Wedding sparklers are a wonderful way to make your grand exit from your wedding reception. Your guests will form two lines with a walkway in between. Holding their sparklers aloft, they will light your path. This gives you a chance to say goodbye to everyone, while making a stunning exit that your guests will not soon forget. However, wedding sparklers demand just as much planning and attention to detail as every other element of your wedding. Here are 7 common mistakes you should never make with wedding sparklers.
1. Choosing the Wrong Venue
For safety reasons, wedding sparklers are solely an outdoor activity. Even if your entire reception takes place inside, your wedding sparklers must be lit and handled outside. When selecting a venue, make sure that there is enough reasonably level ground to hold the guests, the sparklers, and the bridal couple without risk of fire from close contact. Ideally, this will be near the venue’s door, but other alternatives include the parking lot or a nearby open field.
2. Not Checking the Rules
Even if your chosen venue has an ideal outdoor space, you might or might not be allowed to use it. Find out if your venue permits outdoor sparklers. Are there fire codes? Do you need a permit? Consider the season in which you plan to be married. Some regions regularly institute burn bans at certain times of the year due to elevated fire risks.
3. Not Providing a Safe Disposal Location
What will your guests do with the sparklers after your exit? It is unsafe to throw them away until they are completely cooled, but expecting your guests to carry spent sparklers to the nearest tap and douse them is unreasonable. The easiest option is a sand pail located near the place where the lineup will occur. Fill a large metal pail halfway up with sand, and clearly label it for sparkler disposal. The sand will thoroughly cool the sparklers, making it safe for the cleanup crew to dispose of them.
4. Buying Too Many Sparklers
When deciding how many sparklers to buy, many bridal couples estimate one per guest. However, this is almost always too many. Some guests will leave before your grand exit. Some will be eating, using the facilities, taking photos, or otherwise preoccupied. Some parents will not allow their small children to handle sparklers. Some might be afraid of sparklers.
A good rule of thumb is to purchase approximately 75 percent as many sparklers as the total number of guests. Do order them in bulk, though, for a significant cost savings.
5. Buying Too Few Matches
For some reason, bridal couples tend not only to overbuy sparklers, but to buy too few matches. The last thing you want when preparing for your grand exit is to run around trying to find a source of flame. Consider providing customized, wedding themed matchbooks. Either put a book at each place setting or have a decorative basket filled with them somewhere near the exit door.
6. Timing Issues
Different sparklers burn for different amounts of time. Ideally, the sparklers will burn out just as you exit the line, so order plenty of sparklers to run a few tests before your big day. Make sure you know how long they take to light as well, and time your walk to begin just as they are sparkling brightly.
Another common timing issue is deciding exactly when you will make your sparkler-lit exit. Too early, and it might not be dark yet. Too late, and many of your guests will have already left. Plan your send-off for approximately 30 minutes before the end of your venue rental period. This allows you plenty of time to take your walk, while giving your guests a few minutes afterwards to collect their belongings.
7. Not Telling Guests
Announcing this part of the festivities, along with the time for which it is planned, is absolutely crucial. This allows your guests to plan accordingly and ensures that the majority of them will be available to participate. Put it in the wedding program, write a schedule on a chalkboard at the reception, or ask your DJ to announce it a couple of times. Otherwise, you risk a last-minute shuffle that could exclude many of your guests.
Wedding sparklers are a dynamic and exciting way to cap off your reception and begin your new life together. However, it is important to plan this celebration carefully. With a bit of advanced work, your grand exit should go off without a hitch.
At Dynamite Fireworks, we don’t only sell top-quality, name-brand fireworks. We also provide the information you need to know to use them responsibly, legally, and safely. If you have any questions or concerns, give us a call at (219) 937-4090. We look forward to becoming your one-stop shop for all your fireworks needs!