Confetti - Real Petals or Paper?

Your confetti moment is one of the best parts of the wedding day (not to mention the great photos), but what are the differences between petal and paper confetti? And why are some venues becoming more and more strict on confetti? We've been chatting to Photography by Sally-Anne, who's given us all the inside info on wedding confetti and when you can and can't use it.

Why do we throw confetti at weddings?

The tradition of throwing confetti dates back to Pagan times, when sweets and grains were thrown over the bride and groom in the hope that the new couple would have a fertile marriage. Although the confetti throwing may have lost most of its original meaning, it's still a very special part of the day, but venues and churches can be strict about using it.

Is confetti allowed at my wedding venue?

You might be surprised to hear that a lot of churches and civil wedding venues actually ban the use of confetti. Traditional paper confetti quickly becomes a mushy mess that can linger for days, so many venues choose to avoid it altogether. However, if you choose real petal confetti, you might be in luck. Real flower confetti degrades quickly and looks much prettier when it settles on the floor, meaning most venues and churches are happy for couples to use it. 

^{Shropshire Petals | Natascha Grunert (nataschagrunert.de)}

Why real petal confetti?

Aside from being a favourite for venues, real flower confetti has other benefits, too. The confetti pieces are usually much smaller and a range of different sizes which won't stain your dress or clothes (should it rain on your wedding day). The petals also flutter nicely when thrown, making those all-important confetti shots even more beautiful.

Personalise your confetti

Providing confetti for your guests is not only a great way to ensure that you get that money shot but also means that you can personalise it. You can match it to your wedding colour scheme or even design personalised confetti cones for your guests. We love Shropshire Petals' beautiful range of personalised cones and real petal confetti (AND they've even got a special discount code for Guides for Brides readers!)

_{Personalised Confetti Cones, Shropshire Petals}

The 'confetti question'

Although real petal confetti is usually a safe option, we recommend asking your venue or church the 'confetti question' before booking - as this factor is a make-or-break for some couples and some venues are stricter than others. 

Huge thanks to Photography by Sally-Anne Photography for providing the information for this blog. Sally-Anne is a Wiltshire-based photographer specialising in candid, relaxed and natural photography (with lots of experience photographing confetti!)

So there you have it, real petal confetti wins every time for us!

_{Shropshire Petals | Golding Photography (goldingphotography.co.uk)}