Our send off

From researching information online about wedding traditions, it seems that most agree that throwing food items at the bride and groom began as a fertility and prosperity wish (people were all about good luck and lots of babies back in the day!). Seeds and grains are used for crops, and from the smallest seeds, large crops can be grown. For some cultures, throwing rice or grains at the wedding was a blessing for the wish of a healthy and large crop so the couple could be prosperous. It might also have signified fertility, so the couple would have many children to help them work the crops.

The tradition has continued into modern times, with rice throwing the most common American tradition for closing a wedding ceremony. In other countries, the customs have included throwing dates and figs, for a fruitful union, and for the more romantic and scented send off, some couples have opted for throwing colorful rose petals instead.

Sometime in the early to mid '90s, a scare rumored the internet and wedding industry that throwing rice was hazardous to birds. The theory was that rice, once swallowed whole and uncooked by the birds, would then swell inside their stomachs and cause the stomach to expand, causing the birds to become very ill or even die.  While the theory is an interesting one, the US Rice Federation and educated ornithologists both have repeatedly assured the public that throwing rice at weddings is not unsafe for birds. In fact, in the wild, birds eat rice from the fields all the time, and we don't see them dropping dead.  However, the bridal industry has definitely taken advantage of the rice throwing urban legend by marketing 'bird friendly' rice for weddings, which you can rest assured will cost much more than a bag of rice at the supermarket. Additionally, you will find bird seed baggies and dried rose petals and other items marketed as 'environmentally safe/friendly' to throw at weddings now. 

The irony about the rice throwing urban legend being harmful for birds is that, while no reported incidences of bird deaths have been documented, throwing rice at weddings is actually dangerous to humans. Yes, that's right. Throwing rice at a wedding on a hard walking surface while most people in attendance are wearing dress shoes has resulted in many tumbles, falls and spills that have resulted in injury. Because of this and resultant lawsuits, along with the mess that throwing rice can make, many churches and wedding halls have now banned the practice of throwing rice or other items after a wedding altogether. This doesn't even mention the pelting rice hitting the bride or groom in the eye either!

One popular alternative to throwing rice at weddings has been to blow bubbles instead. While the significance of blowing bubbles may not be steeped in tradition for blessing the couple for fertility or prosperity, they can be beautiful, playful and fun as a way to send off the happy couple.

I was not interested in being pelted in the face with rice or birdseed and I never even thought about flower petals so Kraig and I opted for bubbles and I think it turned out quite nice :0)