I absolutely LOVE a sparkler shot! Sparklers can be a great way to get everyone involved in the same activity, as well as achieving a magical shot to end your album with. However, what makes a great sparkler shot isn’t as straightforward as you may think. Read my top tips for wedding sparklers below.

TIP 1: VENUE

The first question to ask, is whether your venue permits the use of sparklers. Some venues will have no objections, whilst some will. So always double check. The venues that do allow sparkler shots, may only allow them if you provide your own sand buckets (for use once the sparklers are out). This is an extremely important thing to find out; otherwise you might have bought all those sparklers and then told you’re not allowed to use them.

TIP 2: BEST SPARKLERS TO BUY

This is probably the most important tip. Buy the LONGEST sparkler you can find. This will ensure the burn for the longest. Ideally, you need 18” (45cm) sparklers. As well as a lot of sparklers! Just like confetti, the more the better. Here’s one I found on Amazon:

Long Wedding Sparklers

As well as this the colour is also important. I personally prefer the colour of gold sparklers to silver.

TIP 3: LIGHTERS

To get the best shot, your sparklers (once handed out to your guests) need to be lit at the same time. The easiest way to this, is to bring along a lot of lighters (15-20). If you have 100 guests for example, you can spread the 20 lighters between them and then your guests will use each others sparklers to light theirs.

TIP 4: TIMING

Sparklers are usually best for winter weddings. This is because it gets dark earlier and so fitting it in works more naturally. I always suggest to have your sparkler shot just after your wedding breakfast (usually when the venue team turns the room around for the evening). It doesn’t have to be very dark outside; actually having a little light or even background light from your venue actually works better, so having it before the first dance is ideal. This way, you won’t have to stop the party for a sparkler shot.

If you’re having a summer wedding & really want a sparkler shot, then it still is possible ( just double check your contracted hours as you might need to book an extra hour if it’s more than the 10hour contract. Or you could try something different and use bubbles instead! Here’s an example:

Here’s an example of a sparkler shot during summer before it got very dark outside:

So there it is, my top tips for wedding sparklers. Just remember, it’s all about having fun on your day and enjoying it, so preparation in key.

Jes x