Rice has been made illegal in many parts of the world. Rice is inherently bad for the birds who eat the grains after a wedding, and get very ill and die from eating food not natural to their regular diets. How to keep from spreading this tragedy on such a beautiful day? There is only one way; use a substitute!
Rice was used to throw at the bride and groom on the church steps to promote fertility. Rice represented fertility, and well-wishers showered the bridegroom with rice as a sign of good luck or their blessing for the couple to have many children. Don’t worry; the wedding cake is also a symbol of fertility, so you won’t go without when you remove rice from your wedding list.
Bubbles. Available at any dollar store or with an extremely simple DIY option, bubbles can be blown out of miniature containers handed out to the guests pre-ceremony. Guests simply dip their wand into a bubble mix, then blow on the wand towards the couple to produce soapy delights! The children will surely be running around laughing trying to catch them all.
Confetti. Available at party stores or for an easy DIY, confetti is harmless and can be thrown in large amounts in fistfuls at the newlyweds. Just like rice, it can stick in hair, on clothing, sit on the veil, and anywhere else it can be displayed proudly.
Sparklers. For a non-traditional couple, sparklers and matches can be handed out to the guests along with the wedding program when they enter the venue. This way, the guests are ready as soon as the couple exits the doors of the venue, and they can light up their sparklers right away. If the ceremony is held around the time the sun goes down, the sparklers will add an even better glowing effect on the couple. Sparklers can be bought in various shapes and sizes. Go to your local bakery and ask to purchase sparklers for a birthday party to keep the price low.
Flower petals. Got lots leftover that the flower girls didn’t spread across the aisle? No problem! Re-purpose those by handing sachets out to guests for them to toss at the bride and groom. Flower petals smell good, are eco-friendly and look beautiful. They’re perfect!
Bird seeds. Why give birds a hard time with rice? If you’re outdoors, toss bird seeds instead. Mother earth will thank you, and so will the hungry birds in the area. Think about it; you’ll be feeding not only your guests later at the reception, but some lovely birds too! Now that’s something to tweet about.
Glitter. It’s shining, it sticks, and it won’t ever come off. Throw glitter at the couple! Have them shine through their reception with a bling and remember the toss for days to come. Have guests carry a packet of glitter they can empty on the couple as they leave the venue.
What a release. It can be a new, unique idea to release something instead of toss something at the newlyweds. Here are a few fun ideas for this type of celebration post-ceremony.
Balloons. Have guests hold helium balloons to release once the newlyweds emerge from the venue. The guests and couple can gaze at the balloons as they rise higher and higher in celebration! Guests can also write heartfelt messages on the balloons if they so choose.
Doves. The wedding party can release doves! The doves will fly off and take off into the sky as the guests watch in awe. Dove releases are perfect for couples who know guests with doves who are known to come back later to their owners.
Butterflies. Butterflies being released is a rare, but beautiful sight at a wedding. Guests can all have the same type of butterfly, different colors, even different species. The place can be filled with multicolored wings or a uniform of freedom flying to the sky. The choices are endless and they are yours! Hand guests a small takeout-style box with the butterfly inside for them to release post-ceremony.
