Send off after the ceremony

You could have people blow bubbles as you are recessing, that'd be cute!

We are doing this as well! Not to necessarily stage it as a fake send off, but to look at it as a celebration when the ceremony is over and you’re walking back down the aisle. Bubbles, flower petals (real or fake), confetti guns... I think it’s a great idea!

Like doing one directly after and coming back to the reception? I think that would be fine. It's still kind of a fake send off though. But my sister did one like that. But hers was after first dance, cake cutting and stuff.

I think the send-off thing is so fake and contrived no matter when you do it! Why not just have some guests sitting along the aisle do a toss of some sort as you start your recessional, like flower petals, or blow bubbles if your venue doesn't allow anything to be thrown.

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So our ceremony is at our church, then we would go to the reception venue for cocktail hour/reception!

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I think you're probably right! I like the suggestions of doing it during the recessional, I think that's probably what we'll end up doing if we end up doing it. Our ceremony is at our church, then people will head over to the reception venue for cocktail hour, so maybe that will make it feel a little less weird.

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I hadn't thought about this until you and MFB suggested it, and I think that would definitely be our best option! Thank you!

We are having a send off as we leave the church to drive off to our reception venue.

It is your wedding and you can do what you please, if you want a fake send off, you can gather your bridal party and family to do it for photo ops. I don't see the harm of it. its for pictures and if that's a picture you want then get it. I don't want you to regret not having that photo op!

I'm doing it idc if it corny or not. Many brides have done this and share the photos!

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I don't like fake send offs, so we won't be doing one. They feel super forced to me and really break up the flow of the night. I know it's my wedding, but I want to keep in mind the perspective of my guests since they're coming out to celebrate with us. If other brides want to do it, I don't see the harm in it, but it's just not what we want to do, so I think we'll just do it as we're recessing instead!

When I was a bridesmaid for SIL's wedding they did a send off but that was when they left to finish up their couple pictures and didn't go back to the reception. They also only did a cake and punch type reception so it was doable for them.

I also don't like the fake send offs. I was so ready to do a sparkler send off but realized it would be hard to go back to reception party mode. lol.

Instead of doing a send off I plan on getting everyone together (probably before the reception is suppose to start) and do a big group picture with everyone there. It something that involves everyone being together (like a send off) but also a memory for us to have because generally you only take pictures with familys/couple groupings. I haven't ran this by the photographer yet, but if it works out I plan on using the photo as a thank you card as well.

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I love this idea! At a wedding we recently went to, the DJ had everyone come onto the dance floor after cake cutting/family dances and the photographer took a big group picture. It was perfect because it got people onto the dance floor and they got a group picture!

We're considering doing confetti during our recessional!

TBH I've been apart of two send offs, and so long as everyone is having to leave the space anyway (like its the close out part of the night and you and your guests all have to leave) it's not that bad. I mean they're not suppose to look spontaneous IMO so if you want to do an end of the night send off, so long as you aren't asking your guests to leave for the photo and then go back in to continue partying its not a big deal!

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I am so jealous!!! I want to do confetti so bad but our church (or reception venue, actually) won't allow it. I think it looks so fun in pictures.

I would have loved a sparkler exit, but since our photographer will be leaving after about 30 minutes of dancing, I think we'll probably end up sticking with doing one after the ceremony so we can make sure we get some pictures!

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I saw lots of cute printed paper cones on Etsy to toss stuff with, like sheet music, lace doilies, monogrammed ones, etc...

But you are leaving the church and can have people blow bubbles then, you dont have to do a nighttime send off...I was thinking that we do ours after the ceremony because I dont want a staged fake send off either..but we are leaving after the ceremony for pictures.

So I actually have a similar situation as you since our photographer wont be staying till the end and our ceremony is at our church and the reception is in a different location.

We also are having an open church ceremony with an invite only reception so we will have more people at the ceremony than at the reception.

We will walk back down the isle then wait at the doors to say hello/good bye to everyone (not doing table to table at the reception) then as people go out the doors to the long covered walk way, we will have our parents/WP let everyone know to grab (bubbles/bells/flower pedals/seeds/idk yet) and to wait to we get out to toss them. We will then go out and get in the limo with our WP and parents and head to the reception venue fallowed by the invited guests. All the guests will have a cocktail hour and we will do a few pictures at the reception venue (in the back not by where people are eating) we wont be having a grand entrance we will just mingle into the end of the cocktail hour.

IDK if this fits what you are looking for at all. Hopefully it is of some help.