Cue the Confetti! 6 Alternatives to the Rice Toss

Throwing rice on the newlyweds as they depart their ceremony or reception has been a wedding tradition for centuries, symbolizing prosperity and fertility. As weddings become more personalized, we're seeing a huge shift toward non-traditional send-offs. Here are a few of our favorites.

Celebrate your love with an explosion of colorful confetti. Purchase confetti poppers at your local party store, or buy a more stylized version and give them as favors with a cute tag attached.

 Festive and affordable, rainbow sprinkles are fun for send-offs. Buy in bulk at your local supermarket or dollar store and package in cute bags to give guests. But beware: if you're having a summer wedding, sprinkles may melt in guests' hands before they have a chance to throw them!

Sports fans? Give guests old-fashioned pennants so they can cheer on your marriage. We suggest choosing pennants in your wedding's color palette, or in the colors of your alma mater.

Beautiful and eco-friendly, tossing flower petals is a great alternative to rice or birdseed, especially at an outdoor affair. If you want to get the organic feel of petals at a more affordable price, consider throwing lavender buds instead.

This popular wedding send-off makes for a great picture! We recommend passing out sparklers a few minutes in advance and have multiple people walking around with lighters -- timing is everything.

Are you a Southern couple? Invite guests to throw grits! The look of grits is very similar to that of rice, but with loads more Southern charm.