The best confetti for wedding photos is biodegradable paper, in a bold colour, with a good handful for every guest. I'm Paul Hickey of Once in a Lifetime Photography, a Worcestershire wedding photographer. I have photographed more than 150 weddings since 2014. This is what I tell my own couples before they buy any.
Confetti lasts about ten seconds. What you buy, and how your guests throw it, decides whether those ten seconds work.
Check with your venue first
Ask your venue or church what is allowed before you order anything. The rules vary a lot.
Some venues allow any biodegradable confetti.
Many churches and some venues allow natural petals only.
Some register offices allow none at all.
Foil and plastic confetti are banned almost everywhere.
Ask three things: is it allowed, where, and which types. It is a two-minute email, and it can save you buying a box of something you can't use.
What confetti looks best in photos?
Biodegradable paper confetti. It is light, so it hangs in the air and drifts down slowly. That gives me several seconds of confetti around you, not one.
Dried petals look lovely in a basket. But used alone they fall quickly, and the moment is over before you have taken three steps. If you like petals, mix some in with the paper for texture.
Biodegradable paper. Floats and fills the frame. My first choice. Check your venue allows paper.
Paper and petal mix. Floats, with more texture. A good middle route.
Dried petals only. Falls fast. Often the only type a church allows.
Fresh petals. Heavy, falls fastest. Can be slippery underfoot and may mark fabric.
Foil or plastic. Bright, but not welcome. Widely banned. Don't buy it.
If your venue allows petals only, choose small, light ones. Delphinium petals hang in the air longer than large rose petals.
What colour confetti for a wedding?
Bold, bright colours show up most. Confetti is small and moving, so strong colour is what makes it read in a photograph. A mix of several colours looks fuller than one.
White works too, and suits a classic or pared-back wedding. It shows up more clearly against trees or a building than against a bright sky.
It doesn't need to match your flowers. Nobody compares the two.
How much confetti do I need?
One good handful for every guest, plus about a fifth extra. Think in handfuls, because that is how confetti is used. Suppliers sell it in two different ways.
Petals are sold by the litre. One litre is ten to twelve handfuls.
Paper is usually sold by the bag. A typical 20g bag is about ten handfuls. Check the listing, because bag sizes vary.
Nobody sells confetti by the kilo. It weighs almost nothing.
50 guests: 60 handfuls. That is 6 litres of petals, or about 6 bags of paper at 20g each.
80 guests: 100 handfuls. That is 10 litres of petals, or about 10 bags of paper at 20g each.
100 guests: 120 handfuls. That is 12 litres of petals, or about 12 bags of paper at 20g each.
120 guests: 150 handfuls. That is 15 litres of petals, or about 15 bags of paper at 20g each.
The extra covers spills, guests who take two handfuls, and a little kept back for later. A light sprinkle doesn't photograph. I have never seen a confetti photograph spoiled by too much.
Buy it yourself. If you leave it to guests, a few people bring a small box each and most bring nothing.
Baskets, not cones
Use baskets or buckets, and skip the cones and small bags. A cone holds a pinch. It looks pretty on a table and gives you a thin puff in the air.
An open basket lets every guest take a proper handful, or two. Give one person the job of carrying it along the line as guests leave the ceremony.
How to stage the throw
This part matters as much as what you buy.
Make two lines. Guests stand in two rows facing each other, a couple of metres apart. You wait out of sight.
Fill every hand. Your helper walks the basket down both lines.
Throw high, and as you pass. Confetti thrown up and over drifts down. Each guest throws as you reach them, not all together.
Walk slowly. Half your normal pace. Stop in the middle for a kiss.
Look up, not down. Smile, laugh and keep your eyes open. If you look at your feet, I photograph the tops of your heads.
I once watched a whole line throw at the same moment. There wasn't much confetti to begin with, and it was over in two seconds. I don't add confetti to photographs afterwards. What you see in my pictures is what happened. So a minute of planning is worth it.
When is the best time for the confetti photo?
Straight after the ceremony, once everyone has congratulated you. All your guests are together and in high spirits. It also leads neatly into the family photographs. My wedding day photography timeline shows where it fits.
If your ceremony venue doesn't allow confetti, do it when you arrive at the reception.
Confetti cannons
Handheld cannons fire a burst of confetti three or four metres into the air. Two or three at the end of the line make a strong finish.
Read the label before you buy. Many cheap cannons are filled with foil or plastic. I once brought cannons to a wedding for a night photograph and found out afterwards that the confetti wasn't biodegradable. The venue was not pleased, and they were right. Buy cannons that state they are filled with biodegradable paper.
Check with your venue first, because some don't allow cannons at all. They are loud, so warn your guests. Give them to adults only and point them up, away from faces.
Confetti after dark
I have done a night-time confetti photograph for some couples, and it is one of the more unusual pictures of the day. Lit from behind with flash, every piece glows against the dark.
There are two ways to do it. Keep a litre or two of your confetti back from the afternoon, or bring a few biodegradable cannons. It takes five minutes and a handful of willing guests. Tell me beforehand if you'd like one.
If it rains, or confetti isn't allowed
If it is wet, ask whether confetti is allowed under a porch or down the aisle indoors. Otherwise wait for a dry five minutes later in the day. Ask your supplier whether the colour runs when wet, as some coloured paper can mark a pale dress.
If confetti is banned, bubbles are the alternative I'd choose. They float, they catch the light and they leave nothing to sweep up. Ribbon wands are another option.
Where to buy confetti
These are UK suppliers I point couples to. I have no commercial link with any of them.
Proper Confetti. Biodegradable paper circles in a wide range of colour mixes, plus petals.
Confetti Bee. Biodegradable paper confetti, described as colourfast, and compressed-air cannons filled with it.
Shropshire Petals. Dried petals grown in Shropshire and sold by the litre. A good choice for mixing in, or for venues that allow petals only.
Wedding confetti: common questions
What is the best type of confetti for photos?
Biodegradable paper confetti. It floats for longer than petals, so there is more of it in the air around you.
How much confetti do I need for 100 guests?
About 120 handfuls. That is 12 litres of petals, or around twelve 20g bags of paper.
What colour confetti looks best in photos?
Bright, bold colours. White also works for a classic look, particularly against a darker background.
Are confetti cones or baskets better?
Baskets. Guests take a full handful from a basket. A cone holds too little to show.
Can we have confetti at a church or register office?
Often, but ask first. Many churches allow petals only, and some register offices allow none.
Should we tell our photographer about our confetti plans?
Yes. Tell me what you've bought and where it is allowed. Here is everything else worth telling your wedding photographer.
Next steps
Confetti is followed by family photographs, so it helps to have your family photo list ready too. If you're still choosing a photographer, my wedding photography packages set out what is included. Once in a Lifetime Photography covers Worcestershire, the West Midlands, Herefordshire, Warwickshire and Shropshire. My work has earned several Wedisson Awards and a Flashmasters Gold Award.
Paul Hickey, Once in a Lifetime Photography · paul@onceinalifetimephotography.co.uk · 01905 900911
