.
You could have your herbs in traditional confetti cones or have baskets around the ceremony that your guests can access.
Leaves - If you don’t want to have to think about pulling confetti out of plants, then take a leaf (sorry) out of Gwyneth Paltrow’s book and just consider using full-sized leaves! You’ll find that styled foliage such as olive or eucalyptus leaves will look gorgeous in a natural rustic or boho setting.
Traditional autumn leaves or leaves that have gained a bit of colour around the season will also look stunning if you’re having an autumn wedding and give you a lot more colour out of your photos.
Fresh or dried rose petals - Rose petals are already a popular alternative to confetti, and they’re also a great alternative when it comes to natural options for your day. You can choose to have them in just one colour to match your wedding theme or use a whole range of colours to really make your exit pop.
Baskets or cones with rose petals on the end of your aisle can also double up as wedding decorations during the ceremony, before being put to good use at the end! Just be care with using fresh rose petals as you don’t want any of the brighter colours to land on your dress and potentially leave a stain.
Baby’s breath - Fluffy poms are becoming a popular alternative for wedding confetti, however they’re still artificially made. So why not embrace one of the most popular wedding flowers and use it for your confetti instead?
Baby’s breath already has that natural rounded pom pom feel and will also give you that white aesthetic to match with any theme on your wedding day. It’s a universal flower, so whether you’re having a classic, elegant or rustic wedding you’ll often find baby’s breath involve. Simply pull the buds from the stems to get yourself those fluffy white poms without feeling the environmental guilt.
Feathers - There are a lot of feathers that are artificially created, but you can find natural ones still! There are another sweet way to mark your wedding day exit, and will also work well as they can’t be thrown too far and will also take slightly longer to reach the ground.
Bird seed - Grains were traditionally used as wedding confetti before rice way, but that’s coming back in as more couples opt for bird seed. If you’re having an outdoor wedding this can be a lovely way to feed the local wildlife while also celebrating your wedding!
Just be sure to check whether the bird near your venue as particularly confident or not. You want them to be going for the bird seed after everyone has left the area. The last thing you want is to be re-enacting a scene from ‘The Birds’ on your wedding day!
Important notes on choosing confetti Before you select any confetti option for your wedding you should first double check with your wedding venue with what you’re allowed to have. Many venues no longer allow you to have confetti options because of the mess, or if they’re in a garden because of the environmental impact. So chat to your wedding venue about what you can or can’t have and whether they have any additional suggestions for you.
Also remember that while alternatives such as releasing lanterns or balloons may seem more eco-friendly at the time because they don’t produce any mess for you, they can cause environmental issues down the track when they do come back to land.