50 Best Wedding Send-Off Ideas

The end of your wedding is the beginning of your new life together as a married couple. The send-off is a tradition that dates back to the Ancient Romans when a variety of items, from rice to wheat to oats, were tossed at couples as they exited their celebration. This tradition continues today, although couples have become more creative with how they send off into their future together.

Modern marriages conclude with a wide range of wedding send-off ideas, including eco-friendly exits, lights, color, music, and methods that honor traditions. Whatever your preferred style, you’re sure to find something on our list of the 50 best wedding send-off ideas.

Wedding send-off ideas for every couple

Here are 50 creative ways to say au revoir to your guests.

1. Petal toss

Throwing fresh rose petals, or any other flower petals that you love, is another eco-friendly exit option that will perfume the air with a captivating aroma.

2. Birdseed

An outdoor wedding ceremony closed with a toss of birdseed will ensure that the neighborhood flocks have a quick snack available the next morning.

3. Dove release

The white dove symbolizes peace, hope, gentleness, devotion, and beauty. A humane release of doves is believed to bring these qualities to your marriage.

4. Dried flowers

Give your guests dried flowers to toss over you as you walk by. Any dried flowers will do—you can use a mix or match them to your wedding flowers. As a bonus for an outdoor wedding, no clean-up is required.

5. Fall foliage

There’s no better way to exit your fall wedding than under a shower of bewitching fall colors.

6. Handkerchief wave

As you exit, your guests can wave white handkerchiefs or colorful ones, depending on your wedding theme and preference. Handkerchiefs are reusable and can be used to wipe happy tears from your guests’ eyes.

7. Lavender

A dried lavender toss is an enchanting way to bid your guests goodnight while leaving behind a sweet, lasting scent.

8. Olive leaves

Olive branches, like doves, have long been a symbol of peace, harmony, and hope. Walking out among waving branches will imbue your union with positive vibes.

9. Palm frond fans

If your wedding is outdoors in a tropical locale, palm frond fans will keep you and your guests cool.

10. Biodegradable confetti

Instead of a traditional confetti toss, using a biodegradable option will protect the landscape while still giving you a gorgeous shower as you walk out together.

11. Petal pops

Using push-pop containers and dried flowers, you can make a petal launcher that your guests will adore using to sprinkle you as you’re leaving.

12. Popcorn

This is a dual-purpose exit tool. You can feed hungry guests and provide them a safe way to shower you as you head for the door. We recommend plain, unbuttered, popped kernels.

13. Serenade

If you’re looking for a true zero-waste method of slipping out, have your guests (or one special guest) sing you gently away.

14. Fireworks

Have your wedding go out with a bang by setting off fireworks to close out the evening! It’ll certainly leave your guests with plenty to talk about and admire.

15. Pillar candle path

A simple, candle-lined path leading away from the ceremony provides a pretty promenade for you to follow as you set off into the night together as a married couple. Make sure to plan ahead and assign someone to light the candles at the appropriate time.

16. Lanterns

You can go old-fashioned and provide your guests with candle-lit lanterns or use battery-powered tea lights for a simpler approach. Either way, the soft glow of lanterns as you leave the reception will create an enchanting aura.

17. LED wands

Your guests can wave LED wands as you walk by to sprinkle you with a little shine and a lot of luck and good fortune.

18. Lightsabers

The force is strong with your union, so why not start your married life with the power of the Jedi by having a lightsaber send-off? This is a prime choice for the Star Wars-loving couple.

19. Lighted boat

This is a divine way to exit a river or lakeside wedding. Have a boat with a lantern or candle waiting for you to hop aboard and paddle away into the night. The effect will be breathtaking for your guests.

20. Glow sticks

While less flashy than pyrotechnics, glow sticks are still an alluring way to end your wedding ceremony. They’re also a relatively safe choice if there are kids or flammable materials around.

21. Sky lanterns

This is another whimsical way to light the sky without the dangers of fireworks. These dreamy aerial lights will captivate your guests as you make your grand exit.

22. Drum beat

You can get your guests involved with a pre-planned drumroll exit. You can either provide the sticks or simply have them use the tables and tap with their hands. If you don’t want a drumbeat, clapping is also an easy way to involve everyone.

23. Fiber-optic LED wands

Kids and adults alike will adore these color-changing wands that they can wave as you parade past them and make your exit.

24. Beach balls

If your wedding is out on the sand, what better way to send you out into the night than with brightly colored bouncing beach balls? As an added bonus, they’ll keep the kids entertained.

25. Bubbles

Clear bubbles are classic, but colored bubbles add an even more dazzling effect to your exit photos. The shimmering iridescence will make these pictures the stars of your wedding album.

26. Butterfly release

This send-off idea is strictly for outdoor weddings in nice weather. However, imagine how astonishing your wedding exit will be when you include the natural beauty of fluttering butterfly wings. Typically, a butterfly release is also used to honor those whom you have lost.

27. Colorful paper fans

Fans decorated in your wedding colors can serve as both a pretty wedding favor and a cool way for guests to wave and send you off after the wedding reception has ended.

28. Waving flags

Tiny flags representing your heritage in the hands of your guests will create a colorful and meaningful way for you to walk out of the reception and into your new life together.

29. Feathers

Both glamorous and delicate, a colorful feather toss is a graceful way to ease you out of the wedding reception and into the welcoming night air.

30. Balloons

Instead of releasing balloons into the sky (which can harm local wildlife), have your guests hold and wave colorful balloons as you walk through the doorway of your wedding for the last time.

31. Glitter

Shimmer and sparkle your way into newlywed life with a glittering send-off. Some venues might not allow glitter or might only allow a glitter toss if you use larger specks of glitter that are easier to clean up. Make sure to ask first.

32. Paper airplanes

This is the perfect symbolic send-off for couples who love to travel together. You can have construction paper in your wedding colors available for your guests to design their own paper planes to toss over you as you exit.

33. Paper streamers

Paper streamers are an alternative to messier confetti and much easier to clean up. You can coordinate with your wedding colors or add all the colors of the rainbow for a dramatic effect.

34. Pom poms

You’ll have your own team of cheerleaders cheering you out to your life as newlyweds with colorful pom poms. If you want to make it extra special, you can put someone in charge of leading a cheer.

35. Confetti

Mix different sizes and textures to craft a unique confetti array. Incorporating your wedding colors into the confetti bits is a delightful way to sprinkle happiness into your walk out of the venue.

36. Silly string

Silly string comes in many fun colors; however, this is definitely one you’ll want to get the okay from your venue before using. If it’s venue-approved, the kids at the wedding will get a huge kick out of spraying you as you head for the door (just be sure to change clothing before making your exit).

37. Smoke bombs

If you and your partner love action movies, a smoke bomb send-off might be an exit worthy of a marriage James Bond would approve of. These are best for outdoor weddings, for obvious reasons. You can generally find smoke bombs in a wide range of colors, so you’ll surely find something that coordinates with your wedding theme.

38. Sprinkles

Let your guests shower you in sweet rainbow-colored sprinkles. Alternatively, you can use sprinkles to match your color scheme.

39. Band performance

If your ceremony has a band playing live music, you can request your final song in advance. This way, they’re prepared to play it when the night ends and you know it’s time to head for the doors (and possibly choreograph one last dance number as you head out into married life).

40. Sparklers

If your venue approves, let the sparks fly with a sparkler-lit departure. Your guests can wave beautiful sparkling wands around as you leave, creating some truly magnificent photo ops.

41. Favorite song

You have the first-dance song, but no one says you can only pick one special song. Have a second song that you both love cued up for your glorious exit at the end of the night.

42. Instrumental

Cowbells, tambourines, maracas, and more can help you leave the reception and into a bright, happy future as a married couple. Have your wedding team distribute these instruments right before your departure so everyone can play along!

43. Faux snow

Winter wonderlands outdoors can be complemented by a little faux snow indoors. You’ll be delighted with the photos you get of you and your new spouse walking through the gently falling snow. Add some fairy lights, and your scene will be complete.

44. Getaway car

Like rice, a waiting getaway car has long been a way to leave in style. In summer, a sporty convertible will carry you into the sunset. In winter, a town car (with the heat on max) is a classy way to say goodbye.

45. Horse and carriage

A countryside wedding and a horse and carriage are made for each other. In winter, you could even leave via a horse-drawn sleigh with bells on it.

46. Jingle bells

If you’re not interested in a horse-drawn-sleigh, you can have your guests ring in the holiday season and close out your winter wedding with the sound of sleigh bells.

47. Rice

The tradition of throwing rice at weddings is still used in many ceremonies. Every couple wants a little extra luck and good fortune tossed their way. Just make sure that you clear rice tossing with your venue first.

48. Second line parade

This parade isn’t limited to a specific event. In New Orleans, they’re used for weddings, funerals, festivals, and any other occasion for celebration. At weddings, a brass band performs through the venue as the wedding guests dance around them. The couple leads the way while holding umbrellas.

49. Vidaai

This Hindu wedding tradition is an emotional moment between a bride and her family. Right before the newlyweds leave the wedding, the bride tosses rice and coins behind her head to repay her parents for a lifetime full of support.

50. Ribbon wands

DIY ribbon wands are a simple and elegant way to exit with no extra cleanup left behind. You can make them in any hue you’d like and can even add little bells to the wand tips for a dynamic color and sound combo.

Tips for pulling off the perfect wedding send off

Now that your head is swimming with images of your picture-perfect exit moment, let’s review some tips to help ensure that everything goes according to your plans. A flawless send-off requires venue approval, a coordinator, and a courteous approach from you and your guests.

Clear it with the venue

We can’t state this enough: Make sure that you check with the venue before planning a send-off. Many venues don’t allow certain items, including:

• Rice
• Glitter
• Flowers or petals
• Confetti
• Sparklers
• Live animals
• Loud music after a certain hour
• Smoke bombs
• Silly string
• Feathers
• Leaves
• Food items tossed around

Basically, if it leaves a huge mess or is a fire hazard, your venue might not want you to use it. Some items are fine for an outdoor toss, but are strictly prohibited indoors. Asking before the wedding will save you from disappointment.

Looking for the perfect wedding venue? Browse through Zola’s venue marketplace to find the perfect match.

Coordinate your guests

You must give your guests a heads-up if you want them to be able to coordinate a special send-off. You can assign someone in your wedding party to oversee operation out-the-door. This person, or people, can provide instructions and materials to the other guests. Another popular option is to stage a fake wedding send-off earlier in the night with your photographer. That way, the couple can get fun pictures and videos while most of their guests are still there.

Even with a team lead, it’s a good idea to prepare your guests ahead of time by putting the send-off plans on your wedding website. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Expert Advice: Zola’s free wedding websites have all the features you need to share information. And we have easy-to-use, customizable templates to make building your website super easy.

Be courteous

Remember, even though you’re the star of the wedding, you’re also a guest at the venue you’re using for your ceremony and reception. Being kind is the best way to show your host that you appreciate and respect their space.

We suggest:

• Cleaning up after the send-off is over
• Being careful with fire or other dangerous materials
• Tipping as needed
• Writing up a positive review after the wedding is over

Wedding hosting is often a crucial component of an event venue’s livelihood, and it’s important to leave the space in the same condition you found it.

An exciting send-off is the exclamation point at the end of your wedding day story. This centuries-old tradition will send you and your new spouse out in style. Whether you were looking for an eco-friendly exit or a fine-tuned outro, we hope you found a wedding send-off idea that inspires you.

For all of your wedding needs, from planning to the ceremony to the perfect send-off, we’re here to help. Register with Zola to find every wedding planning tool you need to make all of your plans go smoothly.