For many couples, the confetti throw is one of the wedding photos that they are most looking forward to. You have everyone together, you have lots of colour, hopefully plenty of smiles, and you have the opportunity to get some fantastic photos. However, there is a little more to getting the perfect wedding confetti photo than simply handing out the petals and hoping for the best!

Having supplied natural petal confetti for thousands of weddings, we have seen thousands of confetti photos in return, including some absolutely incredible ones. We have also learned quite a lot about what works, from the type of petals you choose through to how you organise the actual throw. So, if you are starting to think about your own confetti photos, here are our 10 top tips.

1. Use different petal shapes and sizes

There is a lot of conflicting advice around petal size, with some photographers recommending really large petals, while others suggest that smaller petals are best. In reality, we would recommend using a mixture of both. Different petal shapes and sizes behave differently in the air, with some falling more quickly and others floating and fluttering for a little longer. They will also appear differently depending on how close they are to the camera, helping to create some depth within the photograph rather than having hundreds of identical petals all doing exactly the same thing.

This is one of the reasons that we like using a variety of seasonal flowers within our confetti. You don't need to find one perfect flower or one perfect petal size; instead, having a good mixture gives you different shapes, sizes and textures, all of which can work together within the final photo.

2. Think about colour and contrast

You absolutely don't need to have lots of different colours to get a good confetti photograph. If you have always imagined completely white confetti, or perhaps a mix that is almost entirely pink, then that can still look fantastic. However, if photographs are particularly important to you, it is worth thinking about contrast.

Having some lighter and darker petals within the same mix means that you should still be able to see plenty of confetti regardless of what is behind you. If you are standing in front of a darker building or backdrop, the lighter petals should stand out particularly well, while darker or brighter petals will provide contrast against a lighter background. This can also work really well if your photographer converts some of the images to black and white, because the contrast between the petals remains even when the colour itself has disappeared.

This is one reason why our pastel, rustic and rainbow mixes are so popular, accounting for around half of the mixes that we make. They give you plenty of natural variation, while also allowing us to use a wide range of seasonal petals.

3. Look at your confetti outside

When you receive your confetti or samples, one of the simplest things you can do is take them outside and look at them in natural daylight. It sounds obvious, but most of us initially look at things inside our homes, often under quite warm or yellow artificial lighting. This can change how the colours appear considerably, with whites perhaps looking more cream and other colours appearing warmer or darker than they actually are.

Most wedding confetti throws take place outside, so that is the environment in which you really want to judge your mix. Of course, the light will still vary depending on the weather and time of day, but natural daylight is going to give you a much better idea of what your confetti will actually look like in the photographs.

4. Don't worry too much about matching an exact shade

Couples quite rightly put a lot of thought into their wedding colours, and we will always work with you to create a confetti mix that complements them. However, we wouldn't worry too much about getting every petal to exactly match a particular shade within the bridesmaids' dresses, flowers or table decorations.

At Ezra's Confetti, we only use the colours that Mother Nature gives us and don't dye our natural petals to create colours that aren't naturally available. This means that certain colours, particularly some blues and oranges, can be more difficult to match precisely. However, once hundreds of petals are moving through the air, you simply aren't going to notice that one petal is a slightly different shade of blue from another. Even in the most beautiful professional wedding photograph, what you will notice is the overall colour, contrast and movement, rather than whether every petal was an exact colour match.

So, think about the overall colour palette and choose something that works with your wedding, but don't let yourself become too fixated on finding one exact shade.

5. Work with the seasons

Similarly, try not to become too focused on having one particular type of flower within your confetti. Natural flowers are seasonal, and the petals that are readily available will therefore change throughout the year. Earlier in the year we may have lots of beautiful peonies available, roses become much more plentiful during the summer, while towards the end of summer we might be working with sunflowers and dahlias.

We work closely with our flower partners throughout the year and use what is naturally available at the time. This gives us a changing mixture of shapes, sizes and textures, which is actually really useful when creating confetti for photographs. Rather than trying to force one particular flower into a mix because somebody has told you that it is the best flower for wedding confetti, we would much rather work with good-quality, seasonal petals that we know will look and throw really well.

6. Fluff your confetti before the throw

This is probably one of the simplest ways to improve your wedding confetti photos. By the time your confetti reaches the venue, it has been dried, packaged, transported and stored, so naturally some of the petals will have become compressed together. If you take a tightly packed handful and immediately throw it, some of those petals are going to travel together rather than separating and fluttering individually.

Before the confetti throw, therefore, gently fluff the petals and separate them so that there is some air between them. This gives the different flowers much more opportunity to move independently as they fall, which is what creates that lovely fluttering effect around the couple. It only takes a moment, but it can make a real difference.

7. Take the confetti out of the cones or bags

Personalised cones and individual organza bags are a lovely way to present confetti to your guests, but we would recommend taking the confetti out before the actual throw. Ideally, each guest wants the loose confetti in the palm of their hand, giving them the opportunity to fluff the petals and then throw them properly.

Trying to throw directly from an organza bag or shake petals out of a cone gives you much less control over where the confetti goes and how it separates. So, use the cones and bags for presentation and handing the confetti out, but when it is time for the photo, get the petals into everyone's hands.

8. Throw the confetti up and over the couple

This is probably the most important tip of the ten. Confetti should be thrown up and over the happy couple, rather than directly at them.

Throwing the petals upwards gives them time to separate before gravity brings them back down, creating the flutter that you want to see within the photograph. It also gives your photographer considerably more time to capture several images as the petals fall. If everyone simply throws their confetti directly at you, it travels sideways, reaches you very quickly and then falls to the ground, giving you far less movement and far less time to get the photograph.

So, when somebody is explaining the confetti throw to your guests, make this really clear: up and over, rather than at!

9. More confetti doesn't automatically mean a better photo

There can be a temptation to assume that the more confetti you buy, the better your photograph will be. You certainly need enough to create a good throw, but there comes a point where adding more doesn't necessarily improve the result. If enormous handfuls are thrown at exactly the same moment, you can end up with so many petals that the couple themselves are almost completely obscured.

Large compressed handfuls can also fall much more quickly, whereas what you really want is plenty of individual petals moving and fluttering around you. So, focus on having the right amount of confetti for the number of guests involved rather than simply buying as much as possible. A good cloud of well-thrown petals is much more useful than disappearing completely behind them.

10. Get your photographer and guests organised

Finally, it is worth talking to your photographer about the confetti throw before the wedding. Have a look at different wedding confetti photographs, including our own biodegradable confetti photo gallery, and think about the sort of image you would like to achieve. Your photographer will also have plenty of experience of organising these shots and can advise you on where everyone should stand and how they want you to move through the group.

On the day itself, it is also really useful to have somebody take responsibility for explaining the throwing to your guests. This might be the photographer, somebody from the venue or a confident member of your wedding party. They simply need to remind everyone to take the confetti out of their bags or cones, fluff it up, hold it ready and then throw it up and over you when they are told.

Usually, having guests arranged in two lines with the couple walking between them works really well, and getting as many people as possible to throw at roughly the same time creates the initial cloud of petals. Because those petals have been thrown upwards, they will then continue to fall as you walk through, giving your photographer several opportunities to get the shot rather than relying on one perfectly timed photograph.

One final extra: hearts and glitter

Although you absolutely don't need anything other than natural petals to create a fantastic confetti photograph, you can also consider adding biodegradable paper hearts or biodegradable glitter if your wedding venue permits them. Paper shapes introduce another size and texture into the mix, while glitter can add some extra shimmer, particularly in closer photographs where it catches the light.

These are very much optional extras rather than something you need for a good photo, and it is always worth checking your venue's confetti policy before adding them. Increasingly, some venues specify natural petals only, so make sure you know what is permitted before ordering.

Getting the perfect wedding confetti photo

Ultimately, there isn't one perfect flower, colour or petal size that guarantees a great wedding confetti photo. In our experience, it is much more about bringing a number of simple things together: using a good mixture of natural petals, thinking about colour and contrast, working with what is naturally in season and then making sure the confetti is properly prepared and thrown on the day.