This is a thread that was started in our old BlissWeddings.com forums by catina on 8/23/04. Feel free to add your comments by pressing Post Reply.
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posted by catina
We're looking for soemthing to do after the ceremony, instead of confetti, rice, bird seed and bubbles. Any ideas?
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posted by vandygirl
The only other thing I can think of is releasing doves...you seem to have exhausted all my other ideas! Do you want people to throw something, just not what you listed, or just anything as you are leaving?
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posted by catina
I suggested doves, but my daughter thinks it's mean, so that's out. Heard about putting butterflies in little boxes and the guests all open the boxes and the butterflies all fly away, but apparently someone (I think I read about it somewhere-it may have been here)had it at their wedding and some of the butterflies had died! So that's out. My daughter is leaning towards bubbles, but really wants something different. But, we can't think of anything else.
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posted by Kanona
Catina~ how about rose petals?
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posted by catina
Rose Petals is a good idea, Kanona. Environmentally friendly, too. What would we do with them? How would the guests get them to throw? Make up little bundles with a drawstring? Will they "throw" alright?
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posted by Marge129
Personally, I love bubbles. The pictures of us walking out through the bubbles are BEAUTIFUL.
Rose petals sound like a good idea, too. If you want to see how they throw, go buy a rose, take off the petals and throw them!
I would make little baggies (or boxes) of petals and hand them out to the guests. When it comes time, the guest will each have a handful of roses to throw. It should be very pretty.
Margie
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posted by teddy6
I have seen people do ribbon wands. Each guest is given a stick, or wand, with long colorful ribbons streaming from them. Then they wave them at the couple as they leave.
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posted by hermom
Just an FYI for you, Catina - the church where my daughter is getting married said NO PETALS!!! No rice, birdseed, petals, etc. We went with bubbles.
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posted by Kanona
WOW teddy~ that sounds pretty cool too
With the rose petals, you can get cones or little organza bags to put them in and have designated people to pass them out to the guests. I think the companies suggest about 20 petals per cone/bag, per guest. Any website that sells rose petals will also sell the accessories.
www.flyboynaturals.com
www.petalgarden.com
www.rosepetalweddings.com
These should get you started. From what I understand all of them (silk, freeze dried, and fresh) throw very well. Freeze dried seems to be the best out of all three. You can buy them well in advance and to soften them, you just put them in the bathroom and run hot water to create steam and they'll loosen right up, plus they won't stain like fresh petals. They come in so many beautiful colors and you can customize them to go with the wedding colors.....fyi, I'm partial to the second website. They sent me a sample (most of them do), and they are absolutely BEAUTIFUL
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posted by catina
Kanona, thanks for the links! I liked the second one as well. I'll mention it to my daughter and see how she what she thinks of the roses. Hermom, our church only requests that whatever we throw be environmentally friendly. Confetti is a no.
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posted by FIT2BTIED
You're probably going to make sure you have someone that is willing to stay behind and clean it all up (rose petals) That's why our officiant suggested against it, but it's our call.
F2BT
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posted by catina
They just sweep it all aside into the flower beds. That's why they only allow environmentally friendly stuff.
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posted by SkyeCPHT
We used bubbles and the pictures turned out so well -- not to mention the kids LOVED the bubbles!
)
cristin
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posted by catina
My daughter really liked the rose petal idea, but has now decided not to do anything. Everyone tends to just gather yapping in big groups and kinda makes the idea of throwing anything pointless. The latest weddings we've been to, we haven't noticed anything much being thrown, and the ones that have, noone seemed to know what to do and when to do it.
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posted by Kanona
You know what...you're right Catina. I've also noticed that more and more weddings don't have any type of tossing for the recessional. The rose petals I'm getting are being used for decoration.
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posted by feb-bride
We didn't do anything, and it was NOT missed. In fact, of all the weddings I've attended in the past five years, only ONE wedding had something (bubbles). The bubbles made the concrete slippery; I almost bit the dust.
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posted by catina
I'm glad to know we're not the only ones forgoing it! One thing I don't have to worry about doing/buying etc.!!
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posted by lilhoney1976
Personally, I love bubbles but, I wanted to do something more original so I am considering releasing about 50 to 100 helium balloons(the really pretty pearlized ones)! Let me know what you guys think! Good luck and smooches!
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posted by catina
Make sure you check that it's allowed where you are. In our area, I believe the releasing of helium balloons is big no-no these days. Bad for the environment having the balloon bits all over the ground.
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posted by feb-bride
Not to mention bad for the animals who eat the deflated balloons.
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posted by lilhoney1976
Wow. I guess I really didn't think about that. That would be pretty bad,especially that large of an amount. i guess I'd probably go with the bubbles .They photograph beautifully and they're not messy like rice and bird seed.
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posted by kimmie_d36567
Have you given any thought to using silk flower petales. Some of the craft stores or fabric stores carry them in containers just for this purpose..or I suppose it really would be that diffcult to do a project like this your self...just buy the silk flowers when they clearance for the end of that retail season..take them apart.clip the petals...tie them petals up in tulle for the guest to toss after the ceremony.
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posted by catina
Silk petals wouldn't be environmentally friendly. We've decided not to do anything. Thanks for the idea though.
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posted by Lisa Knight
It was mentioned that releasing doves might be cruel. If you're talking about releasing those little "pet shop" ringneck doves, then yes, they will perish once released and I agree that's really cruel. But a professional dove release company (especially a member of the White Dove Release Professionals) use Rock Doves, which are small pure white homing pigeons that are carefully trained to return back to their loft after circling a bit at the release location. A professional company will provide lovely, decorated release equipment. They will never release the doves in inclement weather conditions, never at night, never indoors. The birds are really carefully loved and cared for at home with the best of accomodations, grains, and even their own baths with bath salts! If you've never seen a professional white dove release, it's incredibly beautiful. Doves mate for life: If you release a pair of doves with your new spouse, it is symbolic of the two of you flying off into the future together as one. A flurry of doves released as you kiss outside on the steps of the church make for a fairy-tale-like photo/video. Your guests might remember the cake, your lovely dress, etc., but the impact and symbolism the doves provide will be unforgettable. That's a promise.
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posted by HeatherR
Shameless plug Lisa!
I would never do anything with live animals or insects (butterflies). I don't care how well trained they are, there is no guarantee that all will return safely. Too many natural factors to consider.
Heather
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posted by Marge129
Yep!
Margie
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posted by SoonToBeMrsThatcher
Have you thought about sparklers?? I am hoping to do them, except they are illegal in my state...however they may not be for you....that would be kind of cool.
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posted by feb-bride
I would be too scared to use sparklers. What if one of the sparks landed on your wedding dress?
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posted by Kanona
STBMrsThatcher~ do you actually mean that you want people to throw sparklers at you as you recede back down the aisle???
After the ceremony, instead of confetti, rice, bird seed and bubbles. Any ideas?
...I honestly pictured people throwing sparklers, and I'm like, OK..can we say "Burn Trauma Center"...don't mind me, It's Friday and I've had a long week
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