WEDDING RESOURCES · CONFETTI
How to have the best confetti toss.
Confetti is one of the easiest wedding photographs to make incredible, and one of the easiest to accidentally make a bit sad.
The good news is that it does not need much choreography. You mostly need enough of it, the right people in the right place and guests who understand that this is not the moment for a polite little pinch.
START HERE · THE FOUR THINGS THAT MATTER MOST
More confetti. Higher throws. Less fuss.
You can buy the prettiest petals in the world and still end up with three lonely bits floating past your shoulder. These four things make a much bigger difference than the packaging does.
Use more than you think.
Sparse confetti nearly always looks sadder than slightly ridiculous amounts. Big handfuls beat polite little pinches.
Put one person behind me with the spare confetti.
This is one of my favourite tricks. Have somebody walk just behind me, or tucked to the side behind your guests, throwing the spare confetti high so it comes over my camera. It keeps the air full and gives me that lush layer of foreground confetti right at the lens.
Throw high, not hard.
We want flutter, not assault. Throwing upwards gives it time to hang in the air instead of firing it directly into your faces.
Check the venue rules before buying half the internet.
Venues can limit what you use, where you throw it and whether it is allowed at all. Check first, then choose the option your guests will actually commit to.
WHEN TO DO IT
Straight after the ceremony is classic. It is not the only option.
Confetti is usually thrown during the recessional or organised just after the ceremony. But if your venue does not allow it there, or you would rather not carry petals in your hair through every portrait, it can work beautifully later too.
You could do it when you arrive at the reception venue, before guests are called in for the wedding breakfast, as part of a whole-group photograph, or even during the first dance.
My favourite version when the timeline allows it is to disappear for five hot minutes first. You have just got married. Go somewhere out of sight together, take in what has actually happened, and let somebody organise the guests while you are gone. Then come back to one giant celebratory moment and greet everybody properly afterwards.
Give somebody else the job. Ask one or two organised people to hand out the confetti and get everyone into position. You should not be standing there managing your own tunnel five minutes after getting married.
NOT JUST A TUNNEL
Three ways to arrange the chaos.
The classic aisle works brilliantly when you have space and plenty of guests. When you do not, I change the shape rather than trying to force the same photograph into a location that does not suit it.
The confetti aisle.
Guests line both sides and you walk through the middle. Simple, brilliant and best when there is enough room for people to stand close enough that the confetti actually reaches you.
The archway or circle.
Ideal for smaller guest lists or tighter spaces. Guests wrap around you rather than stretching into a long line, which also means more familiar faces end up in the background.
The whole-group throw.
If you want a big group photograph that feels less formal, let everyone throw at once. It creates movement, laughter and a photograph that feels far more like a celebration than a school photo.
WHAT SHOULD WE ACTUALLY THROW?
The best confetti is the one your venue allows and your guests can throw properly.
Size matters more than people expect. Bigger pieces tend to hang in the air for longer and are easier to remove from hair afterwards. I would also skip individual bags and cones unless you genuinely love them. Handfuls throw better, and a basket is much easier to keep topping people up from.
Fresh petals
Beautiful, soft and easy to personalise. Ask your florist whether offcuts can be saved, or use flowers from a garden that means something to you. Always check your venue’s rules first.
Dried petals
A lovely option to collect gradually. I have had couples dry flowers from engagement, birthday and anniversary bouquets, or gather petals from parents’ and grandparents’ gardens.
Dried leaves
Brilliant for an autumn wedding and wonderfully dramatic when you use enough. The Brookfield Barn photograph here is exactly what I mean by committing to the throw.
Large biodegradable paper
Large paper pieces can look incredible, especially with a cannon or two adding height. Just remember that some paper confetti can transfer colour when it gets wet.
Bubbles
A great alternative when petals or paper are not allowed, and especially fun with children. A few bubble guns make a huge difference. Check the liquid on fabric first and avoid creating a slippery floor.
Fake snow
A genuinely fun winter option and brilliant for a whole-group photograph. The trade-off is that it can cling to hair and clothing for the rest of the evening.
NOT TECHNICALLY CONFETTI · STILL BRILLIANT
Or make the celebration something else entirely.
Smoke bombs, champagne spray, paper cut from an old book, sparklers, bubbles, a sword arch. They all belong in the same conversation: what would actually feel like you?
Some need more planning than petals, so check the venue is happy, think through wind, cleanup and safety, and make sure somebody owns the practical bit before the day.
SPARKLERS
A SWORD ARCH
ANOTHER MOMENT TO USE IT
Confetti during the first dance is wildly underrated.
If the idea of everyone quietly staring at you for three minutes makes your skin crawl, bring them into it. Confetti during the first dance instantly changes the energy and gives guests something to do besides watch.
It also works brilliantly when the ceremony location bans confetti or the weather has killed the outdoor plan. You still get the movement and celebration, just later in the day.
CONFETTI FAQ
The questions I get asked before somebody buys 200 little paper cones.
How much confetti do we need?
More than looks sensible in the packet. I would rather have leftovers than have everybody trying to make one handful last. The exact amount depends on your guest numbers and the setup, but the visual rule is simple: generous handfuls win and enough left over in a basket for someone to trail me and add dimension to your photographs. I rarely find my couples have extra, but when they do, the photogaphs are incredible!
Do we need confetti cones or little bags?
No. They can look lovely laid out, but they do not improve the toss. A basket or two that people can grab proper handfuls from is usually quicker, easier and gives a much better result.
What if it rains?
Rain does not necessarily mean losing the confetti toss. We can often simply move it to another point in the day when the weather gives us a window. That might be just before you enter the wedding breakfast, when breakfast finishes and everyone heads back outside while the room is flipped for dancing, before you come in for the first dance, or even during the first dance itself.
Can we do confetti indoors?
Sometimes. It completely depends on the venue and what you are throwing. Ask before buying anything. If they say yes, indoor confetti can be fantastic because you are no longer at the mercy of wind.
Will confetti ruin the rest of our photographs?
Usually not, but some types are much easier to remove than others. Bigger petals and pieces are far easier to pick out of hair than tiny fragments. If you really do not want anything left in your hair for portraits, schedule the toss later in the day.
KEEP GOING
A few more rabbit holes while you are here.
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