Sparkler exit???

The issue I can see is that some guests, maybe most of them will think the reception is over and are going to leave right after the “mock” exit.

If you're Ok with the fact that guests may leave earlier than they would without that: go for it, if not: skip it.

View Quoted Comment Thanks! I will Be having my Dj announce that it is a mock exit and we can come back in to continue the party!

I’ve never seen this in person but I have read about many cases where it kills the vibe and people end up leaving early. Is it possible to do this as your entrance to the reception?

View Quoted Comment

It may fix the issue but hopefully everyone will understand because there are people who won't hear it (if they are drunk, they are in the restroom or are chatting during the announcement for example)

I saw an sparkler entrance in 2020 , I thought it was weird but in my mind, not as weird as a mock exit.

I participated in a mock sparkler exit and it killed the vibe. If the photos are worth putting a damper on the party to you, then do it. If the experience of your wedding is more important to you than those few photos, I’d say don’t do it. I had an end of night sparkler exit and although the pictures are pretty they were not worth the loss of time from actually celebrating, and if I had to pick one or the other as in your case, I’d do a regular reception and no sparkler exit just to have more time.

I feel like it would be a weird thing to do. And like others have said I feel will definitely kill the vibe. No one wants to pretend they’re sending you off for some photos they might not even see (or care about) as a guest and then go back in to continue with the reception

I personally am against them. You have to stop the party, it takes more time than you think, and it's hard to get people back in. Plus it is awkward overall, you run out through the sparklers, maybe even twice to get the right pics, and then try and corral everyone back inside while also waiting for the sparkler to extinguish and dispose of them safely.


But this is one of those things you have to decide if it is worth it for you! Do you highly value that photo opp? If so then it's your wedding and go for it! But would you also be happy to have your planner or something take a video or pictures on their phone at the end of the night?
I read that one bride did it after the ceremony. So after the recession, the planner had the guests go outside to like up and do the fake exit, then guest came in to cocktail hour with drinks and snacks ready to go. Still wierd, but at least it didn't kill the vibe during the reception

I think this also partly depends on your crowd. I have never been to a wedding with a grand exit, staged or otherwise. Nor do I know anyone who has. Here, the couples usually party until the end of the night and then continue with an after party. If someone did a fake grand exit sometime during the reception, the bulk of the guests would probably think it was the end of the party and head out. So it's definitely a "know your crowd" kind of thing.

It's really a personal preference, and how much you care about the authenticity of your memories. Are you going to look back on that photo and say, "Oh there's the time we pretended to leave for the evening, but then we all went back inside?" For us, we wanted only authentic moments, because photos of staged events would have bothered me. Is it worth interrupting the whole flow of your evening just to recreate a staged photo you've seen other couples do? If not, is there another way you could incorporate sparklers into your photographs?

Could you maybe just pull your bridal parties to do it quickly so you dont have to interrupt the reception for everyone? I agree that it would definitely kill the vibe, but for your bridal party it would be fine.

Do any of your friends or family members have a nice camera or a newer iPhone that they could take the pictures on? There's a ton of tutorials online about how to nail the exit pictures from either. I totally get wanting to have great pictures after you're putting so much time, money, and effort into the day, but like others have mentioned, it can be a bit difficult to get back to the party.

Maybe call it a sparkler dance off rather than an exit. Give everyone a chance to walk through the sparkler aisle after you. Definitely have the pro photographer capture these photos since sparklers and the lighting can be tricky

Have someone take the picture on there phone have them sent to you and you can have the blown up for you to have and you can still have your sparkler exit