You’d think a confetti throw is one of the easiest photos you could get in your wedding gallery, right? Well, it’s not rocket science, but there are some things you should definitely avoid to make sure you get the best photos possible. I’ll walk you through them in some easy steps so you know what to look for when you’re choosing your confetti, and how to nail that awesome shot with your wedding photographer.

Outside or In?

In my experience, the ‘norm’ is to do your confetti photo outside, and logically this is a sensible choice because it means the wind disposes of it, rather than some poor bugger having to sweep up after you. But outside might not be possible. Rain, high wind, fading light - all are factors in why you might want to throw your confetti indoors. Here are some indoor shots for inspiration.

To me these photos really stand out, because the solid background gives the confetti something to really pop against. If you need to do that confetti shot inside instead of out, you absolutely can and it will still look awesome!

Hold the Confetti

There are three ways to dish out confetti to your guests. One is to put it in a cone, and hand it out to folks as they leave your ceremony. Another is fill loads of tiny envelopes and put them on chairs. And finally the third is to just have a big old basket or bowl filled with confetti and get everyone to grab a handful.

The third is by far and away my favourite.

People will take the biggest handful they can, and there’s no faff. If someone’s already holding a bag, a child’s hand or a drink then pouring confetti from a cone or an envelope into a free hand is difficult, so they’ll just throw it straight from the cone or envelope. And that just doesn’t work. It needs to go into their hand so they can throw it properly.

Petals or paper?

This is perhaps the most contentious decision in the whole thing. Usually I’m very diplomatic when it comes to wedding choices but I’m going to speak plainly now. Paper confetti is better in almost every way. It’s cheaper, catches the breeze and stays in the air and you can have whichever colours you like. Occassionally there’s an exception and some real flower petals do look stunning, but they have to be big, plentiful and colourful to match what you can easily achieve with paper.

Look up!

If you choose to walk through a confetti tunnel you’ll be tempted to look down at your feet, but the best photos are the ones where the couple look where they’re going. We want to see those joyful faces! If you’re wearing a full length dress you might want to slightly hitch the skirt in one hand so you don’t have to worry about where your feet land. Walk steadily but not too slowly, look up, and expect it to go everywhere. You’ll be laughing your head off anyway!

Walking or Standing Still?

Most confetti photos involve the guests forming two lines a couple of feet apart, and the couple walking through as the guests toss confetti into the air. It looks amazing on video especially. But sometimes standing still works incredibly well too. I’d always advise couples that if they’re going to walk through a tunnel then it is done after you’ve exited the ceremony space, even if your venue recommends that your guests throw it as you walk back down the aisle. By having a tunnel away from the ceremony space, or standing still amongst your guests, you maximise the amount of confetti in the air at any one time.