6 Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Confetti

- Flower petals. Either dried or fresh, these are especially lovely options for pictures. Unless you choose white petals, the dried variety will likely be preferred by the venue if the walkway is paved, in order to avoid the risk of stains.

- Lavender or other herbs. Lavender blooms have the benefit of being both small and plentiful, making it very similar to confetti. This will also smell wonderful as you take your newlywed recessional, and in the future the scent may bring back that memory. 

- Birdseed. If you worry about rice or chunks of glitter being harmful to birds, this is a safe bet. As an added benefit, cleanup is unlikely to be an issue because it will be eaten up!

- Leaves. You can use full-sized leaves, whether small or large, like Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk did at their wedding, or get a hole puncher and make your own organic confetti. 

- Seed paper or biodegradable confetti. Dissolvable “paper” (often made with corn starch) makes it less of a problem if not every little piece is picked up. Natural paper filled with seeds will grow new flowers when planted!

- Coconut flakes. The snow-like visual makes this especially popular for winter weddings, and as with herbs, it smells great! However, you’ll want to make sure no guests (or staff!) have any coconut allergies, as that applies to skin contact as well as ingestion. 

For more ideas, read a guide to creating an eco-friendly wedding and discover how to make a grand entrance at your ceremony.