How to Create the Perfect Wedding Sparkler Send-Off

There’s no better way to make some incredible memories, snap epic photos, and end your wedding with a bang than a wedding sparkler send-off.

 

While wedding sparkler send-offs aren’t too difficult to plan in the grand scheme of things, there are a few particular things you should take into consideration during the planning and execution process.

 

We’ve put together a complete step-by-step guide for executing the perfect sparkler send-off at your wedding reception, helping you make memories that last a lifetime.

such a beautiful couple & his friends raising hands with sparklers

1. Choose the Right Sparklers
for Your Send-Off

Picking and choosing the perfect sparklers to use for your wedding send-off can be challenging since you can’t pick just any ordinary sparkler and call it a day. When it comes to organizing a wedding send-off, cheaper is not always better when it comes to sparklers. There are a few specific characteristics your sparklers should have if you’d like to be sure your sparklers are safe for guests, don’t produce excess smoke, and produce a quality sparkle.

36-Inch or 20-Inch Sparklers are Recommended

Depending on the size of your wedding and the number of guests you’ve invited, the size of sparkler you purchase for your wedding send-off may vary. 36-inch sparklers are the industry standard for sparkler send-offs, but when it comes to smaller wedding receptions, 20-inch sparklers will do just fine.

36-Inch Sparklers

For weddings with more than 100 guests, we recommend using 36-inch sparklers.

20 Inch Sparklers

For weddings with more than 100 guests, we recommend using 36-inch sparklers.

Smokeless Sparklers Are the Way to Go

Smokeless sparklers that don’t produce any smoke are absolutely essential when it comes to wedding send-offs. If you’ve ever sat around a campfire for an extended period of time and had any amount of smoke blown in your direction, you should know firsthand how easily that potent smoke smell absorbs into your hair and clothing. While a smokeless sparkler will produce a better environment for your guests, they’ll also help your photographers/videographers capture better images and video footage of your wedding send-off, without any haze or smoke trails. Additionally, since wedding sparkler send-offs typically involve a large number of your wedding guests, lighting that many sparklers simultaneously can easily produce an overwhelming amount of smoke if the sparklers you choose aren’t smokeless.

Invest in Good Quality Sparklers
from Sparklers Online

Investing in quality sparklers for your wedding send-off is essential. Sparklers Online supplies high-quality 36-inch sparklers that are both smokeless and have an industry-leading four-minute burn time. This is one of the longest burn times on the market and allows your guests plenty of time to get their sparklers lit and prepared for your send-off.

2. Learn to Light Sparklers for
Send Offs

An important detail that often gets overlooked by couples is choosing how to light sparklers for a wedding send off. Ideally, you should define the process of lighting your sparklers for your wedding sparkler send-off well in advance of your wedding reception. Well then, what is the best method of lighting sparklers for a wedding send off? We’ve outlined a few tips to consider to help make lighting sparklers easy as can be.

Tip #1 - Stay Away From Matches

While matches have always been the “original” solution when it comes to lighting decorations or sparklers, they aren’t optimal to use at weddings.

Matches can be inconsistent and fail to ignite multiple times, causing frustration and excessive match use. They can also burn out very quickly, especially if there is any outdoor wind.

Due to these common match shortfalls, matches can delay your wedding sparkler send-off and force you to wait until all of your guests manage to light their sparklers with matches.

It’s also important to remember that even some of the longest-lasting sparklers only have a 4-minute burn time. Can you guarantee that all of your guests will be able to light their sparklers with matches in under a minute each? In most circumstances, this can be a tall order.

Tip #2 - Grill Lighters Get The Job Done

When it comes to choosing an optimal lighter for your sparkler send-off, grill lighters are the best option for lighting sparklers quickly and efficiently.

Compared to typical lighters, grill lighters produce a larger flame, making it easier to light your sparklers. Additionally, grill lighters have a longer flame that’s further away from the hands of the person using the lighter, making it safer and reducing any chance of burns or mishaps.

3. Know the Location of Your
Sparkler Send-Off

It’s critically important that you know the exact location of where you’ll host your sparkler send-off well in advance. This is a step that’s often just an afterthought or is even completely overlooked during the wedding planning process. Usually, sparkler send-offs happen at the entrance to your venue’s chapel or reception venue, which is a convenient location for all of your guests to gather and line up. It is also common to have your sparkler send-off take place in your venue’s parking lot or on a pathway to the entrance or exit of your wedding venue.

Does Your Wedding Venue Allow Sparklers?

Your wedding venue will likely have specific rules and regulations when it comes to having a sparkler send-off, making communication with the venue essential.

Certain venues only allow sparklers in certain areas, and you should make sure that the venue is aware of your sparkler send-off ahead of time and agrees on a specific allowable location.

4. Tips for Preparing Guests
for a Sparkler Send Off

Once you’ve communicated with your wedding venue and have a sparkler send-off location locked in, it’s time to come up with a plan on how you’ll inform your guests of your wedding send-off. While simply telling your guests about it is a great first step, there are some additional ways you can inform your guests of your sparkler send-off and get them in the loop without any lapses in communication.

Tip #1 - Include Your Sparkler Send Off in Your Receptions Program

A typical wedding send-off has all of your guests lighting their sparklers at the same time, lining up at a location approved by your wedding venue, and holding their sparklers in the air as the bride and groom walk down the aisle of sparklers.

To make the sparklers stand out, sparkler send-offs are typically performed at night when their light is easily visible.

To allow ample room for the bride and groom to walk down the aisle of sparklers, it is recommended that your guests leave an aisle opening of at least 10-15 feet. This ensures that the bride and groom won’t accidentally walk into a sparkler, and makes the activity safer for everyone involved.

Including your sparkler send-off in your receptions program and providing some information to guests regarding how the send-off will work will help everyone prepare for the occasion and know exactly what to do to execute the send-off successfully.

Tip #2 - Put Someone In Charge

Leaving your guests to their own whims isn’t an ideal way to make sure everyone lines up appropriately and lights their sparklers at the same time.

This is why it’s absolutely essential to put someone you trust, such as a reliable friend or family member, in charge of the sparkler send-off.

They should be prepared to get everyone into position, show them how everyone should line up, provide everyone with sparklers, and work with guests to make sure everyone’s sparklers are lit on time.

By having a dedicated person in charge of your sparkler send-off and responsible for its success, you’ll increase the likelihood of it going exactly as planned.

5. Basic Safety Guidelines
for Send Offs

While sparkler send-offs are a beautiful way to exit your wedding, there are a number of safety precautions you should plan for ahead of time.

1. Have a Fire Extinguisher on hand

One of the most important items to have whenever any form of fire or open flame is involved is a fire extinguisher. Verify ahead of time that your fire extinguisher is prepared and ready for use should the situation require it.

2. Buckets of Water

In addition to a fire extinguisher, you should also have buckets of water filled and placed at the ends of your sparkler send-off lines. These buckets are for guests to extinguish their sparklers after the send-off has finished, and help ensure that guests don’t throw their sparklers on the ground or place them on objects that may be a fire hazard.

3. First Aid Kit

Finally, in case any injury or accidents occur, it is important for you to have a first aid kit on hand and easily accessible. Your first-aid kits should have all of your basic first aid essentials such as bandages and burn ointment.

Recap

Wedding sparkler send-offs are a beautiful, picturesque way to end your wedding reception and make the memories of a lifetime. At this point, you should know how to plan for and execute a successful wedding sparkler send-off from start to finish. To recap, your wedding sparkler send-off planning process should consider:

1. Choose the right sparklers for your wedding send-off

This includes making sure you choose the appropriate size of sparkler based on the number of guests attending your wedding and choosing smokeless sparklers with a long burn time.

2. Light your sparklers the right way

Matches are not a dependable way to light all of your guest’s sparklers, and we recommend using grill lighters instead. This will help guests light their sparklers quickly, and avoid any potential delays.

3. Know your sparkler send-off location

Each wedding venue will have its own rules when it comes to sparkler send-offs, and it’s critical that you communicate with your venue beforehand to determine a safe and appropriate location. Don’t leave your send-off location as an afterthought, but plan for it well in advance.

2. Light your sparklers the right way

Matches are not a dependable way to light all of your guest’s sparklers, and we recommend using grill lighters instead. This will help guests light their sparklers quickly, and avoid any potential delays.

3. Know your sparkler send-off location

Each wedding venue will have its own rules when it comes to sparkler send-offs, and it’s critical that you communicate with your venue beforehand to determine a safe and appropriate location. Don’t leave your send-off location as an afterthought, but plan for it well in advance.

If you follow all of these steps when planning your wedding sparkler send-off, you should be able to pull off a fantastic event that your guests won’t forget.

Sparklers Online has everything you need for the perfect send off! Browse our 36-inch and 20-inch wedding sparklers, signs, accessories, and more!