THROW IT ! ALTERNATIVES & CONS
For thousands of years the rice toss is a symbolic wish to the just-married couple for a life of prosperity and fruitfulness, which to the ancients meant many children. As a blessing, guests shower the couple with rice as they exit the ceremony. However in recent years it became known that certain wildlife such as birds become sick and died from not being able to digest the rice. New alternatives became popular for the rice throwing tradition. These are confetti, bird seed, blowing bubbles and lit sparklers for evening weddings.
However there are a few cons to these alternatives that should be considered.
Let’s talk about it…
1. Confetti is our first one. It can be messy and time consuming to cleanup after your ceremony when so many other special moments are going to happen. If not biodegradable it may also be a hazard for the environment.
2. Bird Seed is one of the most popular alternatives. Although it is messy it isn’t a threat to nature or wildlife. It is a bit hard and may not be comfortable to be hit with if you have some strong pitchers in your receiving line. It can also damage your photographers lens if anyone hits their lens/glass with it, although that is rare. Another concern is that most bird seed is processed in facilities that process nuts and may have nuts in the mix. If they do it is good to know if any of your guests have an allergy to avoid any health risks or catastrophic events at your wedding.
3. Blowing Bubbles is also extremely popular. However if bought to early the bubble liquid can go flat. So good to buy right before the wedding. Bubbles may also get soap stains and marks on some fabrics that will not look good in photos. From a photographers perspective bubbles either look good or bad. If bubbles get in a shot covering a part of a face it could look weird. Bubbles on the lens of the photographers camera is bad for the lens and any exposed electrical connections. In one case I found someone who was allergic to bubble soap, again rare but worth looking into.
4. Sparklers are usually only used at night to be seen the best. They do require quick cleanup and look amazing. However the obvious risks are there. They should be away from your dress, any fabric and away from skin as they are fire. All safety warnings should be on the boxes for your review.
Remember nothing is perfect and to “expect the unexpected” is my moto. Hopefully this list can help you be prepared so you can have both the traditional blessing of your symbolic choice and a beautiful event!
#erinsummerstudios #ProTipThursday #expecttheunexpected #beprepared #prosandcons #weddingideas
