Your wedding day is full of events throughout the night that celebrate you and your new spouse! This even includes the way you leave!! While, grand exits definitely are not a requirement for any wedding, we see them so often we thought we'd give you a few tips we've learned over the years, specifically about sparkler exits.
First off, they can be BEAUTIFUL!! But there are a few things you should keep in mind.
EXIT TIMING
What time is your photographer leaving? If your photographer isn't staying until the end of the reception, make sure you do your exit before they leave. Mock exits have become very popular for a couple of reasons. You ensure that your photographer is still there to capture the great photos, and more guests are able to participate. As much as you like to think every guest is going to stay until the end, they won't. Sorry to burst your bubble.
If you're planning on doing a mock exit earlier in the night, remember that if you're doing sparklers, it needs to be dark or the pictures won't turn out quite like you'd hoped. This is especially important in the summer months when it doesn't get dark until close to 9pm.
If you are doing a daytime wedding and it won't be dark at any point during your reception, you may want to choose another option for your sendoff. Fresh lavender, ribbon wands, or attached streamers would be a fun idea and still make for great photos!
PURCHASE
The paper wrapped sparklers you buy at a fireworks stand are NOT what you need for your sparkler exit. I repeat: DO NOT BUY YOUR SPARKLERS AT A FIREWORKS STAND! I promise, they are not the same!
If you're getting married at TownHall Texas, we can provide the sparklers for you! If you're in charge of buying your own, please make sure you use a site like ilovesparklers.com to get smokeless wedding sparklers in the correct length. The 20" last about 2 minutes and the 36" last about 3.5 minutes (which, in our experience, is too long). Your photographer, venue, and guests will all thank you! The line of people holding sparklers doesn't have the same effect when everyone is just standing in a cloud of smoke.
If you're doing your exit at the end of the reception, you also don't need to buy sparklers (or whatever sendoff you're doing) for every guest that RSVP'd. While there are exceptions, it's normal to only have about a quarter of the guests left at the very end of the night.
IS IT SAFE?
Generally, yes. That being said, think about your guests. Do you have a lot of small children? While kids tend to love sparklers, unless a parent is holding them, they aren't able to get the sparkler high enough for you to walk under.
You might also want to consider how much your crowd drinks and how responsible they are when they've been drinking. Think about it this way: you are going to be walking through a line of people holding a fire stick, while they've been drinking, in probably the most expensive dress/suit you've ever worn. If your friends and family tend to get a little wild, sparklers may not be the best idea for you.
Our staff members will make an announcement to your guests to make sure they are holding their sparklers high enough for y'all to walk through safely (as well as where to put them when they're done. Pro tip: not on the ground!). Be sure your coordinator, venue staff, or a member of your wedding party will be in charge of sparkler distribution, lighting, and some sort of an announcement to make sure everyone is being safe.
We certainly love our sparkler exits but have learned a few lessons the hard way along the years! Hope this help y'all!
Sparkle on! 🎇🎇🎇