Throwing confetti over the happy couple as they leave the ceremony is a well-known wedding tradition. While in the past this was normally done with artificial confetti, these days couples are choosing more natural alternatives for their wedding.
The tradition of confetti throwing may hark back to the days of wishing prosperity and fertility for the marrying couple, but now it’s used more as a great celebratory photo opportunity. And subsequently thrown grains of rice or wheat, made way for coloured paper confetti. However, many couples are now looking for more natural wedding confetti alternatives, that still look good on camera, but don’t necessarily involve so much pollution.
Biodegradable paper options, bubbles, sparklers, and ribbon wands are all popular alternatives. However, they’re still artificially made. So if you’re not afraid of the mess and are looking for more natural alternatives to wedding confetti, here are a few ideas.
Natural Alternatives to Traditional Wedding Confetti
Flowers
Flowers are a simple and one of the best alternatives to paper or plastic wedding confetti.
Choose flowers based on the colour palette of your wedding, or even use a bloom that's your favourite. Whether you prefer dried flowers or fresh ones, the florist working on your wedding will be able to help you. The benefit of flower confetti is that it’s biodegradable. While it is likely you will still need someone to sweep up afterwards, the pile of flowers won’t have to go to a dump, but can instead be added to a compost heap.
Lavender
Not only does lavender smell incredible, but it can also make really sweet & natural 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 it won't hurt on the way back down!
You also usually get several stems on a lavender bush, so you should be able to get quite a few lavender buds for confetti without too much fuss. Lavender normally 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 a white wedding theme.
Leaves
Much like flowers, leaves are a natural alternative to traditional confetti that won’t get thrown in the rubbish while you’re partying at the wedding reception. However, unlike flowers that will have to be plucked, collecting leaves is cheaper and less time-intensive.
You can choose to throw leaves as they are, or get more creative by using a hole punch to cut the leaves into fun shapes. Create little leaf hearts for your guests to shower over your declaration of love. If that’s too on the nose, there are thousands of punch shapes.
Different types of herbs
Herbs are another option that will work well as confetti, and also smell delicious. More woody leaves such as rosemary or thyme are delightful, and again they grow in abundance. These woody herbs are also more likely to be able to withstand different temperatures and be available all year round, making them even easier to access.
You could have your herbs presented in traditional confetti cones, or have baskets around the ceremony for your guests to access.
Bio-Degradable Confetti
The wedding industry is innovative when it comes to meeting demands. As a result, there has been a significant increase in wedding confetti alternatives being made of biodegradable materials that don’t come from nature. These materials are especially designed to avoid harming the environment, and still look spectacular on the big day.
If you’re keen on having a party filled with sparkles, biodegradable glitter is available. If you’re having a winter wedding and want to feel the fantasy without the chill, then opt for environmentally-friendly “snow.” Plantable confetti can also be used to put life back in the soil once you are done with the festivities.
Edible Confetti
We're not talking about a food fight! These natural confetti options use food substances, much like the traditional rice toss used at weddings way back when.
Similar to flowers, these food options are natural and therefore won’t harm the environment. In some cases, it could even benefit the local wildlife. If you choose to toss seeds, these won’t even need to be swept up, as the birds in the area will do the job for you. Other options include traditional rice or even freshly picked herbs like oregano, sage or, popcorn!
As with all confetti, check with your venue before handing anything out, as they may have restrictions on what can be used. Especially when it comes to food, as the resulting little may attract unwanted guests to the area.
