Who doesn’t love the throwing of confetti at weddings? It’s always so much fun! And as a wedding photographer I absolutely love photographing this part of the day because it’s a such a fun, joyful part of the day.
In order to get incredible, joy-filled confetti photos, I wanted to share my top tips for getting brilliant confetti photos.
GO BIG!
Make sure your guests have enough confetti to make the photos full of confetti, you need to be able to tell it’s a confetti shot! 🎉
Think about how you’re going to deliver the confetti to the guests. Are they expected to grab a handful? Sometimes when they’re also trying to hold glasses, phones, handbags this can lead to meagre handfuls! Will you give each guest a cone afterwards or an envelope on their ceremony chair?
PICK YOUR CONFETTI
It’s best for the planet to go biodegradable and buy real petals or dry your own flower petals of course. I heard of one bride who dried every petal from every flower her partner gave her. You need to be fairly confident from day one to do that (or hide them away secretly in the airing cupboard for years 😂)
There are so many different types of confetti you can opt for as well so pick something that suits you. There are the super traditional cut paper shapes (think the confetti shapes of churches and bells that were at your parents’ wedding!); be warned, this type of confetti stains when they get hot and sweaty inside your clothes. You also need to check that the inks are non-toxic and biodegradable. A lot of people throw rice but this also is not great for birds and small wildlife so a lot of venues won’t allow rice in the grounds; make sure you check before your big day. Also pay attention to confetti mixed with glitter (even if it claims to be biodegradable) as it’s usually not.
Or, why not go a bit left field and go for a bubble confetti shot. Get some bubble guns or bubble wands and walk through a line of bubbles? Or for a winter wedding how about going all out and walking past snow machines for that real crazy wow factor?!
What style of confetti photo would you like?
There are various ways you can take confetti your photos.
You can walk through a tunnel of people (I’ll coordinate your guests for you on the day) and get some great happy walking photos. I’ll remind your guests to throw the confetti nice and high so that the confetti floats down gently rather than them lobbing petals right in your faces!
The pros: this is great if you’re wanting a low-pressure photo situation or have a lot of guests to wander past. It also gives you a lot of opportunity to get numerous great photos!
The cons: if you’re prone to looking at your feet then this might not be for you as I’ll end up with a lot of photos of the top of your heads!
You can opt to stand in front of your guests and then you need to do something interactive (kiss, spin, dip etc) 💋
The pros: if you’re happy to play up for the camera then these photos can be really fun and this can be a great option if you only have a few guests (where your ‘tunnel’ would be really short). Plus, if your venue wants confetti limited to a very small area this can contain you nicely.
The cons: these shots really look better if you do something rather than just stand there looking at me, so get thinking and strike a pose! It’s not for everyone…
Or if your venue doesn’t allow outside confetti what about a dancefloor confetti canon? A few trusted guests or potentially the DJ can set off a confetti canon during your first dance song. Definitely make sure you warn me so I can backlight all the confetti for extra wow factor.
The pros: these shots can look slick! And you’re already doing something else so there is no pressure on you at all. Plus, there’s nothing to say you can’t do outside confetti and first dance confetti if you’re allowed and so inclined!
The cons: All eyes will be on you so if you’re not feeling a full-on first dance and want to invite people on during your dance this might not be the option for you; you’ll want to maximise the dancing time and get those confetti pics before inviting friends and family up. Not all venues allow confetti canons either so make sure you double check!
Whatever you opt for, make sure you’re having fun – look at each other, laugh, cheer. All way more fun options than looking at your feet and give you way more interactive photos 🤩
PLAN YOUR CONFETTI PHOTOS
Make sure you chat to your church or venue in advance so you don’t turn up armed with confetti only to find that you can’t throw confetti in the church grounds or use the type of confetti you chose at the venue. You need to know when are where you can throw it and then plan it into your day at a time when guests will have empty hands and are ready to get involved with the fun!
And then get in touch with me to make sure I’m there to capture it for you 😉
