After the vows have been exchanged, guests have been fed, and the DJ winds down - the bride and groom are ready to start their new lives together as husband and wife. The “send-off” is one of our favorite aspects of a wedding and is definitely not to be missed. We’ve compiled a few fun ways to give the newlyweds a festive and photo-worthy farewell ….

1. Sparklers: Romantic and classic. Our latest wedding involved sparklers and they were a huge hit with the guests. RockerBaby tip: make sure to provide the 3 ft-long sparklers that last a full 4-minutes so your photographers have plenty of time to capture the money shot.

2. Bubbles: Playful and environmentally friendly. Perfect for spring and summer day-time weddings. Plus, the kids will be entertained for hours!

3. Flower petals: Colorful and sweet-smelling. Who wouldn’t wanted to be serenaded with flowers? To save money, you can recycle the petals from the aisle runner!

4. Glow sticks: Fun and unique. We don’t see these very often but hope more party-going couples take advantage of glow sticks in the future. Don’t they look fabulous on film?

5. Confetti: Cheerful and whimsical. You can’t go wrong with confetti. We especially love the extra large pieces that really pop in photos. Metallics are a fun choice.

6. Paper airplanes: Lighthearted and symbolic. Perfect for travel-themed weddings or couples who are flying to their honeymoon destination immediately after the wedding.

7. LED light balloons: Beautiful and different. Big points for originality here. You can buy them as-is, but we suggest a less expensive DIY alternative. Simply insert tiny LED lights into regular balloons, fill them up with helium and attach your own ribbons.

8. Wish lanterns: Meaningful and dreamy. Light up the night sky with a lantern and a wish. Caution - they can be very tricky to light without catching on fire. Speaking from experience. So only give them out to your most responsible guests!

What are your favorite ways to send-off the happily married couple? Leave a comment below - we’d love to know!

Image Credits: 1. Rebecca Arthurs; 2. Nancy Ray; 3. Ben Q. Photography; 4. Lauren Wright; 5. Babb Photo; 6. Corbin Gurkin; 7. Cami Parker; 8. Phindy Studios