Wedding confetti photos: how to get the perfect confetti shot

We do the confetti shot straight after your ceremony. Exactly where depends on your venue.

At a church, it happens on the way out. You usually hang around inside for a few moments while your guests head outside and get ready. Then you walk out to them throwing the confetti.

At a wedding venue, I’ll speak to your wedding planner and we’ll find a suitable spot. Almost all venues already have a plan for where confetti happens, so we work to that. Straight afterwards we go into your wedding group photos, while everyone is still together in one place. You can see where it all fits in my wedding day timeline guide.

Before the ceremony, someone is usually given the job of holding the confetti, or little bags of it are placed on the chairs for your guests. Once you’re married, this is the order I follow. You can see the two lines working in Olivia and Josh’s photo at Riverlands below.

1. A friendly shoutI let everyone know where to stand and what to do.
2. Two lines, nice and closeYour guests form two lines, one either side, standing close together so the confetti looks nice and full.
3. Confetti out of the bagEveryone takes their confetti out and holds it in their hands, ready to throw.
4. I tell you both the planWhere to walk and the point where I’d like you to stop.
5. A quick kiss halfway downThe guests at that point throw their confetti as you go in for your kiss.
6. Walk down and enjoy itLook up, big smiles and have fun!

This is my favourite part. I ask you to stop at a key point and have a quick kiss. Before you get there, I’ve already told the guests at that spot to throw their confetti just as you go in for your kiss.

The timing means you get showered with confetti while you’re kissing each other. It gives you a photo with the two of you right in the middle of it all.

Other than that, I simply tell you to walk down and enjoy it. You don’t need to pose or think about the camera.

Your guests make or break your confetti photos, so I always give them a few simple pointers before you walk through.

• Take it out of the bag. Holding the confetti in your hand means nobody throws the bag by accident. Trust me, it happens more than you’d think.
• Stay in your line. The one thing that ruins a confetti shot is a guest stepping out to throw. They end up blocking the camera, so I let everyone know beforehand to avoid it.
• Stand close together. Two tight lines make the confetti look full and give you a proper tunnel to walk through.

If I’m struggling to get everyone organised, my second photographer helps when you’ve booked one. Otherwise I’ll rope in the best man and the bridesmaids to round people up.

My biggest tip for the two of you is to look up and enjoy it. When the confetti starts flying, look up rather than down at the floor. The best photos come when you’re laughing and taking it all in.

Big smiles and have fun. Fun is the important part. If you’re enjoying yourselves, it shows in every single photo.

I love paper confetti, especially tissue paper. It’s light, so it sometimes floats upwards and hangs in the air for a long time, which looks beautiful on camera. It also biodegrades quickly, so a lot of venues love it. One bit of rain and it’s gone.

Dried rose petals are the next best. You can buy them online in large bags, so they’re nice and cheap, plus there’s plenty for big handfuls. The handful of petals below is from Karen and Shaun’s wedding at Bunny Hill.

The one to avoid is plastic confetti. It doesn’t biodegrade and it’s banned at most venues.

You can see how full petals look on camera in Chloe and Matthew’s photos from Elsham Hall in this guide.

Make sure there’s enough for every guest to have a big handful. Two close lines and big handfuls of confetti are what make it look nice and full in your photos.

That’s another reason I like dried rose petals. Big bags are nice and cheap, so you can be generous with them.

A lot of venues have rules about confetti. Some only allow certain types and some only allow it in one spot, so I always advise checking with your venue beforehand.

If you go with tissue paper confetti or dried rose petals, you can’t really go wrong. Both are biodegradable wedding confetti that most venues are happy with. Just steer clear of anything plastic.

Sadly, sometimes we have to skip the confetti if it’s pouring down. No guest wants to stand outside in the rain and mess up their lovely dresses and suits.

Some venues do let you have confetti inside though. At Hirst Priory, when it rains, they let us use their staircase. Your guests line the stairs and throw their confetti all at once, while you stand in the well of the staircase below. You get absolutely covered in it and it always makes for a beautiful photo.

If rain is forecast, ask your venue if they have an indoor spot like this. It’s worth knowing before the day, so we’ve got a plan ready to go.