I’m forever blowing bubbles! Wedding confetti alternatives

Confetti is a popular tradition to celebrate the new union of a bride and groom on their wedding day. But where did it all begin and what alternatives are there?

The experts at ethical jewellers Ingle & Rhode have explored the history of confetti and offer alternatives which can be used as part of the celebrations on the big day.

The word confetti originates from Italy and is derived from an Italian confectionary of the same name. Since the 1300s, people have thrown items over couples to wish them fertility and prosperity. Items included rice, seeds and candy and even eggs and mud. These caused a huge mess and could have hurt the bride and groom, so the Victorians made paper confetti popular in the 1800s.

A spokesperson for Ingle & Rhode said: “Confetti is a colourful and fun way of expressing joy for the bride and groom at their wedding and to wish them luck for the future. But sometimes venues do not allow it to be thrown as it can cause a mess long after the ceremony has finished and increasingly people want environmentally friendly alternatives. We have explored some of the many ideas that people can choose to use instead of confetti.”

Here are some of the ideas from Ingle & Rhode to use as an alternative to confetti:

Rice: Some couples like to keep up with traditional wedding trends and rice is something that has been used as an alternative to confetti for centuries. However, it can be messy and hard to clean up so may not be as good an option as first thought.

Popcorn confetti: A lighter and kinder option than rice, popcorn is a popular choice for wedding guests looking for something a little different. This is also a biodegradable option and should cause less mess than confetti or rice – as long as you use the plain variety.

Bubbles: A fun and exciting option for people who want to help the couple celebrate their big day in style without the mess. Sure to keep children and adults alike entertained, these will also look good on the wedding photos as well as not harming the environment.

Dried flower confetti: This is a biodegradable option compared to traditional confetti so is becoming increasingly popular at wedding ceremonies among guests. It is also a beautiful alternative with the flower confetti coming in many different colours depending on the dried blooms chosen.

Small bells: This can be a good option for people who want to add some noise to the end of the wedding ceremony! The wedding guests can be given tiny hand held bells to greet the couple as they emerge from the wedding venue.

Leaf confetti: this is similar to dried flower confetti and also offers pleasant aromas in a similar way as well as being kinder to the environment than traditional confetti. Olive leaves and chamomile are types of leaves that can be used.