Sparkler exit or Bubble exit? 

So every wedding I have photographed this year has been either a Sparkler exit or a Bubble exit.  I was wondering what are your plans for your wedding?  Both exits can be beautiful and I have enjoyed seeing and photographing both.

I would like to discuss just a couple of things on each type of exit in hopes of helping you make your decision on what type of exit you would like to do.  Keeping in mind, these are not the only type of exits or send offs. There are many different options including Horse and buggy, a really cool car, or throwing rice. Ultimately it just comes down to what makes sense for you on your wedding day. There isn’t a bad option. You just have to decide what fits your personality best, but I’ll focus on sparklers and bubbles for now. 

So lets talk about some considerations for Sparkler exits:

• Length of the sparkler - the length of sparkler is very important.  If it’s too short, it will burn out before all of the guests have their sparklers lit and are in position. I recommend at least a 20” sparkler and if you have a large guest list (over 150), I recommend getting 36” sparklers. This gives enough time for your photographer and/or coordinator to get everybody lined up before you head down the line

• Location, Location, Location - You must ensure that the location you plan to do the send off will accommodate the amount of people and considering there will be open flames in the area. 

• Multiple ignition sources - Especially with larger wedding guests lists, it’s important to have multiple lighters. I recommend at minimum of 2 lighters, but 4 would be better.  This way the bride and groom do not fill rushed to hurry and get down the line.  They can take their time and enjoy the experience which makes things a lot easier for your photographer!  Also, it helps in making better photographs!

• Safety! - As long as you have a common sense approach to planning this, everything will be fine. Oh and don’t forget to have a place to dispose of the sparklers!

Now let’s talk about the bubble exit:

I really enjoy the bubble exit, if it’s done correctly.  

• Coordination and Communication: I think this is probably the most important part of a bubble exit. The coordinator or someone in charge must take control of the wedding guests. Much like the sparkler exit, they must be lined up similarly and told WHEN to start blowing bubbles.  So many times I have seen guests with no bubbles left to blow as the couple walks by because they started too soon.  

• When to hand out the bubbles: I have seen bubbles placed on the tables during the reception and I have seen bubbles sitting by the door as guests exit the reception to head to the send off location.  My recommendation is to have the coordinator or whomever is lining up the people to pass the basket of bubbles around as you are lining people up.  This way all of the wedding guests are located in the right location. 

So many times, people forget their bubbles on the tables or start blowing their bubbles during dancing or they forget the bubbles on their way out and have to go back in to get them.  I know this might seem trivial, but the more you plan now, the better chance you have your wedding exit turning out the way you want. 

So which exit are you going to choose?  I would love to hear bout it. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.  Thanks for stopping by.

©2018 Eric Cox Photography LLC 

Fayetteville Wedding Photographer

Serving all of North Carolina to include: Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham and Wilmington. If you have a destination wedding, please reach out and we can discuss options for that as well. 

Additionally, I am a Fayetteville Elopement Photographer, so if you are eloping instead of having a full wedding ceremony or just having a smaller more intimate ceremony, please get in touch.

Lastly, it’s a pleasure to serve veterans and active duty as a Fort Bragg Wedding Photographer.

Veteran Owned And Operated.