So many of my couples are choosing to do exits this year, so I thought it would be a great time to share some of the things I’ve learned that help them go so much more smoothly! As with everything else related to wedding planning, a little preparation goes a long way. Hopefully some of these tips will help you guys be prepared to have an amazing exit!

– Let people know there will be an exit! Whether you have a sign up near your sparklers, ribbon wands, etc, or a note in the program, make sure people are aware that there will be a grand finale so they know to stick around! Often times people will leave after the cake is cut if they don’t really think anything else is going to happen.

– Consider doing your exit during the day. I highly recommend an exit from the ceremony for a few reasons. The most important of which is LIGHT! Daytime exits are so much nicer in photographs because there is still a lot of light outside. The second big reason is that almost all of your guests will still be there! We have shot exits in the past where only a few people were still left! We actually cancelled the exit at our own wedding because so many people were already gone!

– If you’re using sparklers, try to have someone designated to organize it (get people lined up, hand out sparklers, etc) and at least a couple people to light the sparklers. What I’ve seen that works the best is when two people each start at opposite ends of the line and work their way in toward the middle! They really only need to light a couple at a time because then people can light them from the ones that are already lit, if that makes sense.

– Ask the people lighting the sparklers to wait until you are almost ready to come outside. Sparklers burn out pretty quickly and you don’t want them to be fizzled out before you make your grand exit.

– Have the people in charge of organizing the exit ensure that your guests stay lined up as neatly as they can. A crucial shot can be missed or ruined because a guest jumps or leans out  in front of the camera’s view of you as you’re exiting.

– Instead of running out through your lined up loved ones as they cheer you on, walk! Enjoy the moment and really savor it because it will be gone before you know it! This will also help the photographers make sure they get a few great shots in focus.

– If you choose to use bubbles for your exit, have someone ask guests to start blowing them before you are ready to exit! This will ensure there are lots of bubbles in the pictures!

There are my tips for a great exit! Have any more questions about what helps an exit go smoothly? Feel free to email me! Hope everyone has a great weekend:)