So I knew that throwing rice was a fertility thing, but I never knew anything aside from that, like where the tradition came from.
Like all good things Christian, throwing rice was taken from the pagans. :-P Originally, it was grain thrown (because most people didn't have rice in Europe). It was done as a sign of fertility, to wish the couple good luck on sowing "seeds". They thought that the fertility of the seeds would be transferred to the couple they were thrown over.
The tradition carried on in Italy where people threw sweetmeats (also known as candy) over the heads of the bride and groom. Sweetmeats in Italian is 'confectionery', which is where we get the word 'confetti', and is also why it's sometimes referred to as "throwing confetti" (and is used in many celebration situations). Rice, nuts, berries and other substitutes for grain also became popular.
So now you know where (and why) the tradition of throwing rice (or grain) came from. But you should take care when throwing rice. Not only is it a mess, but it's a hazard for birds. So if you must throw rice, be sure to clean it all up quickly after the wedding. Or try being more traditional and throw grain.
You are also forgetting that it can be an accident waiting to happen for people as well because lots of rice can act as tiny ball bearings and cause people to slip...how about that huh?
Lol, nice Lou. And just how often does that happen? ;-)
Interesting... I should point out that it is an urban myth that rice harms birds. Evidently the idea is that the rice expands and dooms them to a gastronically miserable death. However rice only expands when boiled... So unless it's a really hot day ;-)
So I checked on Snopes, and sure enough! http://www.snopes.com/weddings/horrors/birdrice.htm
unless you want to issue safety goggles to all the guests and the happy couple, be careful to throw the rice, confetti, birdseed, peanuts, whatever, up in the air and not forcefully at the couple. You don't want to put an eye out do you???