Send-offs can be as big as sparklers or as little as flower petals. Sparkler send-offs provide a fun, exciting way for your guests to wish you well as newlyweds. Petals provide an elegant, playful element to your send-off. Not only that, but they make for great photo ops! Some of our favorite Castle Wedding photos are from creative send-offs.
There’s a little secret that you may not know about send-offs. Most of them are staged to look like the end of the night. Typically, photographers aren’t booked for the entire night. For that reason, you should always coordinate with them on the timing of your send-off.
If you’re looking to do sparklers for a grand and magical send-off, they are often done around dusk, or after cake cutting and special dances, right before the photographer leaves. Work with them to figure out what kind of natural lighting may be needed; time of day is key. You can also connect with your Venue Coordinator on which location will work best in proximity to your reception space. At Castle Farms, you can use up to 20 sparklers and we recommend they are 36-inch smoke-free sparklers so they last long and provide for clear photos. We provide lighters to aid in the initial lighting of the sparklers and we place metal buckets of sand for guests to safely extinguish their sparklers at the end.
Another evening alternative for a send-off are glow sticks! These can make for fun and cute photos, whether inside or outside. Guests can break them out for your official “send-off” photo and then carry them back onto the dance floor to continue the glow party.
For an earlier send-off, after pronounced a married couple at the ceremony, give your guests something to toss or wave as you’re making your way down the aisle. At Castle Farms, we do not allow glitter, confetti, bird seed nor pine needles to be thrown. While real flower petals are permitted both indoors and outdoors, fake flower petals are only permitted to be thrown inside, not outside. Couples have used lavender, leaves, streamer sticks, and even bubbles as fun ceremony send-offs. Just make sure your officiant reminds guests to get their send-off supplies ready before they pronounce you a married couple. That way your photos will be perfection!
However you’re being sent-off, be sure to get the best photos, have enough supplies, and most importantly, have fun! No matter the time of year, there’s a send-off that will make for great photos to fill your albums and look back on year after year.