Every time I flick through a real wedding to choose the ‘cover’ shot which appears at the top of the article my heart will skip a beat at the confetti shot. It is often full of colour, centres on the newlyweds in the moments after their ceremony and undoubtedly contains the biggest smiles of the day. I love a confetti shot! And in this I am not alone.

My own confetti moment (above) may not have gone exactly as I planned – I hid underneath my bouquet! I hadn’t quite envisaged the violence with which my nearest and dearest would wish to bestow their be-petalled well wishes on us as we exited the church. That, and I had so much hairspray in my hair I thought I would never be able to get rid of the stuff – which was absolutely the case. But I still love the photos. It was a moment of total hilarity!

Once upon a time, guests would have arrived prepared with their own box of pastel paper shapes to scatter over the bride and groom. No doubt one or two traditionalists amongst your guests may have remembered but if you are wanting to catch the perfect confetti shot – you are probably going to have to provide the confetti yourself.

There are so many options to choose from! Natural petal confetti would appear to be the most popular option if you are to believe the magazines and blog sites (although every Sunday morning at church my daughter picks up handfuls of the pastel paper variety so I don’t believe the bottom has dropped out of that market quite yet). There are a multitude of positives to using natural petals – they are biodegradable, better for the environment, smell delicious and can be chosen to suit your colour scheme. A large number of churches and venues are now requesting biodegradable confetti, so don’t forget to check with your venue to see what you are allowed.

For the DIY bride-to-be, confetti is an aspect of the day that has really got your imagination going. Paper cones can be made easily from flowery craft paper, paper doilies, pages from old books or musical manuscript paper. If you’re not crafty then opt for pre-made cones – some of our favourite, such as these 1950s pin-up girls in usherette style boxes, are from Cambridgeshire stationery designers Dottie Creations. Paper or fabric bags are also popular containers. Seal up paper bags on a sewing machine for guests to tear open or have a drawstring on a little fabric pouch that your guests can then take home.

Sealed bags do help to solve one of the confetti cone dilemmas that I was concerned about. Lines of confetti cones stacked beautifully in baskets – filled to the brim with delicate petals – is a beautiful sight to behold. But once the first guest takes a cone the others begin to topple and by the time the last guests try to collect their cones you will find most of the petals are now on the floor (or stuck in between the woven wicker of the basket they were standing in). If you have flower girls, and they are old enough to be able to take on the responsibility, consider handing out empty cones to your guests and as they leave the ceremony they can be greeted by a pretty maid scooping a generous dollop of petals into their cone. The Vintage Teacup Hire Company offers a plastic lined basket to fill with petals and two shallow baskets to fill with cones, available to hire.

The candy bar has only grown in popularity over the last five years and it is a trend we think is here to stay – I mean who doesn’t love over-indulging on sweeties on a wedding day? But a new trend we love is the confetti bar. Choose a variety of colours and styles of dried or fresh petals to make a pleasing display and present them in cut glass dishes, bowls (also available from The Vintage Teacup Hire Company) and vases for guests to mix themselves. Lavender is a favourite as it smells divine as well as cornflowers for their bright blue colour! Locally home-grown and dried petals are available from Carly Adams Event Management who dry all their real flower confetti in the airing cupboard at home! (Imagine the smell – glorious!)

Once you’ve kitted your guests out with confetti what is the best way to get the shot you are after? There are two popular ways to get the confetti showering on camera. The first is to walk down an aisle of friends and family giving everyone an opportunity to shower you with their blooms – and the photographer plenty of opportunity to catch you smiling (as opposed to spitting out bits of petal you’ve accidentally inhaled). The other is to gather everyone together, either in a horseshoe shape or on steps where guests can be raised behind you, with the couple in front looking at the camera. Everyone then throws the confetti at the same time which gives a fantastic flurry as clouds of petals descend on you and your newlywedded partner! However, be prepared to fix that smile regardless of stray petals in your eyes, mouth, hair and down your cleavage because you’re not going to get another chance at this shot!

If confetti isn’t your thing then maybe you would like to opt for one of these fun alternatives! We love bubbles and the sparkler tunnel chosen by CJ and Tom is fabulous! We were also inspired by the quirky ideas in this article from One Fab Day, especially the autumnal leaves for an amazing spread of colour and the bird seed for an eco-conscious couple. Why don’t you surprise us with something original? We’d love to see your confetti photos too!

Kirsty xx

Photography Credits

1. Wedding Belles – Hannah Duffy Photography
2 & 3. Lisa Jane Photography
4 & 5. Annie Lovett Photography – Dan and Jacq (coming soon)
6.&7. Hannah Duffy Photography – Kelly and Mike
8. Liz Greenhalgh Photography – Jess and Dan (coming soon)
9 & 10. John Hope Photography – CJ and Tom
11. Andy Fountain Photography – Elizabeth and Anthony (coming soon)
12. Annie Lovett Photography – Dan and Jacq (coming soon)
13. Wedding Belles – Hannah Duffy Photography
14. John Hope Photography – CJ and Tom