50 Sparkler Exit Alternatives for your Wedding Day

Ah, the good-ole sparkler exit.. brides love it and wedding vendors cringe when they hear it.. is it worth the one good photo you get from all of the work? 

Who is to say?

My wedding was 7 years ago, a few years before the sparkler trend really started taking steam in the wedding industry. Now, in 2017, it is rare that I photograph a wedding that does not have the couple exiting their reception under a row of lit sparklers.

Sparklers are to my generation what bird seeds are to my parents generation.  

Sparklers slowly creeped into wedding exits and have almost entirely replaced "bird seed toss"  reception exit that was so common years ago.

As a frequent wedding guest, I would love some variety in how I photograph my couples leaving their wedding reception.

Why not try something new? Why not step out of the box and create a way to exit your wedding that is entirely and uniquely YOU? 

Need some ideas to get you started in that direction? Look no further! I've got fifty fun-and-crazy-and-sweet-and-awesome ideas for you to grab onto as you think about how you and your partner will exit your wedding reception. 

1. Dry your favorite flowers/herbs and have your guests toss them in the air as you leave (you can thank ERIN for this idea)

2. Are you a sports fan or a former cheerleader? Have guests line up in a receiving line with pom-poms as you run under and exit

3. Try LED lit pom poms if your planning on leaving when it's dark.

4. Star Wars fans? Give your guests light sabers at the reception to dance with and then hold in the air as you exit. 

5. Leave your wedding in a Hot Air Baloon (and let your photographer ride with you.. duh)

6. Pull a run-away-bride and ride away on a horse (or multiple horses) with your partner.

7. Rent a carriage in downtown Savannah to take you to your honeymoon suite. 

8. Buy butterfly kits and raise caterpillars with your partner until they turn into butterflies. have guests release them as you leave your wedding reception 

9. Getting married in the summer? Why not put on bathing suits and run through sprinklers as you leave your wedding.

10. Speaking of sprinklers, why not just get all of your guests to exit via

11. Exit your reception on a motorcycle 

12. Have guests throw home made confetti in the air as you exit

13. Want to knock two things out at once? Give guests ribbon dancers as their wedding favors and have them wave ribbons in the air as you exit. (you should totally have your party do a coordinated ribbon dance on the dance floor.. just sayin')

14.Give guests bubbles to blow as you walk through them like at Amanda and Matt's wedding.

15. Love loud noises? Give guests these confetti poppers to pop as you walk through them towards your getaway car.

16. Live by the water? Why not leave your reception on a boat?

17. Don't mind getting dirty? Why not have guests throw Holi powder as you walk through? You could have them all put on aprons/large t shirts/bring a change of clothes and keep colored clothing as "wedding present"

18. I love flowers. If you love to garden and love flowers, why not have guests throw seeds in the air over garden planters/open field/pots for favors? The flowers will grow and bloom just as your marriage does!

19. If you love to cook, dry herbs and have guests throw/keep herbs as you leave your wedding reception. Everyone will end up smelling like fresh rosemary, lavender, cinnamon..

20. Give guests disposable cameras to use throughout the wedding day, asking them to save two photos for the very end. Have everyone together as you exit and fire their flashes all at the same time. Develop the photos to see the different view points of your guests

21. Getting married on the beach? Give guests small inflatable beach balls to toss around as you exit your reception. 

22. Leaving at night? Give guests glowsticks to wave as you leave your wedding.

23. Pop popcorn and have guests throw in the air as you leave. 

24. If you are feeling sentimental, save up flower petals through your relationship and have guests throw those in the air as you leave. Give them in little jars so they can keep some as their wedding favor. 

25. BUY SOME LIGHTNING BUGS AND SET THEM FREE AS YOU LEAVE YOUR RECEPTION. 

26. GIVE GUESTS  PRAYER FLAGS  TO WAVE AS YOU LEAVE, LET THE FLAGS BE THEIR WEDDING FAVOR & CONTINUAL REMINDER THAT YOU INVITED THEM INTO YOUR NEW MARRIAGE 

27. HAVE YOUR WEDDING GUESTS WRITE THEIR GOOD WISHES FOR YOUR MARRIAGE ON STRIPS ON FABRIC DURING YOUR RECEPTION. AT THE END OF THE RECEPTION HAVE THEM WAVE THE FABRIC IN THE AIR AS YOU LEAVE. LATER, TIE THEM ON A DREAM CATCHER LIKE SARAH AND PAT DID AT THEIR WEDDING. 

28. HOW FUN WOULD IT BE TO RUN UNDER A PARACHUTE  AND GIVE CUSTOM BEAN BAGS OUT TO YOUR GUESTS AS FAVORS?

29. QUINOA IS THE NEW RICE. THROW QUINOA AND GIVE QUINOA AND RECIPE AS WEDDING FAVORS.

30. LEAVE ON A TINY PLANE. THAT WOULD BE BAD-ASS.

31. GETTING MARRIED ON THE WATER, LIKE, MAYBE AT WYLD DOCK? LEAVE BY WAY OF STAND UP PADDLE BOARD OR KAYAK OR CANOE. 

32. LEAVE BY PLAYING AN EPIC GAME OF RED ROVER.

33. LEAVE BY WAY OF WATER BALOON FIGHT.. GROOMS SIDE V. BRIDES SIDE

34. NOT INTO WATER BALOONS? TRY SMALL SQUIRT GUNS. 

35. RELEASE FLYING LANTERNS AS YOU LEAVE

36. WANT TO GO BIGGER THAN SPARKLERS? WHY NOT LEAVE BY FIREWORK SHOW?

37. KONGO LINE OUT TO YOUR GET-AWAY CAR.

38. HAVE A DANCE OFF LINE OUT TO YOUR GET-AWAY CAR.. YOU AND YOUR PARTNER EXITING LAST

39. GIVE HATS/VISORS/BEANIES OUT AS WEDDING FAVORS, AND HAVE GUESTS THROW THEIR HATS IN THE AIR AS YOU EXIT THROUGH THEM.

40. DO YOU AND YOUR BOO SKATEBOARD/LONGBOARD? WHY LOT LEAVE BOARDING DOWN AN EPIC HILL (OR THE DRIVEWAY OF YOUR VENUE)?

41. EXIT BY GO-KART.

42. EXIT BY CAMEL OR ELEPHANT. PLEASE SOMEONE LET ME TAKE A PHOTO OF YOU DOING THIS. 

43. ARE YOU GUYS A LITTLE GRANOLA LIKE ME? WHY NOT HAND OUT SAGE STICKS TO YOUR GUESTS AS THEIR FAVORS, AND HAVE GUESTS WAVE SAGE SMOKE THROUGH THE AIR AS YOU LEAVE.. CLEARING THE WAY FOR GOOD THINGS AHEAD OF BOTH OF YOU. 

44. BIG SPORTS FAN? EXIT THROUGH GUESTS WAVING FOAM FINGERS (AS THEIR WEDDING FAVOR) DOWN THE RECEIVING LINE

45. HIRE A MARIACHI BAND TO PLAY AS YOU AND YOUR BOO LEAVE YOUR RECEPTION

46. HIRE A GUITARIST TO SING YOU LOVE SONGS AS YOU LEAVE YOUR WEDDING 

47. ARE YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS CYCLISTS OR BIKE ENTHUSIASTS? PUT GLOW-IN-THE-DARK- LIGHTS ON YOUR WHEELS AND RIDE OFF INTO THE SUNSET (OR SUNRISE?)

48. BACK TO THE BEACH BALLS, THEY CAN GLOW IN THE DARK TOO!

49. LAZER FAVORS WITH A "LAZER SHOW" AS YOU EXIT. 

50. IF YOU ARE GETTING MARRIED IN THE SNOW, WHY NOT LEAVE YOUR WEDDING WITH THE MOST EPIC SNOW FIGHT OF ALL TIME?

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