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YAY! You’re having a sparkler tunnel, great! It’s exciting and can look amazing on camera but here are 5 tips you may need to consider
1. GO BIG
If you are having a sparkler tunnel, get the longest biggest sparklers you can. The regular sized ones burn out very fast, and by the time the end of the line gets theirs lit, the start of the line has already burned out. This means way less time for your photographer to capture the money shot too. Longer sparklers can also give you the opportunity to go through the sparkler tunnel more than once, giving your photographer a great chance of getting the shot you really want.
2. GO SLOW
I can’t stress how important this is! Take your time, enjoy the moment, and don’t rush it. If you run through like a flash and disappear into the night, your photographer won’t have enough time to focus and shoot (remember it will be dark and he/she will only have the light from the sparklers). This should be a high energy moment and your time to shine! If you have some funky moves in mind then tell your photographer in advance, ie. dance through it together but keep constantly moving (but not at a rapid speed), or you could stop in the middle and/or end to kiss, to hug and dip, to bow, to clap and scream, to pick the bride up and celebrate, etc.
Keep in mind, it’s okay to go through twice (if you have used the longer sparklers and if you are up for it), as long as you are happy with this. Some couples love the attention but if you are happy with the one trip that’s fine, just take your time & smile for the camera!
3. HOW MANY GUESTS SHOULD BE IN THE LINES?
It’s best to limit the number of guests in the lines to about 30/40 (15/20 on each side) as too many is difficult for the photographer to manage and chances are, the sparklers of the guys at the end will have fizzled out before you get there. No one wants to see a photo of guests waving a metal stick in the air!
4. WHEN SHOULD I HAVE MY SPARKLER SHOT?
Simply put, it depends on the time of year you have chosen you have made to get married. Ideally, this shot works best when it is just going dark so if you are planning a December wedding, around 4/5pm but if it’s a June wedding, it could be as late as 10pm by which time, some of your guests could have have too many drinks to safely be involved.
5. EMBRACE THE ACTION!
Your photographer will either be competent in walking backwards in front of you or stay back towards the end of the line, so they can remain in one spot while you come towards them. Either way should make a great image but remember to look at each other & not the ground and embrace the moment as it will be over in a flash!
All in all, this is a great photo opportunity at your wedding, so embrace the chaos and create that magic!
