Planning your wedding grand exit: sparklers, bubbles and timing
Thinking about a send-off? This video ranks the grand exit options we photograph most, from two-minute sparklers to phone flashlights, and explains the timing problem every couple runs into.
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Send-off options, ranked by how they photograph
There are so many ways to do a send-off, and the sparkler exit remains a favorite. Always use the two-minute sparklers. They are the longest, and probably the biggest, ones you will find, but they are the only ones that are really good, because they last a long time and the flame is much bigger.
The next best thing, personally, is bubbles, especially bubbles plus some lights, which look really nice at night. Many venues no longer allow sparkler exits, so there is also faux pyro, the fake fire that blows upward, typically delivered by the DJ or whoever handles lighting. The light is not as good, but it does the job.
There are also foam-style light sticks. These are not our favorite, because the light looks very flat and does not give a nighttime feel, though they are used now and then. Finally, cell phone flashlights are great: very direct, very sparkly light that needs nobody to do anything and produces some truly good send-off photos.
Why the two-minute sparklers matter
A grand exit takes longer than it looks. Guests have to be lined up and ready before you step out, and by the time the two of you have walked the line, stopped for a kiss and come back for a second pass, a short sparkler has already gone dark.
The long ones give us a working window instead of a scramble, and the bigger flame puts more light on your faces. Buy more than you think you need, check that your venue allows open flame, and have a bucket of sand or water at the end of the line.
Timing the exit so it does not end the party
The timing of the send-off is actually critical. Do it too early and you are basically finishing the party: you are telling everyone you are leaving, and nobody parties much after the couple has gone. Do it really late and many guests may have already left, leaving too few people to line up.
One option we now do fairly often is the grand exit as a photo op. The DJ announces it as exactly that, everyone knows it is just a photo opportunity, they make up the line, you do the exit, and then you come back and enjoy the party until everything is over. We would love to capture it.
What our team does about this on the day
Working with the DJ
We check with the DJ on when the exit or photo-op exit is being announced, and whether faux pyro is part of the plan, so we are outside and in position before the line forms rather than chasing it.
Shooting in whatever light there is
Sparklers and phone flashlights give us direct, sparkly light; faux pyro and foam sticks give us less. We adjust for each so that even the flatter options still look like nighttime, with the two of you clearly lit in the middle.
Capturing the exit and the return
We photograph the walk through the line, the kiss at the end, and, if it is a photo-op exit, the moment you turn around and go back in to the party, which is often the happiest frame of the set.
Couples usually ask
Which sparklers should we buy for a sparkler exit?
The two-minute ones. They are the longest and probably the biggest sparklers you will find, and the only ones we recommend, because they last long enough for the whole line and the flame is much bigger. Short sparklers burn out before you reach the end.
What if our venue does not allow sparklers?
Many do not anymore. Bubbles with some lights are our next favorite and look really nice at night. Faux pyro from the DJ or lighting vendor does the job, and cell phone flashlights held up by guests give direct, sparkly light that photographs well.
When should we schedule the grand exit?
Late enough that it is not ending the party, and early enough that your guests are still there to line up. If those two pull against each other, do the exit as a photo op partway through open dancing and return to the floor afterward.
Can we do a grand exit and still stay at the party?
Yes. Have the DJ announce it as a photo op, so everyone understands it is a photo opportunity rather than a goodbye. Your guests line up, you do the exit, we capture it, and then you walk back in and enjoy the rest of the night.
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