If you’ve been busy venue hunting recently, you’ve probably been faced with the confetti dilemma. The problem? Many wedding venues, Birtsmorton Court included, do not allow paper confetti, and whilst this may not seem like a big issue to some, many see it as an essential way to begin celebrations.
The history? It was common practice in England for guests to throw rice over the newly married couple once the congregation came to an end, as a way to celebrate the start of a couple’s new life as husband and wife. Whilst a thoughtful concept, having fistfuls of rice thrown in your direction has thankfully left modern-day tradition and we adapted the French concept of dainty coloured paper discs – all hail confetti!
Like so many other West Midlands wedding venues, we have a love / hate relationship with confetti. As wedding fanatics, we love seeing the colourfully cheerful photos of happy couples weave their way through a confetti line-up. However, after seeing the impacts it has, not only to the immaculately kept grounds at our picturesque West Midlands wedding venue, but also on the local wildlife that we are so lucky to have on our doorstep.
But we get it, the confetti photo is essentially the money shot in the wedding photographer’s arsenal, and an iconic moment for any bride and groom. So, with more and more venues putting a stop to confetti, does this mean that the confetti shot will soon become another lost tradition? Of course, it doesn’t! And whilst fresh and dried petals are still one of the most popular alternatives for confetti, more and more people are opting for a new, slightly less traditional send off. Thanks to the wonders of Pinterest, is not too hard to get inspired either. We’ve been on the hunt for some of our favourite alternatives and we can’t wait to see you trying them out…
Paper Aeroplanes. This was the first alternative to the confetti photo that got my attention. A bride and groom descending down the aisle with big smiles on their faces as paper aeroplanes dart around their heads making them look effortlessly cool, yes please! And what a treat for your guests to find on their chairs as they take their seats for the ceremony, paper aeroplanes are fun at any age! You can have any colour, style or size you want. You can personalise them or use them as the Order of Service first, the options are endless… Just try to avoid getting one in the eye.
Bubbles. Need I say more? Do you remember how exciting bubbles were when you were five years old? How amazing these floating, transparent pockets of magic were, that just popped when you touched them, like magic? Well, now that you’re an adult, why not capture a bit of that magic, by walking arm in arm as bubbles pop around you and everyone cheers. Hello post-wedding Instagram post!
Autumn wedding? – Autumn leaves. They are bright, colourful, beautiful and in endless supply. They are also free, there is literally no down side to this. All you have to do is take a walk a week or so before your wedding, fill as many bags as you can, leave them somewhere warm for a couple of days and voila! Instant autumnal confetti!
Sparklers. It’s like the anti-confetti shot, instead of blue sky, its dark and instead of bright, vibrant colours, its pure white light. Sparkler photos are becoming a tradition in their own right and it’s easy to see why. They’re excellent and usually towards the end of the night to end the day on a high.
There are so many more options of course from pom poms to streamers! So, if you find yourself facing the hard truth that you can’t use confetti, or if you just don’t want it, don’t get sad, get creative!
