How to leave your wedding in style with the perfect sparkler exit
The Sparkler Sendoff
Sparkler exits can be the perfect finale to the wedding day! Here are a few tips to make sure you enjoy your sendoff and it also looks great in the photos and video.
I love it when our clients plan to finish their wedding day with a sendoff. It gives the guests another chance to celebrate with you as a couple, and can make for super fun photographs. Over the years Tracey and I have captured a lot of sparkler exits and we’ve learned a few tips we want to share. Below is the advice that we always give to our couples and I hope that it helps you in preparation for you day. Keep in mind that the most important part of a sendoff is that it’s supposed to be fun! At the end of the day it doesn’t need to be perfect to be beautiful. So, look around and enjoy your guests, stay in the moment and enjoy your moment.
Get the big sparklers
It might seem obvious, but buying the bigger size of sparkler will make a huge difference. It means that you have a little extra time to get everyone’s torch lit. The small size sparklers (25 cms) will only burn for about 30-45 seconds whereas the larger ones can burn for twice that long. If it takes your guests 20 seconds to get everyone lit up and back in position (very normal, especially since guests may have had a few cocktails by this point in the night) then having that extra time could be the difference between getting the photograph you’ve dream of having or ending up with one where half the sparklers have already burned out.
2. Get everyone in position before you start lighting
This is our job as your photographer. We will know where we want the tunnel of guests to form and we will take charge of the group - giving instructions about where everyone needs to stand and handing out the sparklers. Remember that whatever is behind your tunnel will be in your photos! We always try to feature a couples tent or the venue if we can during the sendoff (it’s usually beautifully lit and a big part of your day).
3. Use the sparklers to light the other sparklers
This one will make a huge difference in the speed it takes your guests to get all of the sparklers lit. It’s common for people to try and use cheap lighters or even small butane torches to light every single sparkler, but the sparklers themselves actually burn much hotter than a lighter does, so once you get a few lit (in strategic locations down the line) have all the other guests lay their unlit sparklers onto the burning one and it will ignite them very quickly! This helps for a couple of reasons, but the most important is that once you start lighting you are on a time crunch, so making sure that every sparkler gets lit as close to the same time as possible is important!
4. Remember to smile and focus on your partner
Again this seems so obvious, but you’d be surprised how easy it is to forget about smiling and enjoying the moment together once it’s time to run through the tunnel! There are people laughing and cheering all over the place, sparklers are getting lit and waved in the air and you’re focused on where your stepping and not running into anything flammable! This is where we, as your photographers will remind you to smile and enjoy the moment, because nobody wants resting bitch face in their sendoff photos.
5. Be prepared to run through the tunnel twice
Remember point 1 above about getting the long sparklers? Well here’s another reason we suggest that - it gives us the chance you let you run through the tunnel more than once. This means you get to try that kiss again if you missed on the first one, or we get two different looks with the guests. Maybe the first run is a kiss in the middle and the second one adds a twirl or a cheer! Also, it’s really fun so why not do it twice just to enjoy it.
6. Have a plan for after they’re burnt out
Making sure that you have a plan for where the guests put their burnt out sparklers after the sendoff is really important. You don’t want anyone getting injured and you also don’t want to start a fire because a sparkler got thrown to the ground in a panic after it felt hot. A metal pail that can serve as a dumpster for sparklers is a good idea. We’ve also seen couples plan their exits on a gravel road and ask guests to drop the sparklers in a specific location on the gravel once the exit is over. This way they can safely cool down before being disposed of.
Alternatives to sparklers
If your venue doesn’t allow sparklers, or there is a fire ban in your area when you’re celebrating your wedding day, there are still lots of fun ways to plan for an end of the night sendoff. Here are a few other options for you to consider. keep in mind, the idea is to have fun with it, so there isn’t any idea that we would say is off limits. If you think it would be fun, you should do it!
Bubbles
Flower pedals
Biodegradable confetti
cell phone flashlights
Napkins being twirled
