16 Alternatives to Confetti at a Wedding You Should Know

*This post may have affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclaimer for additional details..

If you decide not to use confetti at your wedding because it is hard to clean up and non-biodegradable, your decision is valid and responsible. The world is tending towards eco-friendly alternatives, so choosing not to pollute the environment is reasonable.

But your wedding does not have to be confetti-less because you chose not to use traditional confetti. There are many substitutes to confetti you can work with.

In this article, we talk about 16 alternatives to confetti that you can try at your wedding.

Table of Contents

1. Artificial Snowflakes

Artificial snowflakes are a great option if you are trying to create a snow-like effect at a wedding. They are particularly perfect for winter and fall weddings, where they mimic the appearance of falling snow.

Besides offering a gorgeous snow-like view, artificial snowflakes are pretty easy to clean. In fact, you could say they are self-cleaning since they dissolve immediately when they come in contact with water.

2. Birdseed

What better way to congratulate the love birds than throwing birdseed in the air like confetti? There are multiple upsides to using birdseed as confetti.

First, birdseed is super eco-friendly; they either decay, get eaten by birds, or grow into new plants. Any of these 3 possibilities will help the environment.

Another perk is with birdseed around, you can attract some beautiful birds to the occasion. How lovely would it be if those birds photobomb the pictures from the wedding?

Birdseed comes in various colors and mixtures, so you may choose to get different colors for your confetti. Alternatively, you could go for just one color if you are trying to create an effect.

3. Dried Flower Petals

Dried flower petals can give you the same slow-falling effect confetti offers. But besides that, they can be pretty and colorful.

Apart from being colorful, dried flower petals are biodegradable. So, they will not pollute the environment. You can also pick them up with less fuss because, unlike confetti, flower petals can be seen easily.

You can get dried flower petal confetti from a florist, or you may order yours online. If you store the petals in a cool, dry place, they can be reused for other events for up to 12 months.

4. Dried Lavender

Talking about dried flowers, you can use dried lavender petals as confetti. Dried lavender is biodegradable, but beyond that, it brings a lovely natural aroma. It also adds a burst of purple to the view and is ideal for pictures.

Dried lavender is easy to clean because the petals will easily blow away with the wind. Then again, the petals can get stuck in people’s hair and dresses. Even at that, dried lavender still makes for great photos.

You can get dried lavender from a florist, or you can buy it online. Interestingly, if you have some leftovers after the wedding, you can make lavender tea.

5. Feathers

You could make do with feathers as your confetti if you are planning to have a boho wedding. Boho weddings typically have a nature-inspired, mythical feel, and feathers dropping like confetti would fit the scene perfectly.

Boho weddings are typically held outdoors, and feathers are lightweight, so cleaning should be simple. The wind should help you do most of the cleaning.

You need not worry about feathers polluting the environment; they are organic, so they will decompose. Interestingly, when feathers decay, they can help raise the nitrogen levels of the soil. So, you could be helping the environment in more than one way.

When getting feathers, ensure you naturally collect them. Do not try to harm birds just to get feathers for confetti.

6. Fresh and Dried Leaves

At first, you may think using leaves as confetti is not a good idea. But if you use fresh-smelling leaves, you will change your mind.

You can create confetti from fresh or dried leaves using a paper punch. Punch the leaves into tiny circles, and you have your confetti. You can even make things stylish by punching the leaves into the heart shape.

If you create confetti from fresh leaves, you can use them right away. Alternatively, you may dry them and store them for later.

Of course, leaves are biodegradable.

7. Fresh Blooms

Remember we said to use dried flower petals as confetti? Well, you can also use fresh blooms. Fresh blooms are perfect for spring and summer weddings when most flowers blossom.

Fresh blooms are relatively more colorful and vibrant than dried leaves. Also, their scents should be more intense than those of dried flower petals.

Fresh blooms are easy to pick and clean up, and they are biodegradable.

8. Fresh Herbs

Eucalyptus petals confetti in wedding ceremony.

Besides flowers and regular leaves, you can pick some fresh herbs and use them as confetti. Herbs like mint, sage, thyme, and rosemary are perfect options for herb confetti. They are beautiful, but beyond that, they are flavorful.

When using fresh herbs as confetti, you can pack the leaves in bowls, paper cones, or baskets. Then label each one and let the guests decide which herb they want to throw in the air.

9. Natural Fall Leaves

Natural fall leaves are another perfect alternative to confetti at fall weddings. Since fall leaves typically come in various colors, ranging from yellow to orange and gold, they can make the wedding colorful. They can also infuse the fall theme effortlessly into your ceremony.

You do not have to punch fall leaves into any shape; they should work fine the way they are. You may place the leaves in paper bags and let each guest pick a bag.

10. Newspaper Heart Confetti

If you’ve got some old newspaper, you have confetti material. Making confetti with newspaper is pretty straightforward – just punch the pages of the paper into your desired shape.

For a wedding, making heart confetti should be perfect, but you may decide on other shapes.

Now, you may be wondering if a newspaper is safe for the environment. Newspapers are biodegradable. Apart from that, they can also be used as weed killers and mulch. So, you will not be harming the environment with newspaper confetti.

11. Olive Leaves and Branches

If you intend to have your wedding in Tuscany, Italy, olive leaves and branches are an ideal confetti alternative.

Tuscany produces the most extra-virgin olive oil in the world, so olives are significant to the region. Using olive leaves and branches as confetti is a way to embrace Tuscany even more.

Place the olive leaves and branches in boxes and baskets. Then let the guests pick from the containers and toss.

12. Popcorn Confetti

Unlike regular popcorn, confetti popcorns typically contain no sugar. They may also be smaller than regular popcorns because they are crushed after preparing them. By making them smaller, the popcorns become easier to toss, and they float better.

Popcorn confetti is perfect for use at the wedding of popcorn lovers and movie lovers. You can place the popcorn in the usual popcorn paper bag, so each person gets some popcorn to toss in the air.

Of course, since you can eat popcorn, they are biodegradable.

13. Rice Butterflies Confetti

Since rice symbolizes prosperity and fertility, rice butterflies confetti are a perfect way to wish the new couple fertility and prosperity.

Made with rice paper, rice glue, and rice grain, rice butterflies confetti is all-natural. This makes it biodegradable, so the environment is safe with this confetti alternative.

14. Monogrammed Paper Planes

couple launching paper planes from the roof

Paper planes are an amusing alternative to confetti at weddings; both adults and children will have a swell time launching the planes all around.

Paper plane confetti is an ideal way to pay tribute to a pilot or traveler at their wedding. You can have the planes monogrammed with the initials of the couple. The couple can even write a message to the guests on the paper planes and vice versa.

As long as the paper used in making the plane is not lined with plastic, it should be biodegradable. So, it is an eco-friendly option.

15. Bubbles

Bubbles are a fun alternative to confetti. Everyone can have fun while blowing bubbles around the couple, and since bubbles are light, they float readily.

Bubble liquid can stain brightly colored dresses easily, so when using bubbles as confetti, appropriate precautions should be taken.

Also, when buying the bubble liquid, ensure you opt for the non-toxic, biodegradable options.

16. Small Rose Petals

Bridesmaid in a white dress holding flower basket with rose petals

The fact that the red rose symbolizes love makes it the perfect confetti alternative for weddings. But you do not have to limit yourself to red roses; you can decide to use other rose colors as confetti.

Besides being colorful and beautiful, roses are fragrant. Then, of course, they are biodegradable. Since the petals are small-sized, they can be blown away by the wind. So, you may not have to struggle too much to clean.

Small rose petals may get stuck in the hair or dresses. But this look comes out nice in photos, so it may not be a problem.