Forgot a boring wedding recessional!
As you are planning your wedding ceremony, take a little time to consider how to jazz up your walk down the aisle as husband and wife.
Here are four tips on how to add some "kick" to your wedding recessional for a fun and memorable "we're just married' walk down the aisle - not only for you but for your wedding party, too!
1) Surprise Roses & Note Cards for Mothers or Parents: Creating authentic and loving memorable moments within a wedding ceremony just doesn't happen. Most of the time, such moments are planned and orchestrated with a bit of planning and heart.
One nice touch for your recessional is to have your Officiant or Minister hand you both note cards and roses at the end of your ceremony (after the kiss and pronouncement, of course!).
Before you take your sweetie's hand and walk down the aisle, you both give your mothers or parents surprises roses and note cards as an "end of ceremony flourish!" This touch is especially special for a bride and groom who are especially close to their mothers or parents and makes for a sweet memory for a couple and their parents.
2) Parade of Children: This is a nice end of ceremony touch, especially if you have a lot of children at your wedding. Seat and group children together with their parents. At the end of the ceremony, the children pick up their small instruments which may be placed under their chairs (horns, kazoos, small drums, etc) and they become the "recessional music" and lead the bride and groom out for recessional.
You would need to put someone in charge of all of this. To create extra joy in the room, you may have your Officiant mention what is going on so everyone can fully participate and appreciate the chaos and joy of a children's parade. And what is true? A wedding is about authenticity and giving children a big and unusual job in a ceremony creates a lifetime moment.
3) The Interactive Recessional: Flowers and Kudos: As guests are seated, a hand-picked group of ladies are seated on one side of the aisle on the end and gentlemen line the other side of the aisle on the end seat. As the couple walks down the aisle after they are married, the ladies hand the bride flowers which become her "recessional bouquet."
The guys can "high 5" the groom, shake hands or conduct other fun "male bonding activities" as the couple creates an interactive recessional. The guys and gals lining the aisles are in on this surprise and if well orchestrated, makes for a great recessional moment!
4) It's So Bright You've Gotta Wear Shades! I was just at a wedding last year where as the bride and groom shared a kiss and were pronounced as husband and wife they turned around, pulled bright sunglasses from their pockets and danced down the aisle with their shades on! This moment created so much joy in the room.
To top it off, the wedding party then pulled shades from their pockets and danced down the aisle, too!
Alan and Karla did it "simple and sweet" for their small ceremony on Alki yesterday morning, April 23rd (8 a.m.!) They exchanged vows on a dock near Salty's on one of the most beautiful days of this year so far. It was a sweet moment with close family and friends and then it was off to Salty's for an early first-seating celebration Brunch. 
When I got a call from Patricia asking me if I was game for a road trip to Ilwaco, Washington for a wedding in a Lighthouse, the "drama queen" in me immediately said, "sign me up!" Arriving at the North Head Lighthouse on Sunday afternoon after a four hour drive, I was so happy to find Vincent and Patricia's two photographers in the Lighthouse Parking lot, getting ready for the quarter-mile trek in wind and rain to the Lighthouse. Finding an old coat and boots in my trunk, I joined the parade and in a short while, Vincent and Patricia blew in - literally! There was 50 mph guests and with the rain, it made for a windy arrival! Vincent and Patricia were married at the top of the Lighthouse in the Lantern Room. With the wind and rain whipping around them, they exchanged vows in the gentle shadow of the Lighthouse's Lantern. As I drove home that night, I was just so happy to be a part of such a special moment and wedding day...complete with a Lighthouse, lovely couple, two wonderful photographers, and more than enough rain and wind!
