The art of the wedding exit : 5 tips for fun & pretty exit photos
It used to be popular to shower couples with rice to symbolize rain, a sign of prosperity, fertility and good fortune. That went out of fashion with worries that the rice was bad for birds, and couples everywhere have come up with new creative send-offs in the years since.
Rather than doing an exit at the end of the night, consider putting emphasis on the exit down the aisle just after you're married or exiting the church or ceremony area just after the ceremony has wrapped up. This is a hugely meaningful moment, and you'll be surrounded by all of your (sober) family and friends.
Here are five rice alternatives to make your wedding exit pretty and fun.
Biodegradable confetti in your wedding colors will make for a fun, colorful exit without harming the environment. If you do use confetti, check with the venue to make sure that you have permission, especially if there will be another wedding in the same place the same day (in this case, make sure you have someone ready to clean it up).
Lavender is completely natural, looks pretty and smells amazing. Like confetti, lavender does stay on the ground, so check with your venue to make sure you have the go-ahead. This would be especially pretty for a garden wedding.
Streamers or pompons give your guests a way to get involved in your exit without leaving anything behind.
Bubbles have become wildly popular for wedding exits. They add dimension to your exit photos without the clean up.
Sparklers are usually used later in the evening to light up the night. If you do go with sparklers, do it safely by following the five tips below.
Five Tips for Sparkler Send-offs:
Check with your venue to make sure you're following their rules. Some won't allow sparklers at all. Others will allow them at a certain distance away from any structures.
Only buy long sparklers that are made specifically for weddings. They burn longer, they don't smoke and they're generally safer.
You don't need all of your guests to get involved. Get 10-20 people max to join the sparkler exit.
You don't have to do the "exit" at the end of the night. I often cheat the sparkler exit earlier in the night. Tell the group that they're lining up for some "fun photos" rather than a "wedding exit." You don't want them to think it's actually time to leave).
Have a safe place to discard used sparklers (like a steel bucket with sand), and have helpers set ahead of time to pass them out, light them and collect them.
