Hi it’s Dave with Dave McIntosh Photographics. Whether used to add some fun to the evening reception or as a fabulous send off at the end of the night, you can literally light up your day with wedding sparklers. They can be as fun as they are pretty and your guests will enjoy being part of the experience as they wave sparklers around in celebration. There are, however, some important things to remember if you want to incorporate sparklers into your wedding day and hot to get great wedding sparklers photos.
Things to Remember
• Check if your venue has any rules about the use of wedding sparklers. You need to know if you are actually allowed them before you make plans to light up the night!
• Have a backup plan. Even if you may use sparklers, bad weather or strong winds may prevent you from being able to have the sparkler sendoff you hoped for. Glow sticks can be a fun weather proof back up option.
• Get the right wedding sparklers. You might think a sparkler is a sparkler, but for getting great sparkler photos, you must get the long ones that burn for a couple of minutes. Get in touch if you aren’t sure and I can advise on what to look for.
• Tell your photographer you want wedding sparklers photos. Sparkler photos are brilliant fun, but they are trickier to photograph, so check with your photographer that this is something they are happy to do.
Stay Organized
There’s no right or wrong time to do wedding sparklers, but it’s worth thinking of when you will fit them into the day. It will need to be dark enough for them to be seen, but there’s no need to think it needs to be pitch black outside. Twilight works very well for great sparkler photos. Over the years, I have done sparkler photos before first dance, after speeches, before cake cutting and at the end of the wedding day.
Organization is key to great sparkler photos. Depending on how many guests are involved, the logistics of using sparklers takes a little more planning.
• Leave enough time. Getting everyone outside, lined up and ready to go, can take 10-15 minutes, so make sure there is enough time to do this either during the evening or at the end of the night.
• Put a couple of people in charge of handing out sparklers and showing people where to line up. Your venue will probably advise on this and should help with showing everyone where to go.
• Don’t light too soon! Even with the longer lasting sparklers, they will burn out quickly if someone is trigger-happy and lights their sparkler before everyone is ready to go. Once all your guests are lined up and the two of you are in place, it’s time to get lighting.
• Have plenty of lighters. Ideally, you want everyone to have their sparklers lit around the same time. The easiest way to do this is have a 2 or 3 of people with lighters walking up and down the line. Once a handful of sparklers are lit, other guests can light wedding sparklers with other sparklers.
• It’s time for you to do your sparkler walk. Take your time, stroll, and enjoy the moment. Look at each other, look at your guests, stop for a kiss, have fun! Make the most of the sparklers and the celebration.
Stay Safe
It’s important to remember that wedding sparklers can cause injury, so keeping safety in mind is key when planning great sparkler photos. Therefore, it’s important to check with your venue about sparklers first. They will have rules in place to make sure they can be done safely so everyone has fun and no one ends up in A&E!
• Make sure there are buckets of sand or water for putting used sparklers in.
• Leave enough space between the two lines of guests for you to safely walk through. You really don’t want hair/veil/dress catching on fire.
• Don’t let anyone hold a handful of lit sparklers. This turns them into a firework and it won’t end well.
• Don’t give a sparkler to anyone who can’t safely hold it. Children should only be allowed if their parents overseeing. Any guest who has had one too many drinks shouldn’t be put in charge of a lit sparkler.
• Designate someone to check all sparklers have been safely put into the buckets after and no flames are still burning.
About Dave McIntosh Photographics
My talent helps you remember each moment fondly. This means not only gorgeous photos and video but also a positive experience. When you look at the photos, you recall how you felt. Capturing special moments is more than picking up a camera. Sometimes is it creating a safe space for you to relax and be yourself. Sometimes it is creating a moment. Once you relax and be in the moment, the magic begins. I will guide you to create memories perfectly suited to you based on over 10 years of photographing weddings.