Sparkler wedding exits are a fab way to make an epic wedding exit! Who can’t help but want to add one final celebration to their wedding day experience before they hop into their getaway car? The photos are unforgettable and the experience is equally fun for your guests; who are really the ones that can take your exit from epic to high energy. But there are so many components that go into a sparkler wedding exit to make it the moment you’re dreaming of. From preparation and planning to the length of sparklers and the best time to make your exit, we’re breaking it all down in the post below.
When Should I Have My Sparkler Wedding Exit?
There are a few different answers to this, so we’ll break it all down for you! First and foremost, how long do you have your reception space? Is it until the wee hours of the morning? Or do you have a specific cutoff time like 10 or 11 pm? Secondly, how many hours are included in your photography package? Lastly, have you selected a wedding planner or day of coordinator to work with yet? Side note; a venue coordinator works for the venue, not the couple. So if you have a specific vision for how you’d like your wedding day to play out, it’s best to hire a wedding planner or a day of coordinator.
When You’ll Have To Stage Your Exit
If your venue is a dance all-night until the break of dawn type of location! Additionally, most wedding photography packages include a specific amount of hours that extend into your wedding reception. Typically your photography package will cover all the events on your timeline. But once the dancefloor is open and lit, your photographer will more than likely already be done for the evening. Guests will leave as the night progresses. So staging the sparkler exit will allow you to get that stunningly gorgeous photo; with all of your guests in the backdrop. More guests, more sparklers, more smiles! And yes, a large majority of the photos you’ve seen on socials are in fact, staged! But you didn’t hear it from us.
Hosting an open or even modified bar at your wedding? Stage your sparkler exit as soon as the sun goes down! Alcohol and lit firesticks don’t mix, and while we want you to have your moment, we also want to ensure your safety, your guest’s safety, and the safety of your wedding vendors!
When You Can Host a Non-Staged Exit
Getting married closer to noon with a reception immediately to follow? If it’s not an out-of-country destination wedding, your venue contract will more than likely be complete around sundown. Creataing a fab moment for you to have a sparkler wedding exit that ends with you jumping into your getaway car! Maybe you’re leaving your honeymoon the day after your wedding and you need a major dose of sleep before your flight. If an early exit from your reception is already part of the plan, a non-staged sparkler exit is the way to go.
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How Do We Announce Our Sparkler Exit?
As far in advance as possible! No, seriously, way before the day of your wedding. A sparkler wedding exit takes massive coordination from you, your guests, your planner, your DJ, and your photographer. Waiting until the night of your wedding to announce your sparkler exit is a great way to cause mass confusion. Not to mention guests who missed the announcement because they were chatting with each other at the bar, having cigars outside, or busy freshening up in the restroom. Even worse, you don’t want the participation for your sparkler exit to dwindle because of guests who just aren’t feeling it.
Drumming up excitement beforehand is a great way to get your guests excited about being involved with your sparkler wedding exit. You can add the details of your sparkler wedding exit to the message board of your Guestie event. This will help you pull your guests into the excitement of the experience early on. From there, you’ll want to add your wedding planner or day of coordinator as a co-host to your Guestie event. This will allow them to schedule text alerts to your guests on the day of your wedding to ensure maximum participation level from your fun guests!
Can You Have A Sparkler Send-Off During The Day?
Yep, sure can! Talk to your wedding photographer about the best time of day to make it happen. It will depend on the season of your wedding. Lastly, your wedding photographer will be able to provide feedback about the best location on the ground of your venue as well as positioning for you & your guests.
What Size Sparklers Should We Use?
Ah! So here’s the deal, your guests will need to be standing in line, with lit sparklers in hand until you receive the cue from your planner & photographer that it’s your time to shine by making your grand exit. Simply put, short sparklers will not do. Nobody wants burnt fingers because they are holding a flaming stick of light waiting for the newlyweds to appaer. You can absolutely use 20” sparklers, but if you can find or order 36” sparklers, even better!
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How Many Sparklers Do We Need Per Guest?
You can use up to 3 sparklers per guest. However, you will need to factor in how long it takes to light your sparklers for the number of guests you have. So if you have 100 guests, and each guest is holding 3, your wedding planner now has to ensure that 300 sparklers are lit and ready to go, ensuring safety of course!
You don’t have to provide each guest with three sparklers. If your wedding day is more close-knit with an intimate size guest count (50-75) then it might be a more reasonable expectation that each guest receives 3 sparklers. If you have up to 125 guests you may want to plan for two sparklers, and so on as the size of the guest list grows. Again, please please please talk to your wedding planner! They are seasoned pros at knowing what it takes to help you arrive at your sparkler wedding exit moment!
How Do You Light All The Sparklers At Once?
You’ll be busy having a private dance or a quiet cocktail with each other while your guests ready for the sparkler exit. So this task, along with putting out the sparklers, will rest on the shoulders of your wedding planner or day of coordinator. Truthfully, it can be done in a few ways. Your planner may light one sparkler and then use it to light the remaining. Or, if your sparkler has a paper-wrapped wick, they may use a long-reach lighter in order to light a large quantity at one time. When it comes to putting your sparklers out after your exit, your planner will have a sand or water bucket on hand for that too. Once you’ve made your exit and all the photos that were discussed with your photography have been taken, your planner will begin gathering and extinguishing the sparklers.
Which Wedding Sparklers Are The Best?
Again, you want to find sparklers that are at least 20-36” in length. We highly recommend smokeless sparklers, which usually have a steel wire core. The heart-shaped sparklers are super cute, but they don’t burn as long, so you’ll have to take that into consideration and tie it back to your guest count and lighting time. Lastly, sparklers with a golden glow are typically a popular choice for creating those unforgettable wedding photos you’ve seen. Wedding sparklers can be picked up pretty much anywhere from Amazon to Walmart.com or even direct from the supplier!
My Venue Won’t Allow Sparklers, Now What?
We’re entirely sure you’ve venue has a fully sound reason for not allowing lit, glowing fire sticks on their grounds, especially historical wedding venues. Not to mention your venue has to abide by county and state laws. But you’ve got options! First, check to see if cold sparklers are completely out of the question. These can be purchased as an add-on with your wedding DJ or entertainment company and set up safely outside for your grand entrance. Cold sparklers are typically used indoors and they are cool to the touch, smokeless, and sans fiery smell.
If you still want that glow but cold sparklers are also a no-go, we love the idea of having your guests crowd around you with their cell phone lights! You’ll feel like you’re onstage performing to your masses of adoring fans! Another fab option in place of sparklers is ribbon wands. No fire is required, and they can be handled by guests of all ages.
Getting married in the winter? We love ribbon wands indoors to stage your exit! If you want to go with ribbon wands you can have them created in the shades from your wedding palette or even your favorite teams colors. It’s your day, you get to decide! Not to mention, if you’ve got a crafty aunt who has been offering their help with the wedding, now is their time to shine! Splurging on some glowsticks for a fun wedding floor prop? Those also make a great glowing exit, indoors or out!
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All right, What Else Should We Know About Planning An Epic Sparkler Wedding Exit?
Don’t rush it! Your photographer will direct you on where to stop as you are walking through your arch of guests with lit sparklers in hand. Kiss, embrace, throw your hands up, and celebrate. If you feel you can pull it off, go in for a dip! This is your moment, you’ve finally married the love of your life. Everyone you know and love was in attendance to witness the moment and celebrate you. Soak it all in and be present! Look over at your guests, look at your spouse, and smile so hard that your cheeks hurt! Because baby, at this exact moment, you are Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour and your guests are your adoring Swifties!
