The Getaway After the Wedding

The getaway or Grand Exit from a wedding is the crowning touch on your celebration – as important to captivating your guests as your procession down the aisle. How do you plan to mark the end of your reception as you leave to start your new lives together? Don’t let the party fizzle – choose a departure worthy of your special day!

Long before American colonists threw rice at newlyweds to symbolize good luck and bountiful harvests, the toss was a traditional part of most weddings.  In ancient Greece and Rome guests tossed a variety of nuts, seeds and food items to symbolize good luck, fertility, bountiful harvests and prosperity. Most cultures incorporate some kind of wedding toss between the end of the ceremony and the culmination of the wedding day.

Most venues no longer permit the traditional tossing of rice as it is has been widely rumored to harm birds if ingested. Popular substitutes have included birdseed, confetti in various shapes and colors, lavender seed, fresh and freeze-dried flower petals, all of which can require extensive clean up or disruption to gardens and landscaping.  Some venues which have banned those tosses do allow bio-degradable “wedding rice” in their place. The rice can be distributed in pretty paper cones tied with ribbon to complement the wedding colors, or small favor bags. You can have your flower girls distribute the packets as guests arrive, or, if you save the toss for the end of the night, as they leave to line up and watch you depart.

You might enjoy a send off with a “bang”. Celebratory wedding poppers offer excitement and are bio-degradable.  Check your local regulations if you are considering a pyrotechnic or “sparkler” send off, and make sure to have plenty of personalized wedding matches on hand.

For minimal impact and no clean up, choose bubbles in place of tossing rice, confetti or seeds. Advantage Bridal offers adorable individual bubble containers which come in several shapes and colors including tiny champagne bottles and wedding cakes. Some varieties of bubbles can even be personalized.

You’ll want your friends to watch you depart in style. Advantage Bridal carries several different personalized signs that can be easily and harmlessly attached to your getaway car along with kits to make sure everyone who sees you will know that you’re “Just Married”.