The trend in people looking to use sustainable alternatives for wedding confetti is rapidly growing, not only for their eco friendly benefits but also because many wedding venues now require that you use biodegradable types (and rightly so!).
After all, who doesn’t want the perfect bride and groom photo, full of smiles with confetti in the air, and knowing that it’s not going to harm the planet once it lands on the floor.
Well, now that we’ve established making an eco friendly confetti choice is the way forward, here are 11 ideas for you to choose from…
Best eco friendly wedding confetti alternatives
- Loose hydrangea petals – an elegant choice of flower which blooms in four main colours; white, green, dusky blue, and a lilac shade of pink. When thrown it’s light, floaty and very pretty.
- Bird seed – this one is for the wildlife lovers and a great choice of confetti if you’re planning to throw it outside the venue as the birds will get a good feed of anything left over on the floor!
- Popcorn – you better believe it, more people are choosing to throw popcorn instead of traditional confetti. A couple of tips if you choose to go with popcorn, make sure you only use plain popcorn and not with added butter or colouring as it could stain clothing. Guests might enjoy this option as they can have a little nibble whilst they wait for the bride and groom to walk out.
- Bubbles – these look beautiful in photos when floating in the air and they leave no trace of debris on the floor. Although, do be mindful of bubble containers that are made from single use plastic, instead opt for an eco friendly bubble company. Or you could make homemade bubbles (there are lots of how-to guides available online) and use old jars as containers for the soapy mixture.
- Leaves – the best types to use are eucalyptus, maple, olive, oak or hawthorn leaves, and if you can use a large or shaped hole-puntch if you’d like to give them uniform. Keeping them natural does look lovely when thrown in the air, especially for a spring or autumn ceremony.
- Rose petals – you can choose from either a fresh or dried rose petals, from a wide selection of colours and each are said to have meanings: red (fertility & love), white (chastity & virtue), pink (admiration & appreciation), yellow (caring & friendship) or orange (energy & passion).
- Lavender – who doesn’t love the smell of fresh lavender?! If you have enough time before the wedding you could even grow your own, but if not, many local farms and florists will have plenty for you to purchase.
- Rice – this tradition dates back near to the origin or confetti throwing and was said to signify future fertility and prosperity for the newlyweds. It’s not the softest of choices, so be warned that it can be quite sore if thrown too hard and can end up getting stuck in hair or clothing!
- Vintage bells – instead of actually throwing anything, people can opt to ring vintage bells as the couple walks past the guests. The sounds create a lovely atmosphere of joy and leave nothing behind on the floor. You can pick up a selection of bells from car boot sales, markets, vintage stores and many other places online.
- DIY Pom Poms – if you have any old cotton wool jumpers that you want to give a new lease of life, reuse them by creating mini pom pom balls that are perfect for wedding guests to throw. Ask family and friends if they have any cotton items they would be willing to give you, which will also make them feel even more part of the special day if they know their clothing has been reused for your special day. There are lots of ‘how to make pom pom confetti’ tutorials on YouTube to help you make them!
- Rice paper – there are lots of biodegradable options of rice paper and it comes in many different shapes and sizes. It’s light and floaty when thrown, making it a great option.
Read more: Best Eco Friendly Makeup Brands – from mascara to foundation
If you have any other eco friendly wedding ideas, or any sustainably made, environmentally friendly product that you would like us to feature on the site, email us with your details: hello@ecofriendlychange.com