Lubbock Grads: Congrats, But Don’t Trash The Place, Okay?

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Lubbock grads, congrats! I am so proud of you for your accomplishment, especially after enduring a year of uncertainty, online class, and many adjustments. You deserve to be really proud of yourself. And you deserve to commemorate your accomplishment with fun and creative photos. Just please pick up after yourself, okay?

The Texas Tech Greenhouses are a popular place to take photos because, in addition to being on campus and therefore easy to access, they are stunningly beautiful. However, someone recently got confetti all over a memorial flowerbed. Pretty tasteless, huh? From TTU Greenhouse's Facebook:

Normally we don't have to make multiple confetti posts per season, but here we are! Again, we want to remind you that the use of confetti *IS NOT* allowed in the Horticultural Garden. This bed is a memorial to a friend of the University and a long time Lubbock Doctor who passed away last year and his rare iris collection. PLEASE respect the grounds out here and on campus. We want to make sure this place stays available and beautiful for your use!

 

Yikes. That was a really disrespectful thing to do. Additionally, depending on the debris type, it can be harmful to wildlife like birds who mistake the bright colors for insects and end up dying after ingesting it. That's not a great way to celebrate your education.

Here are some great alternatives to metal or plastic confetti, but remember, even if you are using eco-friendly material, you still need to respect the rules of the venue you are using. From Insideweddings.com (but applies to every event):

- Flower petals. Either dried or fresh, these are especially lovely options for pictures. Unless you choose white petals, the dried variety will likely be preferred by the venue if the walkway is paved, in order to avoid the risk of stains.

- Lavender or other herbs. Lavender blooms have the benefit of being both small and plentiful, making it very similar to confetti. This will also smell wonderful as you take your newlywed recessional, and in the future the scent may bring back that memory.

- Birdseed. If you worry about rice or chunks of glitter being harmful to birds, this is a safe bet. As an added benefit, cleanup is unlikely to be an issue because it will be eaten up!

- Leaves. You can use full-sized leaves, whether small or large, like Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk did at their wedding, or get a hole puncher and make your own organic confetti.

- Seed paper or biodegradable confetti. Dissolvable “paper” (often made with corn starch) makes it less of a problem if not every little piece is picked up. Natural paper filled with seeds will grow new flowers when planted!

 

OR you can always use one of the many, many free and easy photoshop confetti options in your photo- and the lighting and placement will be perfect.