Tips for Your Wedding: Sparkler Send-Off

Sparkler send-offs are a very popular wedding trend. As wedding photographers, Josh and I couldn’t be happier about this because they are so much fun to get pictures of! Sparklers not only look great, they actually provide a lot of ambient light too. So even when it’s very dark outside, we can still get some great shots of the bride and groom rushing to their getaway vehicle. Afterwards, if the sparklers still have some time to burn, there may also be some fun opportunities for a few long exposure shots. The bride and groom and their guests can make a heart, write words, or just make circles in the air.

We have photographed quite a few sparkler send-offs at our weddings, and we have a few tips to make sure you get the best experience. First off, make sure your guests don’t light them too soon! Sparklers burn fast, so we don’t want them fizzling out during the send-off. It is usually a good idea to hand out multiple lighters so everyone can start lighting, rather than having people wait in a long line with sparklers already burning. Second, make sure you buy the nice long sparklers, instead of the cheap short ones. The cheap ones burn fast, create smoke, and sometimes emit a greenish light. Another piece of advice we offer is to walk slowly. It my be tempting to run, but walking gives our cameras plenty of time to focus. You can even take a few seconds to pause on your way through the sparklers. Enjoy the moment with your sweetie with a kiss, a dip, or maybe a dance. ;)

Here’s one of our recent photos of a sparkler send-off from Brian and Mary’s New Years wedding at the University Club in Durham.