Photographing Wedding Sparklers

Wedding sparklers are starting to become part of a new set of traditions at modern weddings. There are many different ways you can use sparklers at a wedding, which is probably one of the driving factors in their popularity. Like most things at your wedding, you will probably want to photograph your guests using their wedding sparklers and all the cool things they are used for. Though you can talk to your wedding photographer in advance to come up with some fun ideas, there are a few ways that people use them that are very common and popular.

Grand Exit

The most common way people use sparklers at their wedding is as part of their “grand exit”. Essentially, all of your guests will line up waving their lit sparklers as make a dash for your getaway car. Sparklers have taken the place of rice or birdseed in recent years because they don’t harm birds or leave a mess behind. The grand exit is one of the most photographed parts of your wedding, so making sure your photographer is familiar with how it works is crucial. Though most photographers know the procedure, make sure they know it in advance so they are prepared for the job.

Writing in the Air

Writing with sparklers in the air is one of the coolest photos you can get at a wedding. Basically, each person will write a shape or letter in the air with a lit sparkler. It can be tricky photographing wedding sparklers while they’re in motion, so make sure the photographer is familiar with the process. Essentially, you need to adjust your aperture to provide a really long exposure time to capture the light from the sparkler over a prolonged period of time. This will create an effect similar to the letter actually burning in mid-air and produce a very memorable photo.

“First Kiss” Photo

One of the most memorable moments of your wedding will be the “first kiss”, so it’s no wonder that many couples choose to have wedding sparklers in the background when the photo is snapped. Since the actual first kiss will likely happen on the altar and having sparklers in the background is probably not feasible, many couples recreate the scene at their reception hall. Fortunately, the area is usually well-lit for this shot and the wedding sparklers aren’t usually in motion; so getting the shot right is usually pretty easy. Essentially all of your guests will stand in a group with their sparklers lit, the bride and groom kiss in front of them, and the photographer captures the shot. This can really make for instant scrapbook gold.