Let’s talk wedding exit photos, specifically yours! We’re betting you have seen wonderful after-dark exit images of happy couples surrounded by guests with sparklers on the way to the get-away car. It all seems so magical! There are just a few challenges for us living in the land of the midnight sun, well, that’s one right there! If you are getting married in the summer months, you won’t have a sunset for those after-dark images. Don’t despair. Creating special wedding exit photos in Alaska just requires a little bit of creativity and planning!
Time Your Exit
Last week on the blog we talked about beginning to build your day of timeline (check it out here if you missed it). If wedding exit photos are important to you (and we encourage you to make it so), you will need to build the exit into your timeline. Have plans to party until the cows come home? Is the budget limiting your wedding photography coverage? No worries! Planning a controlled exit has you covered. This is the mind-blowing part… the controlled exit can be photographed earlier in the reception so that we’re not waiting until the end of the evening. The secret is good planning to sneak you away to “make an exit” in front of your immediate family and bridal party for photos and return you to the dance floor before your guests have noticed you were gone! Bazinga!
The Get-Away Vehicle
Vintage car, old truck, limousine, SUV, motorcycle, or horse-drawn carriage, keep your wedding day theme going by selecting (and decorating), your get-away vehicle to match. Wedding exit photos almost always include your get-away vehicle so remember to have your bridal party give it a little love. Decorations can be simple and classic (like the above photo outside the Anchorage Hilton) or extravagant and creative. Just be sure to check with your transportation company for decorating restrictions if using a car company or rented vehicle (or horse).
Toss or Hold?
To toss or to hold, that is the real question for your send-off party! Ask your reception venue for their policies covering wedding exits. Confetti may sound like a cute toss option to you (and us), but not so much for the hotel that must clean it up afterwards. Instead of a toss, another great option is for your wedding send-off party to hold items and create a tunnel around you as your exit. Once you know the options available at your venue, you can dial in the perfect choice for your wedding exit photo! 
Here are some suggestions of both toss and hold to get your creative ideas flowing:
Toss
Confetti
Candy sprinkles instead of rice
Narrow streamers
Tiny craft pomp poms
Bubbles
Fall leaves
Petals, eucalyptus leaves, lavender
Hold
Helium filled balloons (either all white or wedding colors)
Ribbon and bell wands
Suspend floral garlands from two wood dowels
Cheer pom poms in wedding colors
Pennant wands with your names and wedding colors
Thunder sticks and foam fingers for the sports fans
Wedding party colored umbrellas on a rainy day
Wrap up your wedding day photography with a well planned exit! Not only does this custom celebrate your send off as a married couple, it also nicely concludes the beautiful story in your wedding album. We can’t wait to brainstorm creative ideas for your special wedding exit photos!
Happy Planning!
Sharon and Laura
Visit our Pinterest site for more creative ideas or schedule a consultation with us to help create you special day.