Iconic Sparkler Exit - Santa Cruz | Cora Bella Weddings & Events

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This iconic sparkler exit with its breathtaking, Hollywood glamour style is my all-time wedding fave and it just happens to be of me. Yes, that is my husband dipping me back and kissing me while sparks literally fly. We love this photo because it epitomizes our love for each other, the magic of our wedding day, and our love of classic, Hollywood glamour.

I am here to tell you what it takes to get an iconic sparkler exit, the secret sauce if you will.

The Very First Step

Before you do anything, before you read the next paragraph, go get your venue contract. Read it over and see if it has any limitations on sparklers or fireworks. If you cannot find a specific clause, call and speak to your venue representative.

If your venue contract specifically says no sparklers or fireworks – don’t give up just yet, there is a teeny tiny bit of hope left. There is a relatively new product on the market – fire-free sparklers – and they can be used indoors on carpet; and they can be rented! Peep the video below to learn more.

A lot of venues haven’t caught wind of this product. Yet, I have found them to be intrigued and very interested in learning more. One venue I work with has purchased their own indoor set, just like in the video above, to rent directly to their couples. You never know until you ask!

Don’t have a venue yet? Now you know what to ask when you are touring venues, so you can make an informed decision.

Now that you’ve done your homework, let’s get down to it.

How to get your very own iconic sparkler exit

Here are my 5 easy steps:

First and foremost, hire an excellent creative partner team. I found my Wedding Day Dream Team by hiring a Coordinator I really connected with. I then asked her to match me with her most-favorite preferred vendors. She hit the recommendations out of the park! I adored my vendor team and it really showed on my wedding day and in my wedding photos.
Communication & collaboration are key! To pull off this iconic sparkler exit the following creative team members need to be informed and working harmoniously: you, the venue, your planner and your photographer. We had less than 3 minutes to get this iconic shot, but it took a handful of meetings prior to the wedding day to make sure everyone knew exactly what and how the shot was going to be produced.
Time the exit early – its a faux-exit! One of the key factors in getting a great shot is having sober guests! We wedding planners affectionately refer to coraling guests as “herding the cats.” Herding drunk cats is infinitely harder than herding sober cats and the difference will show in your photos.
Purchase 3 minute sparklers & windproof lighters! Let’s do some quick math. It takes a more than a minute to light 100+ sparklers, assuming you have 100+ guests. Traditional sparklers burn for approximately one minute. Therefore, the first sparklers will have burned out before the last sparklers are lit, preventing the shot. I used 36″, 3-minute sparklers from Sparklers.US. This will all be for not, if you don’t purchase windproof lighters. Zippo is known for their windproof lights, but I recommend using something longer, so your planner’s hand is far from the ignition point with the sparkler, like this torch lighter on Amazon.
Required Safety Equipment. Most likely your venue will require these items, but if they don’t I highly recommend them. Two tall metal pails, filled with 6″ of sand. Guests will use these pails to safely dispose of and extinguish their sparklers. You’ll also want two fire extinguishers on hand, so your creative team can respond expediently to any flare-ups that pop-up.

Bonus Tips

Sparklers can light sparklers. Have your planner start at the back of the line-up of guests. She will get a few lit and instruct those guests to use their lit sparkler to light nearby guet’s sparklers; thereby speeding up the process. She can then jump to the middle of the guests and get them going. Then she finishes with the guests near the front, since they will be in the forefront of the photos we want their sparklers to be lit last. This gives photography the most amount of time to get the shot with the foreground sparklers burning the longest overall.
Purchase wedding insurance. I recommend this to all of my couples, sparkler exit or not. It’s great to have piece of mind not to mention, most venues require it. I definitely recommend it if you are doing a sparkler exit. Fireworks up the liability ante, so cover your bases with a robust policy.