Samantha Birch guest blogs for SP
Think confetti is just for a quick throw after you’re done with the ‘I do’s? Don’t miss out on the petal potential!
So far I’m the author of
one book: The High-Street Bride’s Guide.
I’ve written about dresses, bridesmaids and cake toppers for Brides and You & Your Wedding, and regularly contribute to the likes of GLAMOUR and Love Baking.
We nearly forgot to do our confetti shots. My
husband was trying to find somewhere to put the marriage certificate and I was helping
out by grinning dazedly at 100 of our family and friends. Thankfully the best
man was on the ball, and ready with a reminder that the time for the
painstakingly hand-packaged handfuls was now.
Lucky, really, since I love our confetti shots –
both of us bobbing and laughing as we get pelted by our nearest and dearest,
and afterwards the close-ups of my hair and his all speckled with yellows and
reds – but it turns out there are a whole lot more things you can do with
confetti besides the traditional duck and cover, especially if you’re going for
the real-petal stuff. Here are a few ways with yours…
Hope
Floats
I love those big, round, clear, see-through
balloons filled with helium – classy much? – but for a boho wedding or a softer
look, add a little personal touch: a sprinkling of your own big-day confetti
blend inside so you can see a layer of colour when they’re all pumped up.
Do a
Runner
If your aisle is wide enough, sprinkle your
petal confetti loose along each side for the ultimate romantic run-up. If it’s
narrow enough that you’re likely to kick it up in clouds or sweep it away with
your dress though, you might want to adhere your petals to lengths of fabric.
Sprinkle,
Sprinkle
If tiny crystals and foil wedding bells aren’t
your thing, substitute pretty petals instead of the traditional table scatter. Skip
this idea if you’re eating outdoors – unless you’re in the mood for a faceful
of flower every time the wind blows – but it’s a great way to bring the garden
inside at hotel, orangery and village hall dos.
A Glass
Act
Going for a garden party feel, but those 100
plain glasses just don’t cut it? Time to truss up those bases. Glue petals from
the edge of the base inwards in circles that overlap slightly. Voila: one glass
that looks like it’s growing out of a flower!
By the
Book
Stacking a few tomes for literary table
centres, but want to add a bit of height and colour? Fill variously sized and
shaped jars or clear glass bowls with petals in your scheme’s shades – one or
two colours per jar so they don’t get too busy – and perch on ends of books with
a statement table number in the middle at the top.
What a
Card
Making your own thank-you cards for maids, Mum
and Dad? Get your leftover petal confetti in on the act. Cut a heart-shaped
window out of the front card and line it with stiff, clear plastic, then cover
the backing card with petals for a pretty peek-a-boo effect. Only a handful of
petals left? Use just one or two per card and get arty with a line drawing to
incorporate it: is that a balloon, or a petal your figure is holding? Is the
bridesmaid you’ve drawn in ink wearing a skirt made of rose petals too?
Pretty
Maids All in a Row
Let your besties keep a piece of your day with
the simplest handmade necklace ever.
Fill an empty mini bottle pendant with petals (bauble shapes work just as well)
or go minimalist: cut into the wider end of a single petal until it’s a heart
shape, and slip that inside instead.
Samantha
Birch is the author of The High-Street Bride’s Guide, published by HarperCollins on 24 April
2014. Get your copy at Amazon (link: http://smarturl.it/highstbride) or iTunes (link: http://smarturl.it/highstbrideitunes).
Share