a great grand exit

I think we all go through phases where we have some really exciting plans for New Year’s Eve…and some not so exciting plans depending on the year. Last year, Alex and I were watching the NYE countdown on TV and eating bagel bites. Wow. I wouldn’t say that’s the best way to ring in the new year!! We were longing for something more exciting to do, but all of our friends and family were out of town. We were happy we were together, but at the end of the night, we felt a sense of disappointment. Where was the champagne?! Where was the confetti?! (Okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic). Flash forward to this year, and we were in Boston watching the Boston Pops Swing Orchestra at Symphony Hall. We tried our hand at swing dancing even though we were the youngest people on the dance floor! It was our favorite NYE ever- even before the epic countdown and surprise balloon drop! It was the perfect way for 2016 to go out with a bang, and I have a feeling it will be hard to top next year!

Now think about your wedding day. Hours and hours of your time go into planning every last detail, and when the day arrives, you do everything you can to soak it all in. You blink and it’s over, just like the realization on NYE that a whole year has come and gone. (And of course, I’m not trying to be a Debbie Downer! Let’s be honest, the only bummer of the your entire wedding day is when you realize that the reception has come to an end, and it’s time to go home. All good things must come to an end!) If you’re anything like me, you want your Grand Exit from your wedding to be WAY more like a surprise balloon drop at the symphony than bagel bites on the couch!!

There are a couple things you need to think about while planning your perfect Grand Exit:

Step 1

Step 1 is to find out what restrictions your venue has. Usually, the first idea that comes to mind is a sparkler exit! However, some venues don’t allow sparklers on their property, and you need a special permit to use them in some areas of Houston. Make sure to check ahead of time! Some venues have restrictions on tossing things that are not biodegradable, or they might have policies regarding clean-up. (I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to spend time picking up thousands of pieces of rice!)

Step 2

Step 2 is to think about the setup of your venue. For example, wide open spaces are great for sparklers, but you wouldn’t want to light sparklers under a covered walkway! (The smoke from the sparklers gets trapped under the walkway). However, a covered area looks great lined with guests blowing bubbles or tossing petals! From a photographer’s perspective, you will want the photographer to be facing the direction that has the most light during the exit. If possible, it’s great to have the venue in the background because the flash can bounce off the building to better light up your exit!

Don’t be discouraged if your venue has restrictions on the Grand Exit you were hoping for. There are a ton of fun ways to spice up your exit such as having a vintage getaway car or hanging a “Just Married” sign on the back of your ride. I have seen SO many cute and creative Grand Exits over the years; there’s no way to go wrong! Here are a few of my favorites from recent weddings:

Bubble Exit

Petal Toss

Sparkler Exit

My couples sure know how to nail the “kiss and dip!!”

Lavender Toss
Vintage Car

 

all in all

Regardless of which type of exit you decide on, remember to walk SLOW and take it all in! (And stop and kiss 3/4 of the way to get incredible photos!) Lastly, don’t be afraid to think outside of the box. I’ve seen couples throw paper airplanes, toss newspaper confetti, or even light lanterns. If you can’t decide on one exit, you can always spice up the exit from your CEREMONY as well! Imagine this: you get announced as newlyweds, and then instead of just walking back down the aisle to guests cheering, you walk down to cheers and CONFETTI! (Seriously- it would be amazing!)

It seemed like my wedding day went by SO quickly! Everyone tells you it will be a blur, but you don’t really understand that until after it is over! Alex and I decided to do a bubble exit outside on the courtyard, and we love how it turned out. I knew we would need a few minutes to hand out bubbles and get guests lined up, so Alex and I did a private “Last Dance” during that time. While guests were getting situated outside, Alex and I were enjoying a quiet moment on the dance floor together. (I would highly recommend this to all of my couples!) In the end, our grand exit felt like we were welcoming a new adventure and the start of a new season!