Why Do We Throw Confetti?

It’s such a fun and happy moment when the confetti is thrown over the newlyweds – but where did this long held wedding tradition come from ?

Confetti is the Italian word for sweets, in medieval Italy wedding guests would throw sugared almond sweets over the bride and groom, as they symbolised fertility and prosperity. Over the years this possibly painful tradition evolved into paper and flower petal alternatives!

This is most likely to be the reason why gifts of sugared almonds are still very popular as wedding favours.

In Britain it was traditionally rice that was thrown at a wedding, until the craze for throwing confetti was adopted from Europe in the late 1890s. Throwing rice goes all the way back to Roman times, where again it was a symbol of fertility.

Rice is thrown as part of the Hindu wedding ceremony, it is considered a symbol of prosperity.

When it comes to that special moment, there is a right and a wrong way to throw your confetti.

Never throw it directly into the faces of the happy couple, always throw it high into the sky so it will gently cascade over them as the photographer captures the shot!

It’s always a good idea to ask your chosen wedding venue about their policy on confetti, as not everyone allows it on their premises.

Here at Capesthorne Hall we are seeing a growing trend for dried flower petal confetti.

The petal colours each have a symbolic meaning :

Yellow for happiness

Red for everlasting love

White for new beginnings

Because it is biodegradable, this type of confetti is perfectly acceptable at most wedding venues. You can order your confetti in pretty personalised packaging such as paper cones or envelopes.

Why not take a look at the other wedding blogs on our website for more inspiration!