Different countries wedding traditions have always fascinated me. While I was looking up different traditions, I saw an article about how the North American tradition of throwing rice at weddings is been discouraged because of the effects is has on birds that eat the left over rice. It is said that once the birds eat the rice, the grains swell in their stomach causing the birds to “pop”. But I did a little more research and found out this is just an urban myth. Actually, birds can be some what of a pest in the rice fields and can cause a lot of damage to rice crops so some farmers wish they would “pop” (poor birdies!). But since myths don’t go away that easily, some churches and ceremony sites ban rice from being thrown, not just for the birds but because of the safety hazard its causes the guests. If the rice becomes wet, it can be very slippery. But if you are looking for alternative items to be tossed at your wedding, here are some suggestions:
Blow bubbles
Toss flower petals
Throw confetti
Pop party streamers
Wave sparklers
Spray silly string
Release balloons
And if you want the birds to benefit from your wedding, you can throw birdseed, but I don’t know if many brides would like the idea of birdseed being tossed at them as a sign of good luck…
I would have to say my favorite alternative would be to toss sprinkles! Although this may provide a colorful clean up, it would be adorable! You can get colored sprinkles to match your theme colors or just go with the traditional rainbow sprinkles, which are my favorite! There are even recipes online where you can make your own colored sprinkles if you are a DIY Bride.
Since traditions are always forming and changing why not try something new?
