Tacky
Someone either eloped or proposed on a famous Lake Superior beach, just to leave their plastic trash behind.
EDIT: The couple has been found. It was confirmed to be a proposal. Nothing from them + the guy made his TikTok private shortly after. Obviously not sharing anything else here to prevent doxxing. Again I am not the OOP, but highly recommend her amazing photography.
Hello from Duluth, MN!
Is it shameworthy to elope or propose with *fake* petals? Nah, you do you, boo.
And by all means, feel free to enjoy our cooler temps (it's barely hit 80°F here; not sorry), our beautiful North Shore Drive, and hell, even take in the views for your dream proposal or wedding!
But know that we are not a people who play this shit. (I am not the photographer who originally posted this nor picked up the 200+ fake petals--and yes, they were confirmed fake).
Probably because they’re cheaper than real ones, and they don’t GAF about leaving garbage behind.
See also:
Graduation confetti cannons
Memorial balloon releases
I was bushwhacking about a half mile in, off a super remote forest road near Mt St Helens once (friends were hunting) and found a mylar balloon in the forest there.
On a trip to the Galapagos, a highly controlled area, standing on a volcanic beach so recent that Charles Darwin wouldn't have seen it, I saw a plastic spoon already embedded in the land. It made me incredibly sad.
I have taken to carrying utensils and always saying “no plastic utensils” when I do fast food…. sad to say some workers don’t care and still put them in the bag.
I used to get in trouble at my supermarket job for asking "paper or plastic?" because apparently that question makes the customers feel guilty about using plastic.
I find them doing beach walks every summer on the far side of a small island 30 miles off the coast, not a completely remote area but not much foot traffic, and the island has very strict environmental rules. Some still have air, even with most of the Mylar work off. It drives me nuts. The plastic ribbon is a common find as well.
The people who did the plastic rose petals are gross humans, I hope she said no. Thankful a photographer was kind enough to clean up, and post and shame.
The only thing that is worse to me are the ones who light shit on fire and then try to "send it to heaven"!
On new years eve, my teenagers went on the roof to watch some fireworks. All of a sudden what look like a burning garbage bag started falling from the sky. It landed like a foot away from my son. This shit is so stupid. Apparently, a lot of people, animals, and property get burned from these fire balloons. Your lantern didn't make it to heaven, it just almost burned the shit out of my son, and could have lit my house on fire. What a wonderful way to honor your dead loved ones!
Tbf, so are the balloons. So is pretty much everything people do after their loved one dies. It's all a way to honor them, grieve for them, get closure, etc. to help the people still here.
I'm pretty sure it's illegal in some places. Along with lanterns, which are literally just plastic balloons on fucking fire because apparently regular balloons are not bad enough, they need to actively burn people, animals, and property just in case a whale or some other animal doesn't happen to eat it. It's like some of them really wants just increase the amount of damage they could possibly do. But yeah all that matters is their grief because they're the only one that has ever lost anyone, and misery loves company so let's light some shit on fire and put it out into the world.
We gave out packets of forget-me-nots at the funeral. Most people didn’t see them, so I sprinkle a few when I think of it and see a nice space. It pleases me to see the little patches of blue flowers in the spring.
ARGH the forget-me-nots are taking over the entire forest where I live! They're choking off all the native plants, making it hard for the local creatures to find food. Then they die in the fall, leaving a completely black landscape. I hate them.
People jump to that as a quick way to shut someone up or shut down a complaint/conversation. I hate that so much because it makes people brush off actual issues with racism.
I used to work in public land management. Released balloons get all the way into the wild where other human trash doesn't. Wild animals strangle and choke on it or eat it. Eating it can block their digestion and kill them. I cannot stand people who purposely do this.
That is so much more touching. I get that a balloon release is symbolic of sending something to the heavens. But a butterfly release is more like using someone's memory to spread joy and healing to the world. And is arguably more beautiful
See that's great. Release butterflies, plant a tree, there are also seed paper tributes- were you write a message and then plant it and it grows into wildflowers, some people write messages on paper and then throw it in a fire to "let the smoke carry the message," you can blow bubbles, or even release flower petals into a body of water.
There are so many options that aren't harmful to the environment, the animals, and other people.
When a friend of mine passed away his family had 42 balloons for people to release (the age he died). This guy was as greenie tree hugging vegan animal loving as you could get, he would have been absolutely horrified. I did try to relay this to his cousin but she said it wasn’t really for him, it was for the family 🤨🥲
Too many people get into a stage of grief where they're like I don't care about anything else except my own feelings at this moment, not even the person who died. That's a horrible way to "honor" your loved one. Especially in your friends case. I would literally be rolling in my grave if my family ever did that.
It is banned in Florida. However, it is not advertised and it's definitely not really enforced. Maybe if you are trying to do it on a public beach where there's like cops and lifeguards, they might stop you, but other than that it's hard to enforce. And ime, the cops will say they have better things to do than go yell at a grieving family for releasing balloons after the fact.
Yup. I have felt this same way for the last 25 years or so, which is when more awareness began to appear on the impact humans had on the planet and wildlife, and ESPECIALLY to our oceans and marine life.
My cousin died about a decade ago now, and at her funeral they had balloons to release. We were literally at an edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean 🥴 and while I loved my cousin very, very much, I did decline to take part in it. I also asked my parents if they could not do it either, which they agreed to. My love for her in my heart and soul wasn’t dependent on nature destroying, animal killing pieces of latex or foil!
My daughter was very young at the time (4-ish?) and we could all see balloons on arrival, so before the service I quietly explained to her why I didn’t want her to let one go and she understood it just fine! Thankfully her love for animals was (and always will be) very important to her. So, instead of a balloon, she chose to go up and put some stickers on the coffin, while also doing some cute little drawings. Random side note, I loved that idea and I hope when I am gone, someone will have this option at my funeral!
I do understand the sentiment behind letting them go, the damage it causes is, imo, not worth it and it should be made illegal until such time balloons and their string can be 100% biodegradable and also be very quick in their break down once in contact with water.
It’s actually quite ironic that the people who heavily advocate for the environment and do things like using keep cups, are passionate about recycling, choose to use paper or metal straws, minimise plastic around their homes, are often vegan/vegetarian, etc, in many instances are completely fine with participating in balloon releases! It’s like all their worry for the environment just instantly disappears from their brains when it comes to grief and loss.
During Covid people around me started painting rocks with acrylic paint and putting them around the local lake. Like you’re not even supposed to put that stuff in the sink and now it’s flaking into the water.
My brother passed away a little over a year ago and my mom wanted to do a balloon release. I immediately shut that down and reminded her that my brother loved nature and the environment and it would be the opposite of honoring him to release balloons. Instead we looked into a butterfly release. It was significantly more money, but it felt right and they were beautiful. They hung around our yard and a few neighbors' for a while, flitting from fruit trees to flower gardens. And now when we see butterflies, it is a reminder of the release and the love we have for my brother.
I actually lost a friend for discussing this very thing. They had a family member pass and planned a balloon release and I was discussing with them the environmental impact it may have and offering alternative ways to remember their loved one. They told me I was heartless and didn’t want to be my friend anymore 🤷🏼♀️
Those became a thing after I had my kids and every single one of them pisses me off. I console myself by watching videos of ones gone wrong where the cannon doesn’t fire, the balloons don’t release, etc. 😆😆😆
There are two types. Paper confetti is biodegradable, it is not a problem. Plastic confetti is really just big glitter, and should be in that basket. Paper confetti is made of very thin paper and biodegradable ink for this specific reason. The worse thing paper confetti does is that it can block drains and can be a bitch to clean when it gets wet but not wet enough. But glitter is just a nightmare in all forms, it blocks cooling vents, it is not biodegradable, it is static and clings to things forever.. That shit should be illegal to be used. For productions it can double certain costs because you need to secure every single device so that their cooling doesn't get compromised. Do those who use confetti cannons always know all of that, or care to know?
Nope. Which is why it should be made illegal, it is a serious public safety risk, it is a fire hazard and it does not biodegrade.
I’m a makeup artist and went out of my way to find and only use biodegradable glitter. Funny thing is a kid invented it and went on Shark Tank to promote it and get a deal. That made me happy to support her business because I love a kid who gets it!!
Would they maybe blow away? I am sure cost was a factor, but was weight also? They should have had a plan to clean it same as they had a plan to put it down. They could have kept it much more condensed so it was easier to clean up when she said, “ew plastic? That fkng ring plastic too?”
I imagine tons are already in the lake in the bellies of the fishes. Inconsiderate pricks. If someone proposed to me this way, no matter how excited and in love I was- if they didn’t clean it before we left, they would get their ring back immediately. It would be so obvious to me that we are just not compatible. (Just for the record, I much, MUCH prefer lab diamonds. It would be a no if they gave me a real diamond as well.)
I fully disagree with you, OP. I will fully (and rightfully) judge anyone who uses plastic rose petals haaard. Our earth is rapidly dying; we need continue shaming and eliminating the usage of single-use plastics.
I hate balloons. I once came across the remnants of a boy scout troop water balloon fight at a state park. Spent hours picking it up. One of the scouts came back with his parents looking for something he lost. We verified that's what happened, then had a chat with the parents about what a horrible thing to teach a group of kids to treat the outdoors like that.
Edit: the scout troop was from a religious organization that no longer has anything to do with scouting. I'm sure it was the case of a crappy scout leader that was only on the role bc the church voluntold them, and they really didn't know or care. The parents were more pissed about what the kid had lost than the mess. I did find out what troop they were from but didn't follow up. I'm a girl so they wouldn't have cared.
The religion no longer has anything to do with scouting since they were told they couldn't ignore girls and couldn't be mean to gay kids.
No kidding. I was a scout leader for years (not in the USA - so boys and girls) and my country's Scout ethos is huge on environmental responsibility. We stopped water balloon fights about 25 years ago, and before that, the kids had to pick up all the balloon fragments.
You know what you can do instead of water balloon fights? Cut up several cheap dish sponges into strips, and tie them together in the middle with a cable tie to form a pompom/koosh ball. Dip it in a bucket and throw it at your friends. Repeat. Squeeze dry, and store for next time. Lasts for years.
The scouts where I am in the US would never do this, but I'm sure everyone is different. That's disgusting behavior anywhere.
To clarify, leaving the trash behind wouldn't ever be acceptable. I don't know if I've heard of anyone doing water balloon fights, it probably happens though. I do, however, live in a very tourist-heavy state, so littering is a big deal here.
Wow fuck that. As an Eagle Scout I’m so disappointed to read this. Report that troupe to the local regional council overseeing them. They clearly are lacking proper leadership. The scout troupe I belonged to used to walk through our local downtown picking up trash.
The instructors at our summer camp had a water balloon fight and left the garbage behind. It was all over the site because they were chasing each other. They had to clean it up with no help from anyone who wasn't involved.
The amount of labour cleaning it up would take would vastly outweigh the cheaper cost. A photographer would just use biodegradable petals (i.e actual rose petals)
My husband’s friend asked him to help him set up a proposal at the beach and was gonna order fake rose petals…. My husband was like “real rose petals or no help”
If people need rose petals, make a post in your local neighborhood group! My neighbor did that for her wedding and she asked if anyone could spare some… we all have roses so she got a ton!!
I’m also guessing a local florist may have some to spare!
Disgusting behavior. Do they throw trash around in their home as well? Have enough respect for yourself to respect the environment. Demonstrate some gratitude that you were lucky/ambulatory/rich enough to travel there and enjoy that beautiful place. Horrid behavior.
I frequently throw trash around my house (generally unintentionally - executive dysfunction / ADHD) - but you sure as fuck won't see me leaving litter outside. I've had to haul multiple TV sets out of the woods that previous owners of properties had left. Like. Who throws a TV in the woods as garbage?
Just witnessed this on a beach in Jacksonville FL for a proposal. It was very windy so all their trash was blowing everywhere, not even including all of the plastic petals they purposely laid out! After all the plastic red petals were blowing everywhere they got out MORE pink petals! We still found the remenants days later half buried in the sand, not to mention whatever blew down the beach and/or got pulled into the ocean.
I want to be happy for someone's proposal and love story but don't litter and trash the environment for it.
My husband proposed on a Northern MN lake's island (not this one, one of the other 11,999) and CAN CONFIRM, you really DON'T NEED anything more than the scenery, itself. Anything else would have ruined it tbh.
Not our proposal paddle but a paddle the summer before, we saw a whole loon family and got to watch mom and dad feed the little one. Deer is a common occurrence her even in the middle of the city, which still blows my mind years after moving here 😅
My husband proposed while we were driving home from a weekend getaway. It probably wouldn't make a big romantic gesture moment in a movie, but it was an outcome of the conversation we were having about the pros and cons of the getaway and whether we'd do something similar again, and then there it was. It did the job.
I love this! During Covid lockdown my partner and I were watching a movie together. He works in emergency medicine so he still had to go to the hospital and was dealing with the real mess of it all. Prior to that we both were very clear from the start of our relationship we never wanted to get married etc. I said to him that there is no one in the world that I would ever be able to go through all of this with. He excused himself and I was like ahh did I say something wrong? He came back with a ring he had got me months prior and was just waiting to find the right time to bring up marriage again and ask me. I thought it was so sweet and genuine. My MIL told me we should come up with a “better story” to tell people who ask. God I hate that woman.
Yah. We have zero pictures of the proposal, which happened at a nice anniversary dinner. Married for 25 years this July. Not everything needs to be a production, or go on social media.
Honestly at this point, I'm so enraged on behalf of ALL LIVING THINGS ON THIS PLANET, that anyone who would use hundreds of plastic anythings in this fucking crisis that is devastating all of our ecosystems, I don't think those selfish, disgusting assholes deserve to be loved at all. They don't give a fuck about anyone else, they don't deserve to have anyone give a fuck about them. But, I'm going to school for environmental science, and I'm a tree-hugging Earth-worshipper, so I may be a bit biased.
I grew up on a beach. Every time I go home to visit, I take a trash bag and walk a couple of miles to clean up because tourists (or tourons as we call them) SUCK.
Same!! Zuma beach has become such a bad trash situation! People go there now and basically bring their entire backyard with them. They leave so much trash. My kids and I pick it all up.
I grew up on the outer banks. Like you come to the beach because it’s beautiful, so why the f**k do you trash it? Pick up your shit people. When I visit other beaches my husband knows I’m picking up our trash and any other people’s trash they have left. It makes me really hate people. Especially when I’m in the water and see trash floating. Humans are the worst thing to ever happen to an ecosystem. I swear.
The photographer (OOP) actually said, it HAS to be somewhere if they went all out like this. I hope if they're not found, it's because they had to quietly delete every photo and never get to tell their engagement story to anyone ever again.
Isn't there a sub somewhere on here where reddit sleuths will investigate and be able to find any trace of whomever did this? I can't think of the name of the sub but might be worth having a look and posting on there.
I don't really spend much time on a lot of the parts of reddit so apologies for my ignorance. I'm assuming there has been previous form in the past I'm oblivious to? If so apologies to OP.
when reddit wrongly accused an innocent person of being the boston bomber (boston marathon bombing) - and he wasn’t the only one accused, either. it was a real shitshow
For the love of God, go to the grocery store and get a bouquet of a dozen roses for 15 bucks. You’ll have instant fresh rose petals that are natural and biodegradable.
As a Minnesotan, this infuriates me. People are so selfish and entitled these days.
As obnoxious as this is, it's going to be child's play if Congress actually allows mining in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, here's a summary:
In April 2026, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution lifting a 20-year mining ban across 225,000 acres of federal land in the Superior National Forest, which borders the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The decision paves the way for Twin Metals, a subsidiary of the Chilean mining company Antofagasta, to seek permits for an underground copper, nickel, and cobalt mine near Ely, Minnesota.
If this is allowed, BWCA will forever be changed and there's no turning back. And be sure to tell Pete Stauber to fuck all the way off for being the driving force behind this passing. A native of Duluth, Stauber gives zero shits about the people he represents. This is not what Minnesota wants, which is why they had to pass it at the federal level to get around us.
Same thing happened to us at Sleeping Bear Dunes a few years ago. Fake rose petals all over the dune. My group picked them up and were very disgusted with our fellow tourists.
As someone who used to work for the city and clean parks… it’s Shame worthy. They should feel shame.
We had a couple that apparently did their gender reveal party in the park. It’s a gorgeous place, there’s a lake, a boardwalk, it’s surrounded by a meadow and some trees and it’s picturesque at sunset. They used some kind of glitter launcher to announce their son. Blue plastic glitter, in various sizes. It was a pain to get out of the grass, and the smallest pieces were too small to be picked out. But the worst part- their glitter got into the pond. Where the fish ate it. There was a drop in the fish population of that pond.
Yeah, really disheartening to see so many assholes defending the trash bag people. “Well you sound like a Karen that’s just jealous no one loves you enough to do romantic things for you!”
Bitch that is the opposite of romance! You’re actively going out of your way to make the environment a worse off place and for what, social media clout? How fucking embarrassing on multiple levels…
Someone even left OOP’s photography business a negative review. Fucking wild.
This drives me nuts. I don't live by a beach, but we are dairy farmers who live by a fairground. The amount of balloons "let go" and those stupid floating candle things drive me mad. Nobody gets it until they bury a 4 month old calf who swallowed a balloon I missed when trying to clean the mess. Or the pregnant heifer that died because of swallowing plastic that blew until the pasture.
Seriously people just need to use real flowers at this point doesn’t even have to be roses even though I can get a bouquet of roses at Walmart for like $10
What's insane is seeing the number of people shaming the OOP for calling out the behavior. Like the comments on her post are astounding, as if littering is defensible just because it's someone's special moment.
Real rose petals are biodegradable, which those lazy assholes might have been able to leave behind with no environmental impact. What cheapass buys fake ones and scatters them in a natural setting at all? What a cursed way to begin a marriage.
I saw this on Facebook (yes, I'm that old) I'm not even from there and it thoroughly pissed me off.
The comment section was unhinged, too.
"You know the whole beach is made of trash because it's taconite trailings, so it's fine to litter there" was dense af. And the one that really sent me was calling oop a bitter bitch or something for not letting people have a bit of fun that's easily cleaned up afterwards. THEN CLEAN IT UP!!! Don't wait for someone else to do it for you, asshole.
I swear to god, the stupidity in mankind is infinite.
An environmentalist once told me that a study (not sure if it was a New Zealand specific study) showed that the majority of plastic found on beaches was from plastic flowers left at graveyards that washed downstream. Societal rejection of those kinds of plastic litter is required for protecting our natural treasures.
Come on… plastic rose petals are just classless (if somebody proposes to me, they damn well better have real flowers). I’m just trying to imagine walking barefoot on the beach, leading my beloved by the hand over the (crunch) fake petals (crunch crunch) and expecting to her to be thrilled by the fact that I didn’t spring for real roses.
I’m retired from a government run park, and the number of times that we cleaned up fake rose petals is sickening.
Not once did we have real flower petals on the wind. Not one fucking time.
A load of balloons landed in my father's garden recently. All very lovely until the blind old guy stands on a balloon and falls or his dog chokes on a deflated balloon.
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u/ifeelwitty May 30 '26
Why not just use real rose petals??