ALMetro360

he celebratory wedding exit is an age-old tradition that dates back to Roman times. (Grains were tossed at weddings to symbolize fertility — of crops and for the couple.) In case grains aren’t your thing, there are tons of other items your guests can toss at you to send you off on your life as husband and wife. Now all sorts of symbolic gestures meant to spread good luck and fortune on the newlyweds are present during wedding exits. This includes blowing bubbles, tossing rose petals, lighting sparklers, and even releasing butterflies into the path of the bride and groom. In fact, there are two opportunities to make a grand exi t— after the ceremony — post-“I dos” — or at the end of the night when you’re leaving the reception. Want the best of both worlds? Make the ceremony exit into a fun moment, then organize your grand getaway for the end of the evening. Get ready to say “off to the honeymoon” in style. Rice or not, the tradition of marking the end of the wedding with a symbol of joy, luck, and prosperity has carried on! If you know anything about planning a wedding, you know it’s all in the details. From your something blue and place cards to centerpieces and floral arrangements, it’s a lot of work to get everything right — and rightly so: A wedding is one of the most important events in a gal’s life! And, even though this one detail is a small one, be sure to have it on your checklist of things to do. Will you have your guests toss rice to send you off? Or will you go with something a little more unique? 52 AL/ Metro360 www.almetro360.com T The Wedding Exit STAFF REPORT E VER WONDER WHY PEOPLE THROW RICE AT NEWLYWED COUPLES AT WEDDINGS ? T HIS POST - CEREMONY PRACTICE ISN ' T JUST A FESTIVE WAY OF ENDING A WEDDING — IT ACTUALLY SYMBOLIZES SHOWERING THE BRIDE AND GROOM WITH ABUNDANCE AND FERTILITY . E VERYTHING FROM WHEAT TO CORN , AND EVEN OATS HAVE BEEN USED THROUGHOUT HISTORY FOR THE CEREMONIAL WEDDING TOSS . P HOTO BY J ESSIE B ARKSDALE