So... you are considering a sparkler exit? Being 100% transparent, Sun Valley doesn’t love them. Give me 2 minutes to try and convince you to do something better!!
Most times the photographer doesn’t stay until the very end of your reception unless you pay their additional hourly rate. And the photos from your bestie's iPhone wont properly capture the effect you are going for. So now you have this costly planned exit; and no photographer.
If you “stage it” earlier in the night, it pulls people from the dance floor. Which your DJ/Band will be very salty about. It’s difficult to usher guests back onto the dance floor once they are pulled off it. Plus, this confuses them.
Fire is dangerous. Very dangerous. Very very dangerous when the people holding the fire have been drinking.
If I had a dollar for every wedding dress that got small burn holes from sparklers…. Well, let’s just say I could buy all of them new dresses!
You need several people to remain sober to assist in pulling this off for you. Why several you ask? Because inevitably at least 1 person forgets the “remaining sober” part.
It’s been done…. Let’s start a better new trend!
Slightly reconsidering?
Here is my recommendation… instead of a sendoff…. have your photographer pull the bridal party outside before their time is up, to do bridal party sparkler photos. This is much easier to control, you can get a larger variety of sparkler photos AND your photographer will be there to get all the amazing pictures.
We have also seen some awesome sparkler alternatives. My personal favorite is the LED Fiber Optic Wand. The images captured are SO similar to that of sparklers. Bonus… they act as a favor for guests to take home!
Still moving forward? Here are the condensed rules….
Put a few guests that are responsible and will remain sober in charge of making sure it's executed & cleaned up properly.
Sparklers can only be lit outside of the front door in the valet circle. They are not permitted anywhere under cover (the porch or right outside the front door) or in the grass.
Do not use matches to light sparklers.
Couple must supply 1 bucket of sand or cat litter per 100 guests for the disposal of the sparklers. Please double check the area to confirm that all sparklers were retrieved and disposed of properly.
Preparing to use wedding sparklers may seem easy, but all too often people overlook these obvious factors...
Buying The Wrong Sparklers
Sparklers that are advertised as 'Wedding Sparklers' are typically short, but ideally what you need is extra-long, slow-burn sparklers. Look for sparklers with a burn time of at least 1 minute and/or 18 inches long.
Forgetting to Speak to Your Photographer in Advance
This is not the type of photo to ask your photographer to shoot at 5 minutes' notice! And most photography packages don’t keep your photographer at the venue until the very end of the night. So, this might require an extra fee.
Put Someone in Charge
Leaving your guests to their own whims isn’t an ideal way to make sure everyone lines up appropriately and lights their sparklers at the same time. Your “person” should be prepared to get everyone into position, show them how to line up, provide everyone with sparklers, and work with guests to make sure everyone’s sparklers are lit at the time. They are also in charge of proper disposable and clean up.
Schedule Enough Time
Dedicate ample time in the wedding day timeline for the Sparkler Exit. To ensure that the sparkler exit isn’t rushed, begin the sparkler exit 15 to 20 minutes before the official end of the wedding reception. This allows time for the corralling of the wedding guests; the distribution of the sparklers; the lighting of the sparklers; and the staging of the photographers and the couple before the start of the sparkler exit.
Using Matches vs Lighting Them the Proper Way
Matches are probably the worst thing to try and light a sparkler with. They're short, not consistently reliable, and they are simply not hot enough. All sparklers should be lit at a similar (but not the same) time, and the ignition should be as far away from guests' clothing (and the wedding dress!) as possible. The best way to do this is to have a barbeque or butane lighters. Use one at each end of the lines and then have people use the lit wedding sparklers to help get the best lit. Doing it like this can get all your sparklers sparkling in a short time frame.
Sparklers Are Still Hot Even After They Go Out
Believe it or not, many sparkler related injuries occur when the sparklers go out! The sparkler wire stays extremely hot even after the sparks have ended, so it is important to drop your used sparklers in a bucket filled with sand or cat litter. Do not use trash bags under any circumstance as they will immediately melt.
A Way to Dispose of the Sparklers
The best disposal method is with a bucket of sand or cat litter to ensure they’re properly extinguished. You'll want to set this up BEFORE THE SEND OFF.
First Aid Kit
Finally, in case any injury or accidents occur, you need to have a first aid kit on hand and easily accessible. Your first-aid kits should have all your basic first aid essentials such as bandages and burn ointment.