5 TIPS TO PLAN A SPARKLER EXIT ON YOUR WEDDING DAY
Photo by Renee Nicolo Photography
Guest Blog by Renee Nicolo of Renee Nicolo Photography
Sparkler exits are SO fun, and when my couples ask to plan for one on their wedding days … well ….I’m not going to hide the fact that I do one of those high pitched squeals inside!
Most people think that sparkler exits only take place at the very end of a wedding day, but that’s TOTALLY not the case!
Today, I’m sharing what I recommend to my couples when it comes to making sure we get this most-requested shot!
WHEN SHOULD I HAVE THE SPARKLER EXIT ON MY WEDDING DAY?
As I mentioned above, sparkler exits DO NOT have to take place at the very end of your wedding day!
All of the sparkler exits that I’ve done with my couples have taken place at some point during the reception!
Usually after my couples have eaten and all the formalities are done (first dance, parents dances, toasts), we’ll head outside for the sparkler exit!
My personal preference is when it’s dark outside, but you can totally still make photo magic happen as the sun is setting! Most of the time, it’s already dark once all of the dances and toasts are done!
LOCATION
For photographers that are reading this blog post, I usually look for a stone, cemented or black-topped area – I try to avoid a field or area with tall grass! I don’t want to start any fires! HAHA
There also tends to be more room for people to stand and spread out in a parking lot!
I’ll ask the guests to form two parallel lines and to make enough room in between for the couple to walk down!
WHO SHOULD BE THERE?
I usually ask the immediate family (parents, siblings) and the wedding party to join the bride and groom for the photo! That’s it!
You don’t need to bring out all of your wedding guests. Unless you’re planning on actually leaving your reception after the sparkler exit, it’s not needed!
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A BUCKET OF WATER AND MULTIPLE LIGHTERS!
I’d say this is a MUST for safety purposes! The sparklers get so hot and having a centralized place for guests to place their sparklers is so helpful! I’m sure your venue would be so appreciative, too!
If you let your venue know ahead of time that you’ll be doing a sparkler exit, I’m sure they’d be more than happy to help. They’ll likely provide a bucket of water and, possibly, lighters prepared for you to use!
WHEN TO START LIGHTING THE SPARKLERS?
Once everyone is in place (two parallel lines) and has a sparkler, I suggest having about 2-4 designated people (this can be guests or the venue coordinators) to start lighting the sparklers from both ends of each parallel line. Guests can then help each other by lighting one another’s!
The hope would be that by the time the designated sparkler lighters are done, they’ll be in the middle of the line and the photos can begin!
TYPES OF SPARKLERS & LIGHTERS TO PURCHASE!
The long sparklers are THE BEST ones to use instead of the short ones that are normally used for the Fourth of July HAHA 🙂
The reason behind this is to ensure that the sparklers burn extra long for the photo! The shorter ones burn way too fast!
Also, using the long flexible wand lighters are so much better than matches! The more lighters you have the faster all the sparklers are lit and the faster you can start taking photos!
BE PATIENT AND HAVE FUN!
Sparkler exits are really SO MUCH FUN! Once the sparklers are all lit, be ready to walk down the aisle! Until that point, it might take a moment or two to get everyone in place and to get the sparklers lit!
Know that your photographer wants to make sure the photo looks GORGEOUS for you! It will be worth it to wait a few minutes as your venue, guests and photographer get set up!
Lastly, I always ask my couples to stop in the middle of the line to go in for a kiss! RNP Couples be prepared for me to ask you this! 🙂 Sometimes my amazing groom will dip his bride, too! So sweet!
I hope this helps you when planning your own sparkler exit! Overall, express this to your photographer ahead of time so that it will be intentionally planned to happen!
This wonderful human is not only a phenomenal wedding photographer but is also a super sweet friend of mine! She is one of these most genuine, humble, honest and helpful people I have ever met and I am so honored to have her guest blog here on my website!
Thank you, Renee!
