6 Eco Friendly Confetti Ideas
Say I do to protecting the environment
Who doesn’t love the confetti moment? You’ve just said ‘I do’ and you’re stepping out of your ceremony full of smiles. What will your family and friends use to shower you with well wishes and love?
What is environmentally friendly confetti?
Environmentally friendly confetti is an alternative to traditional paper or plastic confetti. Designed to minimise environmental impact, made from natural, biodegradable materials such as dried flower petals, leaves, or other plant fibres, this type of confetti decomposes quickly and safely without leaving harmful residues.
Key benefits include:
Biodegradability: Petal confetti breaks down naturally, reducing litter and harm to wildlife.
Non-toxic: Free from synthetic dyes and chemicals, it is safe for both humans and animals.
Aesthetic appeal: Offers a delicate, natural look that complements outdoor and garden weddings.
Versatility: Available in a range of colours and flower types to match wedding themes.
Make sure when choosing petal confetti, it is certified organic or sustainably harvested to ensure environmental integrity.
Always avoid glitter confetti, foil and plastic coatings, which negate eco-friendly properties.
Be mindful too of packaging and choose locally sourced or British made to reduce the carbon footprint.
By choosing environmentally friendly petal confetti you’re supporting sustainable wedding practices while adding a beautiful, natural touch to your celebrations.
Elen Studio Photography
Dried lavender confetti
If like us, you love the smell of lavender and especially it’s calming qualities, this could be the perfect eco friendly confetti for your wedding.
You’ll find retailers selling ready filled bags and seed packets online. Alternatively if you have the time for a spot of DIY, buy your dried lavender in bulk and fill your own bags, envelopes or seed packets.
Choose kraft paper, hessian and biodegradable options.
Avoid synthetic organza bags.
If you’re short on time, or patience, opt for a simple container filled with dried lavender so guests can simply grab a handful upon leaving your ceremony, ready to throw.
Less waste. More love to throw around.
Savvy Tip
Order enough lavender so you have extra to make wedding favours for the ladies. Fill small eco friendly bags and tie tightly with a ribbon to match your colour palette for fragrant drawer sachets.
Dried petal confetti
If you’re looking for an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic confetti choose naturally dried petals.
Dried petal confetti is carefully selected and harvested from fresh flower petals, usually from blooms that are naturally vibrant and durable such as roses, hydrangeas, or lavender.
The petals are gently separated and spread out in a single layer to dry, either air-dried in a cool, dark, and well-ventilated area or dried using specialised dehydrating equipment to retain their colour and shape.
Once the petals are fully dried, they are sifted to remove any stems or debris. Petals are sometimes lightly crushed or cut to create uniform pieces suitable for wedding confetti.
Karen Catchpole Photography
Fresh petal confetti
Fresh petal confetti is a romantic option which can be thrown without harming the environment. Choose rose petals or hydrangea petals and if you wish, blend their colour with your theme.
Elen Studio Photography
DIY Confetti Project
Arm yourself with a hole punch, a single or double puncher, and punch out your own confetti from biodegradable paper or, for a natural confetti, opt for leaves.
It’s the DIY project you can do from your sofa.
Leaf confetti
Your florist can probably advise a suitable leaf which will retain it’s colour. Preserved eucalyptus or bay leaves are strong contenders.
Biodegradeable tissue paper confetti
Buy multi-coloured sheets of biodegradable tissue paper from the local craft store. Avoid foil covered paper or anything covered in glitter.
You can find alternative ‘shape’ punches from shops like Hobbycraft if you prefer hearts or stars instead of circles.
DIY Reality Check
Don’t take on this DIY confetti task lightly! You might save a bit of money going DIY with this project but there’s a heck of a lot of confetti to punch out to fill just one cone or envelope. If you’re hell bent on this method we suggest you get a team onboard to help!
Bubbles
Blowing bubbles may seem an environmentally friendly confetti alternative but be mindful of the packaging. The wands are often single use plastic.
What to avoid
Glitter, plastic, toxic, coated paper and foil confetti should be avoided if you want to give thought to the environment and wildlife.
Be mindful too of themed confetti. We know of an instance where a guest threw, shall we say ‘hen party’ themed confetti, at the doorway to a place of worship. Not very respectful.
Traditional dried rice does not apparently, as the myth suggests, hurt birds should they consume it, but it can attract rats and be difficult to clear up. The same can be said for bird seed. Your venue will not thank you!
Karen Catchpole Photography
Check the rules
Ask the place of worship, register office or venue if you are allowed to throw confetti, and if so, are there any restrictions. Some locations forbid the throwing of confetti; others regulate the type of confetti that can be used.
Always check so you know the rules.
The Confetti Shot
Don’t overthink every moment of your day and don’t over plan every photo.
An experienced wedding photographer should have your back and be in situ, ready for the big confetti throw.
Remember to ‘be in the moment’ as it unfolds naturally. Allow the memories to happen organically without orchestrating your every move.
Often the very best moments are unplanned and these are the highlights you’ll remember in your mind’s eye.
Let the photographer worry about the photo.
You concentrate on the special moment.
Where to buy British
The Shropshire Petal Company · The Real Flower Confetti Company ·
Photographer Credits
Thank you to our recommended photographers:
for the images in this post
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