It’s one of the questions in the questionnaire we send out to every couple: Are you planning to have a grand exit. We always have our fingers crossed that the answer will be “Yes!”

Our reasoning is, after a super fun wedding celebration, the bride and groom should go out with a bang!As for what to use for the grand exit, we’ve got a number of suggestions for couples who don’t know where to start — and a bunch of these ideas came from our previous couples:

• Sparklers (a number of our couples have used sparklers)
• Bubbles (a number of our couples have used bubbles)
• Fruit Loops (Amber + Daniel had that great idea)
• Bells (Claire + Bill used tiny silver bells)
• Glow sticks (Nneka + Bobby had glow sticks for their guests)
• Ribbon ( Denise + Sammy’s guests waved ribbons tied to wooden dowels)
• Popcorn (Maiken + Ryan had popcorn for their guests to toss)
• Bird-safe rice
• Flower petals
• Confetti

Sometimes couples say they’re not interested in having a grand exit, but we have a few reasons why we think they might want to reconsider:

• It’s a fun, conclusive end to the wedding day
• It gives guests a reason to stay to the end of the reception — and a definite time that they know the party will be over
• It’s another way to invite the guests to actively participate in the wedding instead of just being bystanders
• It’s a great photo op, and a great way to end the couple’s wedding album

If you’re thinking you don’t want to bother with a grand exit, I would encourage you to give it a second thought. It isn’t a lot of hassle, and — speaking from experience as a bride here — it is such a fun way to head off into your new life together!

~ Laura