It’s the question of the year – should you do a fake exit or a real exit the night of your wedding reception? Well – it all depends on what’s important to you! We’ve asked several wedding vendors their opinion about this, and here’s what they had to say.
Why not to do fake exits during the reception
Rod Baker, owner of DFW Parties, says “From a DJ perspective – a faux sendoff is a party killer. Restarting a party after having everyone leave the room is a really tall order. People are out in the parking lot, and often it’s just as easy to go to their car to leave than go back inside, especially if they think they’ve seen everything. If there’s something definitive to do after the faux sendoff, that can help. But generally, it’s a quick end to the night.”
“I can’t imagine why anyone would want to do one (a fake exit) except in cases where the photographer was not booked to stay until the end of the reception. If you want authentic photos from the end of the night, then you should book your photographer to stay that long. Otherwise, it’s just making your guests attend a contrived photo shoot and breaking up the flow of your dance party.” We love DJ Dan Quinn‘s honesty!
Allison Lezon with Silver Bear Creative put it this way – “For us, the party is where we get couples that are loosened up, not having to be on for the camera anymore and let it all go. During the reception, we are able to capture fun candids, kickass party shots, groups shots of guests and colorful creative lighting and imagery you just can’t get during the other parts of a wedding day. Fake exits we believe disrupt the party and take away from the fun vibe your family and guests are there for. We love to be there all the way to the end of the night and have even gone to the after parties!”
As Kristen McCurdy, owner of Kristen McCurdy Studio, said, “If guest experience is your top priority, then a fake exit doesn’t need to happen. If you hire the right planner, your guests won’t want to leave until you do!”
Why you should do a fake exit during your reception
Bar or Brew owner Kaitlyn Hickey has a good point – “One pro I can think of is saving money on photographer if the client has them leave after exit and then of course having a full group in the send off pictures and video!”
“If I HAD to pick one (a pro for a fake exit), I would say, you can pay your photographers less hours. They can leave after the fake exit and still not miss anything.” Jade Batangan with Events By Jade has seen this happen a few times at the weddings she’s planned.
So what will YOU do for your wedding exit? A fake one or one at the end of the night? It’s always best to chat with your planner and photographer to determine what the ideal situation will be for your wedding!
