Making a Grand Exit

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The tradition of showering the newlyweds as they leave the wedding comes from the Ancient Romans. The Romans showered newlyweds with nuts, seeds, and grains to symbolize wishes of good luck and abundance upon the happy couple. These days, there are we aren't using nuts and grains so much--but for the modern couple there are plenty of options to chose from!

Here are the more traditional options:

Rice: Rice is certainly the traditional, if not outdated, choice for the farewell toss. It is said that tossing rice endangers birds, but Snopes.com debunks this myth, saying that humans are the real ones in danger. Evidently, rice on smooth flooring can create a slippery situation--and a liability issue. Not to mention the fact that rice hurts when it's thrown at you! There is an alternative, which is wedding-friendly puffed rice, which doesn't hurt as much when pelted at a bride and groom.

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Birdseed: Has many of the same drawbacks as rice, but certainly a more eco-friendly option, as birds can actually help clean up the mess for you! However, birdseed also hurts when pelted straight at you by a slew of wedding guests. Just look at the picture below, where the groom looks quite uncomfortable. And where is his wife? Hiding behind him, of course! Trying not to get pelted in the face!

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Bubbles: Probably the most mess and liability-free of all the options. Bubbles come in a variety of vessels and are conveniently prepackaged.

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Rose Petals: Fragrant, romantic, and expensive. But who wouldn't love to exit in a shower of soft rose petals as they leave their ceremony? But beware: red rose petals can stain flooring, so your venue may not allow it. But for an outdoor wedding with a grassy exit, this could be perfect.

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Sparklers: I feel like these have been around long enough to fit into the "traditional" category. Sparklers provide a festive exit for a bride and groom, and who doesn't love those pictures capturing sparkler air-doodles? I don't know if I'm alone on this, but these scare me a little. I don't know if I would have trusted my wedding guests to wave flaming wands around me, my dress, and my hair after an open bar.

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Here are some modern twists on the farewell toss:

Lavender: Similar to birdseed and rice, but lighter and easier to clean up. The bonus of these little buds is a lovely fragrant smell that scents the air when they are inevitably crushed under people's feet.

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Eco-fetti: Biodegradable and water soluble paper confetti. Eco-friendly and vendor-friendly!

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Pom-Poms: I. Love. This. Idea. I really wanted to be showered with cute little pom-poms ever since I saw this featured on OnceWed. If I had any extra space in my suitcases, I would have brought them to the Cayman Islands, but we were completely maxed out. The downside is they must be cleaned up later, but they would be easier to clean up than rose petals or rice!

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Bells: For those of you with very picky vendors, bells could be your answer. Buy little silver bells like these and add a label to them to personalize them.

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Get Creative: What you use for your farewell toss is really just up to your imagination!

• Flags for a 4th of July wedding or really patriotic couple! Or make personalized flags with your names and wedding date.
  
• Dried leaves would be beautiful for a fall wedding.
• Make your own DIY confetti. Shred paper in your wedding colors for a personalized toss!

I once went to a wedding where the couple gave out little personalized towels just before their exit. I know, I know, it sounds weird, but at Texas A&M (my alma mater! whoop!) football games, fans bring special little towels to wave around during the cheers in support of the Aggies. We all stood at the exit waving our towels and cheering while the bride and groom exited. As I type this out I am realizing that the more I say the weirder it sounds, but suffice to say that it was well-known that these were big A&M fans, and it was a really cool personal touch!

So there's my list of farewell toss options! I'd love to hear your ideas too! What is being tossed at you as you make your grand exit? And can you guess what we chose?