Is an exit necessary?

No, you shouldn't leave before all your guests do. We were the last two out of our venue (minus the people who worked there).

We stayed until the end when the lights got turned on and everyone left! It worked out okay because we talked to a few people and some people still wanted pictures with us before leaving. I'm glad we stayed until the end! I wouldn't have wanted to miss a minute!

I think it's situational and personal choice. We're not going anywhere so I don't intend to do one. My sister had one, but they were leaving for their honeymoon from the wedding. If you do have one, make sure you have somebody to pack up all your stuff from the venue.

We're not doing an exit. I'm staying an enjoying all of my wedding!

We hung out til everyone left. We wanted to soak up all the time we could with our guests.

We are staying at our venue as well.

Our ceremony ends at 9, so around 9 we will be doing an exit.

We are gonna go to steak n shake and get a milk shake because we both want an exit.

It makes me feel better that some people aren't having one, I didn't really care but some people were like "you have to have one!" I just want to relax. Our photographers are willing to stage one but I would feel silly pretending to leave and then not lol.

We also were the last two out. Why cut your party short? We wanted to enjoy every moment.

We aren't. My photographer suggested staging an exit in the middle of the reception "while everyone still looks their best" for the sake of pictures then everyone going back in side. That got a hard NO from me lol

No.

The rule that the married couple should leave before anyone else arose from the 1950s sensibility that the bride always needed to be a virgin--or pretend to be. Thus, the couple should be so impatient to go have sex for the first time that they were the first ones to leave the reception. It also served to let guests know when they were allowed to leave.

The rule was obsolete when I first got married in 1977. You definitely don't need to follow it now.

Some people will have a grand exit from the ceremony, if the ceremony and reception are in different places or if they are going somewhere else for pictures after the ceremony. But when the ceremony, pictures, and reception are in the same place, it just looks silly.

We are doing an exit but it will be when everyone leaves at 11 - meaning everyone will come outside to leave and we will leave in a carriage to take us to the hotel. We are staying about 3 miles away at the hotel where our OOT guests are staying. If we were staying at the same place I don't think we would have an exit.

Completely not necessary and silly, IMHO.

Nope! We went up the elevator, to our hotel suite and had an after party, with our friends.

For their last song, the band asked us to come up on the stage with them. I remember our guests on the dancefloor cheering for us and it was a dazzling ending to a fabulous evening.

I told my photog I don't want one because we plan to leave the venue with our friends and go to the French Quarter.