Making the Most of your Confetti Moment
Making the most of your confetti moment is worth spending a bit of energy planning. It’s probably going to be your first shared experience as a married couple, make it one to remember. Don’t underestimate the power of those tiny bits of flowers or paper to make a moment magical. If your heart isn’t filled with joy as they rain down on your head, I think you might be clinically dead.
WHY SHOULD YOU HAVE CONFETTI AT YOUR WEDDING?
Throwing confetti at a wedding is a time-honoured tradition and even as the wedding industry has changed over the years this celebratory moment has endured. Why? Well, for one, it feels absolutely amazing. My experience of this as a bride is one I will never forget. Do I want someone to shower me with petals every day to make me feel special? Ermm, yes, yes I do.
Secondly, it makes a great photo. The smiles will be genuine, all your guests will be involved, you will be at the centre, celebrating the first moments as a married couple and you will be surrounded by itty-bitty its of pretty coloured stuff that just look charming.
Thirdly, it keeps the day moving. I highly recommend doing your confetti moment straight after your ceremony. Not only is it the best time for a celebration but also it fills a weird lull after the ceremony when guests, left without instruction, wander aimlessly in the direction of the bar not knowing what to do next. Keep the energy up, keep the party together and segue straight into your group photos.
PREPARING YOUR CONFETTI MOMENT
Check the venue’s rules
Different venues have different rules about confetti. Largely based on how much clearing up they’re able to do and how environmentally conscious they are. Most venues will allow confetti as long as it’s biodegradable. Some venues will have a specific location where they will ask you to do your confetti shot. Some allow inside, some don’t. Basically, make sure you have a conversation with your venue. Especially if it’s a church, these guys usually have the most rules of all. Pass whatever information you find out onto your photographer.
Buying your confetti
The days of all the guests turning up with their own cute little box of horseshoe shaped confetti smuggled in their handbags is over. Do we miss the 80s graphic design on the boxes? Yes we do. But If you want confetti, you’re going to need to buy or make it yourself. Here’s the one big tip: Get lots! You want every guest to have two big handfuls or your photo is going to look weak. Whatever you think you’re going to need, double it!
Make sure you buy biodegradable, Your venue will probably demand it and you want to save the blooming planet don’t you? Biodegradable just means it will decompose into non-toxic components without posing any threat to the environment. Natural confetti such as fresh or dried petals or leaves is obviously perfect but there are lots of biodegradable paper options out there too if you want a pop of colour. Basically avoid rice, I think it makes pigeons explode or something.
The size of the bits of confetti matters. Bigger is better. Some dried confetti can break down really easily into tiny bits of dust which don’t have much impact. Fresh petals are usually nice and big but can be a bit heavy. My personal preference is for big biodegradable paper circles. But you do you, match your confetti style to your wedding.
ON THE DAY
If you are getting married in the sort of venue that comes with it’s own planner or coordinator, then here’s what usually happens: After your ceremony, you exit down the aisle ahead of your guests. Your coordinator then whisks you off to a side room where you get a few minutes together alone. Meanwhile your guests get shepherded out to the area where you’ll do the confetti shot and arranged into two rows creating a ‘confetti tunnel’ once everyone’s ready your coordinator will bring you out of the room and give you a hearty shove down the tunnel, where joy and wonder will ensue.
If you are not getting married in the sort of venue that offers this service, I very much recommend that you do it this way anyway, and have a best man/woman fulfil the role of coordinator. Ask your venue if there’s a room you can use to hide away whilst the tunnel is organised.
If your photographer is anything like me then they will do a lot of the herding of your guests to make sure they’re where they need to be. But a little help goes a long way. Give your squad jobs to do. Choose the loudest to get everyone in line and let them know what’s required of them. Have couple of people helping to herd the unruly bunch, a couple handing out confetti and the most reliable to come and get you once everything’s ready. Make them earn their dinner!
I recommend putting your confetti into a couple of big bowls so your guests can grab handfuls. In my experience having little sachets just doesn’t allow for enough confetti. I do quite like the little cones you can get, they allow a good amount of confetti and a nice high throw.
Your photographer will likely give out some instructions to your guests as they are preparing. Things I always say are: “throw it up and over, not in their faces, no-one needs that photo” “keep the energy up, I want to hear you cheer, don’t make it awkward” and “please tell me if I’m about to fall over something” (I’ll be walking backwards down the aisle in front of you).
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
Enjoy the moment. Don’t worry about the photo, let your photographer worry about that. Look up at the falling confetti, smile, look at each other, try not to look down at the ground or to flinch. It’s confetti, it’s not going to kill you. For the ultimate photo opportunity, stop halfway down the tunnel for a kiss (the more dramatic the better in my opinion). When you get to the end there are sweet photos to be had of you tidying the bits out of each other’s hair after it’s all over.
CONFETTI ALTERNATIVES
If your venue doesn’t allow confetti or if it’s just not your vibe, please don’t just skip it. I think everyone should experience this amazing moment. Lots of people are doing bubbles instead these days. Same rules apply though, get lots. If you’re giving out pots of bubbles with wands to your guests make sure they’re a decent size, and maybe invest in a couple of bubble guns or fountains for added punch. I have a bubble machine which I’m happy to bring along to any wedding.
You can also consider a sparkler moment. My top tips for this are to do it at dusk. Don’t wait until it’s pitch black, it won’t look as good. And importantly buy lots of lighters. If you want everyone’s sparkler going at the same time then all huddling around a single lighter just isn’t going work. Sparklers light better off each other than they do off a naked flame, but you’re still going to need a few sources of fire to get everything going at once.
As with any wedding advice I give, it’s to get creative. Don’t feel bound by tradition. Confetti is a tradition I encourage, but do it your way, whenever and however you want. What about ribbon streamers or party poppers. Oh and I do love a confetti cannon or two for the first dance. (If your venue will let you get away with it!) Whatever you choose, have a chat with your photographer and make sure they’re in the loop so you get the best record of a magical moment.
If you’ve got questions about making the most of your confetti moment, feel free to drop me a line, I’m always happy to share my experiences. I’ve got some good stories, all completely anonymous of course!
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ABOUT DOODAH PHOTOGRAPHY
Emma Duder
Emma Duder is a reluctant blogger but a willing photographer. She has been photographing weddings in the Derbyshire, Peak District and wider Midlands area since 2016. She's seen her fair share of weddings and shares her experience and advice in her blog "I Shoot People: The Secret Diary of a Wedding Photographer".