How to plan the perfect sparkler send off
Updated: Jul 5, 2019
OK so maybe the phrase "sparkler send off" isn't 100% accurate. Its rare that sparklers are actually lit at the very end of the night.
In fact, the "send off" part is maybe more applicable to ourselves as wedding photographers/videographers because it can often be the perfect way for us to round off our coverage of a wedding.
More often than not we find that sparklers are lit somewhere between 9pm and 10pm for a UK wedding. If you're getting married in a hotter climate than the UK, this will probably be later. The mid day heat can be unbearable for a ceremony, so the whole day tends be shifted back by a couple of hours to accommodate this.
In the UK we tend to have captured lots of great party shots by 9pm so it makes sense to head outdoors for the sparklers at this stage.
One of the great things about the sparkler shot, is that you really don't need every single guest to make it look amazing. The focus of the shot tends to be on you as a couple, and the sparklers around you provide the atmosphere for the image.
Check out these sparklers as an example of what you SHOULD look to use.
The best sparklers to buy for your sparkler send off https://amzn.to/2FwU6lq
It goes without saying that safety is important during the sparkler shot. There's a lot of alcohol and a lot of hairspray around at weddings, so this is of course another reason to capture the shot relatively early in the evening.
You should also have a chat with the wedding coordinator before the wedding so they can provide buckets of water or sand to extinguish the sparklers.
To capture the image itself is fairly straightforward. Its a very informal shot, so it's just a case of gathering guests around you. The sparklers themselves illuminate everyone and create a beautiful backdrop for the two of you.
THE REALLY IMPORTANT PART.......THE SPARKLERS
It's the most important aspect, but its the thing that is so easily overlooked. You really MUST buy the extra long sparklers.
Imagine the disappointment if you buy the little ones that burn out after about 30 seconds. By the time the 3rd and 4th people have got theirs lit...the 1st couple of sparklers have already gone out. We've seen it happen a few times and it's such an anticlimax.
Here is a link to some of the best ones we have seen on Amazon. https://amzn.to/2FwU6lq
There's 100 in the pack so more than enough for everyone, and they are extra long ones that sparkle for a long time.
Oh.....I don't forget something to light them all with.
#weddingphotography #sparklersendoff #sheffieldweddingphotographer