So I've thought about this before...
... but this post on facebook from Grelen Event's & Weddings got me thinking about it a bit more. I really dislike sparkler exits. Oh sure they look cool for pictures, I guess (personally I think they are played out but that's another story) Ok, I admit I have not photographed very many of these and I'm not sad about it. I haven't had fun photographing any of them. They scare the living daylights out of me. I don't know who it was thought it was a great idea to make sticks of sparking fire that burn to temperatures of 1800° and 3000° Fahrenheit for people (i.e. children and tipsy wedding guests) to hold and wave around, but I don't like them. I have read horror stories and seen videos of of brides dresses or hair catching on fire because of sparks or the antics of intoxicated guests. I have seen for myself guests who throw the sparklers or instead of staying on the edges converge in and try to wave the 3000° sparkler in front of the couple. I have seen photographers trying to capture that moment nearly get burned by guests. They also stink. Have you ever lit 20 - 40 sparklers at once? The smoke smells terrible. Anyway, I guess you get the picture, I don't enjoy sparkler exits. There is a good chance that if you hire me as your photographer and you're planning a sparkler exit I might try to talk you out of it. All that said....
... Let's talk exit alternatives
Here is a list of ideas I have compiled from the interwebs for wedding exit ideas that don't include 3000° flaming sticks of sparking fire. Each one is a link to help with ideas.
- Lavender - smells great and is earth friendly
- bubbles - get personalized bubble wands for your guests
- dried flower petals - biodegradable and smells great
- biodegradable glitter - for that extra sparkle
- Birdseed - have your confetti moment while feeding treating the birds to a feast
- Leaves - Great for fall weddings collect bags of leaves and toss
- Foam Fingers -perfect for the sports loving couple, or maybe college themed too
- Light Sabers - for the star wars fan couple, best at night
- Ribbon Wands - great for the dance floor and the send off
- Glow Sticks - safe, colorful, bright and fun but like sparklers best at night
- Air Popped Popcorn - No problems here, wildlife will take care of the mess
- Run under a parachute - Fun one if you are an early childhood educator
- Water Squirters - Fun one for a hot summer day (only if you are really leaving)
- Beach balls - fun for those beach weddings
- Confetti - get the kind that is water soluble and clean up is just a hose rain shower away
