In case you haven’t heard the news, Balloon Releases are officially illegal in the State of Maine as of July 1st, 2021. I can honestly say, we aren’t heartbroken by this news – especially living here on Maine’s coast.

Dean and I do regular beach clean-ups and pick up a handful of balloon debris every time we are out. With the balloons themselves looking like jellyfish and the ribbons looking like tasty worms/fish the aquatic life more often than not, tries to eat the balloons that end up in the ocean and wind up dying. Did you know that Marine Biologists can now safely say that every single sea turtle on the planet has micro plastics in its stomach? That’s a ridiculous fact and we as humans need to help fix this for the future!

The Bill, LD 618, bans the intentional mass release of balloons. First-time offenders who knowingly release between 16 and 24 balloons would be fined between $100 and $500, and anyone who releases more than 24 balloons would face a fine of at least $500. The law does not punish the accidental release of a balloon or the release of balloons for scientific or meteorological purposes.

If you’ve had your heart set on a balloon release, here are some other options. Of course, please make sure that you double check your wedding ceremony location rules to make sure these are ok options! Places like State and National Parks are strict “Leave no Trace” locations so even things like flower petals might not be a go.

5 Environmentally Friendly Alternatives to a Balloon Release

1) Biodegradable Flower Petals

You can add this on to your flower order with your florist or visit Etsy.com for some great crafters who create bulk flower petal confetti. Not only is it absolutely gorgeous with multi colors and sizes, flower petals are as environmentally friendly as you can get. Lavender is a great option here you can keep it as stems or dried and broken down ready to toss. Bonus: it’s probably going to smell amazing too!

2) Leaves or Leaf Confetti

Like the above option of flower petals you can also use leaves or leaf confetti. This is a perfect fit for a fall wedding. Who wouldn’t love leaving their ceremony to a cascade of colorful fall leaves! Alternatively if you’re not big on full sized leaves you can get various size hole punches from your local craft store and get to work, with some of your friends, punching holes in the fallen leaves to make leaf confetti! Still the same effect, but just a bit smaller.

3) Ribbon Streamers

You can either choose to make these yourself or take a stroll through Etsy.com again (if you can’t tell, we love Etsy!) Using dowels and some glue, head on over to the craft store and grab yourself all the spools of ribbon in your wedding colors or a neutral color like white or cream. From there you cut a few strands and glue them onto the top of each dowel. For a fun jingle you can thread some small bells onto a few of the strands so the streamers jingle as you walk down the aisle! Just remember to thread the bells towards the top of the ribbons near the stick giving them enough room to freely move but not down at the bottom of the ribbons where they’ll turn into swinging hazards!

4) Paper Poppers

You can find these streamer texture paper poppers all over the internet and now they’ve designed them to not pop and cause litter, but to stay attached to your guests hands so they’re easily disposed of. Since they’re made of thin tissue paper they’re going to breakdown and dissolve pretty quickly. They come in a wide variety of colors and multicolor packages so they’ll fit whatever look you’re going for.

5) Flower seeds, bird feed

We all know rice is out, it’s not good for the birds, but if you’re in an outdoor space, flower seeds and bird feed are a good option. Just watch what kind of bird seed you pick up! Make sure it’s good for the local birds but also, I found out the hard way that my bird seed in my garden is coated in a spicy pepper oil to keep the squirrels away – it’s not a good thing to get on your hands and then itch your face! Learn from me!! You’ll be able to tell from the bird seed bag, I just don’t read labels well enough apparently.

Brittany and Dean are creative Maine Wedding Photographers who not only capture your wedding in candid and lightly posed, true to life images – we also love helping our couples plan their weddings with vendor suggestions, timeline assistance, coordinating family portrait lists. Contact us – Maine Wedding Photographers