5 Alternatives to Throwing Rice at Your Wedding

The throwing of rice at the bride and groom exiting the wedding ceremony is ancient practice, meant to symbolize the abundance of food, wealth, and fertility in their years together.  Unfortunately, the throwing of rice got a bad rap when a proposed piece of legislation suggested that uncooked rice would expand in the stomachs of the birds that fed on the rice, and might cause the stomachs to explode.

We would like to note that according to extensive research by experts in the field of ornithology (the study of birds), there is absolutely no evidence that raw rice is harmful to birds.  In fact, many sources reference the fact that wild birds are regularly seen feeds in rice fields with no negative effects.  So, if you like the idea of throwing rice at your wedding, then you should feel free to do so.  Do be sure to speak to your wedding venue, however, because some do ban the throwing of rice and other similar substances, due to the need for extensive clean up.

If you do want an alternative to throwing rice, then consider these great solutions that modern brides are using these days.

Bird Seed If you really want to be kind to your feathered friends, then you could hand out little packets of bird seed to be thrown, instead of rice.

Sprinkles This is a new one, but we have seen it a couple of times recently.  The brightly colored, sometimes called Jimmies, do add a special something to photographs.

Flower Petals They are eco-friendly, beautiful, and add a certain element of romance to the event.

Glitter There are now a selection of biodegradable glitter options and you simply cannot deny how beautiful glitter is when captured in photographs.  The light play is unbeatable.

Confetti Another colorful option and certainly less likely to be painful than little grains of rice, when thrown from overeager hands.