#DontForgettiYourConfetti

When researching this blog we realised… most couples don’t consider that different types of confetti create different effects.

While planning our own wedding, we had our confetti choice already in mind and we didn’t put much thought into the alternatives or the results. With the insight that we now have, both from working weddings and planning our own, we’ve created a guide to ensure all couples can make the most of their confetti moment.

Maybe it’s a big deal to us because we’re videographers, but man…. confetti is underrated! So we are sharing this guide with the hashtag #DontForgettiYourConfetti so that this essential yet overlooked wedding milestone can finally be appreciated for the movie magic it creates!

Types of Confetti

Paper Confetti

• Tissue paper confetti is incredibly floaty which always makes for the most amazing photos and video, which is why it’s our personal favourite!

• It floats so well that it ends up everywhere, and if the pieces are too small they can get lost in your hair and take time to remove. This is important when you consider that confetti usually takes place right before your group photos (so it’s worth having a couple of members of the wedding party around to help check it’s all removed). However, you can buy large, circular pieces, (like Becca & Charlie above) to avoid this.

• It comes in a huge variety of colours and combinations. This allows you to tailor your confetti to your wedding, for example by matching a certain colour scheme, choosing bright colours to reflect a fun or alternative wedding, or choosing pastel tones or white for a classic, traditional wedding. You can also use it to represent something, such as rainbow confetti for an LGBTQ+ wedding. 

• It’s more affordable than petal confetti, which is great for the wedding budget. You don’t need to buy as much as it stays in the air longer, meaning it builds up over time. (Though we think the more confetti the better, and when buying equal amounts of each, paper confetti is still more budget-friendly). 

• As it’s not in its natural form, it doesn’t blend in as well on the ground, but it is a biodegradable confetti - it just takes a bit longer. Avoid metallic or plastic confetti to help look after local environments, and if in doubt, contact suppliers to check it’s environmentally friendly.

• Pay attention to the direction of the breeze - confetti travelling towards the camera looks amazing (check out Shannon & Zak below). Confetti close to the lens creates great foreground and can help the shot look more ‘full’ with confetti. Some photographers even sprinkle some in front of their camera to get this effect. If budget is an issue and you like the full confetti look, this is a great way to cheat it! If you like this look, discuss it with your photographer or videographer in a pre-wedding consultation.

Dried Petal Confetti

• It’s a safer choice for winter - if it rains on your wedding day and you persevere and have your confetti outside (see Lydia & Sam below!), tissue confetti may not fall well, which could be detrimental to the moment. Petal confetti won’t fall any differently, and it won’t stick to and disintegrate on damp guests! As it’s heavier, it’s also more resilient in windy weather.

• Size matters; some petal confetti is very small and others are much larger, up to the size of a complete petal. All provide different effects and it’s worth considering which you prefer.

• There’s less colour variation - unless you are willing to pay a lot for a custom or unique mix.

• Similarly to small paper, small confetti petals can take time to remove from clothing and hair.

• It fits with a botanical or rustic theme and blends well in woodland or fields.

• It does tend to be more expensive than tissue confetti. It’s heavier so doesn’t stay floating in the air like paper does. If you want photos with lots of confetti, you need to buy a lot and ensure everyone has a good handful (or two!).

• It looks very attractive in packets, baskets, or confetti cones when it is handed out. We love getting shots of confetti in guests’ hands before it is thrown. 

• Of course, it is incredibly environmentally friendly. Once landed, it will degrade the same way any other petal or leaf degrades on the ground. Some people even make their own by cutting shapes from leaves or drying petals. This takes dedication but is worth it if getting crafty is something you enjoy. 

• Though we don’t see this often, you can use fresh petal confetti. This allows for greater colour variation and intensity (even compared to tissue confetti), but of course, it comes with a price tag, and has a very short shelf life!

How much confetti do I need?

It’s tricky to know how much confetti you should buy, but online confetti calculators suggest roughly 5 grams or 100 millilitres per person. We think - if in doubt, overestimate!

Time of Day

Typically, confetti is used between the ceremony exit and the drinks reception, but it’s possible to incorporate it elsewhere if you don’t want to dedicate specific time to it.

Nick & I used confetti twice on our day; once at the traditional time, and a second time during our reception entrance, via confetti cannons.

Iona & Luke chose to throw confetti as they walked down the aisle (see below!) at the end of their ceremony. It adds to the celebration and theatre of the moment and is especially useful on rainy days when you aren’t able to go outside. You can see both of our confetti uses in our wedding teaser here

Wedding Confetti Ideas 

More often now couples are steering away from traditions and making their weddings more unique and personal, which we love! If you want to (or have to - thanks to British weather!) change up your confetti, here are some great ways to do it.

Lydia & Sam - Outside in the Rain

In defiance of the weather, Lydia & Sam still had their traditional confetti walk - it was just in the rain, with an umbrella. In this case, dried petal confetti was a good choice. It’s unlikely that a tissue paper alternative would have floated well in the rain. Watch it in their video here

Rebecca & Alistair - Indoor Confetti

Rain isn’t for everyone, and there is a limit to the amount anyone would be happy to stand outside in. Rain on Rebecca & Alistair’s wedding may have been a blessing in disguise because they ended up with one of the most amazing confetti moments we have ever seen. The graduated height of the guests on the staircase and the sheer amount of confetti made for the most fantastic display. You can watch it in their video here

Shannon & Zak - Stand Still

Shannon & Zak didn’t want a full confetti tunnel and opted instead for a nod to the tradition. During group photos, they had a handful of their nearest and dearest throw confetti at them while they posed for a photo. We are obsessed with the results. The juxtaposition of stillness with such mad, happy movements around them (and the fact they can’t keep a straight face) creates a unique, fun, and whimsical moment that works well for video and photo alike. This can be the most budget-friendly way to do confetti - as you are remaining in one place, you don’t need lots of it to generate impact. You can watch the full clip in their video here

Iona & Luke - Confetti Cannons 

For a more rock and roll, explosive confetti moment, you could opt for cannons. We are fans of confetti cannons ourselves (we used them for a bit of theatrics during our wedding!). You can’t guarantee perfect timing, but you can be sure you’ll have some great reactions and a lot of fun. It’s a modern and alternative way of including confetti in your day. You can watch Iona & Luke’s fun teaser film here

Get the best out of your confetti

To make the most of your confetti moment you need a lot and, if you are using petal confetti, to make sure your lines of guests are close together. It might be a bit of a tighter squeeze to walk through, but the best confetti shots are the ones that are the most saturated.

For the most confetti-filled shots, go for tissue paper. If petals still have your heart - buy as much as you can.

Whichever type you choose, your photographer or videographer should advise people to throw it up rather than out into your faces so that it has more air time (and you don’t spend most of your walk spitting confetti out of your mouth or with your eyes shut).

For that fuller look on a budget, consider standing still and having guests throw paper confetti above you - you could even have one or two people behind the cameras throwing confetti over the top to really fill the shot.

And finally, pay attention to wind direction. If the breeze is traveling towards the camera, confetti stays in front of the lens for longer (side sweeping winds pull the confetti out of frame pretty quickly).

Confetti may be small, but trust us - the little details can make all the difference! #DontForgettiYourConfetti