Let’s chat about why I feel planning a controlled or “faux” exit on your wedding day is a great idea! If your wedding coverage time ends before the reception is over, then going with a controlled exit that includes your bridal party and/or close family members is going to be your best option. This takes place while the rest of the guests are still on the dance floor! Some might think this is unnecessary or even cheesy, but trust me, most of my brides LOVE it. 

Why? Planning a faux exit with just the members of your bridal party and maybe a few family members, allows us to have more control over the shots that are captured without completely disrupting the whole reception. In most cases, the guests don’t even realize the bride and groom are missing for a few minutes! Haha! By having more control over the exit, we’re able to have the bride and groom run through the exit several times, capturing a LOT more images and having a super fun time in the process. 

Different types of Faux Exits

There are several different variations of the controlled faux exit. The most popular type is the sparkler exit, where guests hold up sparklers to create a tunnel for the newlyweds to walk/run though. Other options are throwing confetti, flower petals, bubbles or holding up glow sticks. Another fun faux exit variation is having your guests hold streamers or ribbon wands that they wave while the couple runs though! (And just note that I always ask my couples to stop in the middle of the tunnel and share a kiss!) Whatever the choice may be, a controlled faux exit is super fun and memorable but doesn’t have to stop the party!

Controlled Exit Tips 

One thing I recommend when you have a faux exit planned with just the bridal party and/or family members, is make sure your DJ does NOT announce it! This will cause confusion amongst the guests and you’ll end up disrupting the party then try to get everyone wrangled back into the reception. Instead, if you’re working with a wedding planner, have them coordinate with the bridal party and certain family members to meet at the exit spot at a certain time. Or have your maid of honor be in charge of gathering those you want involved in the controlled exit.

What about real exits?

Does this mean you shouldn’t have a real live exit? No of course not! If that’s your dream to have ALL of your guests involved in a real exit, where you’re leaving the reception immediately at the end of the exit (maybe in a classic car or a horse-drawn carriage), then by all means go for it! Just note that if you want it captured by your wedding photographer, you may need to add extra coverage time. And typically with real exits, the shots are a little more limited since we don’t have the opportunity to send the couple back through the tunnel a couple of times. Real exits also signal that the festivities are over and it’s time for everyone to head home. 

I hope this was helpful! Whether you choose to do a controlled faux exit or a real one, it’s going to be an extremely fun and memorable part of your wedding day! If you have more questions, feel free to shoot me an email, jen@jenpeterson.com.

Happy Planning!

If you liked this post, you may also like: