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ending the reception ideas

Knottie2017523 Knottie2017523 member
10 Comments First Anniversary Name Dropper
in Wedding Reception Forum
our reception is not at the hotel so us, and a few guests will be driving to the hotel. I am in LOVE with sparklers, and my mom loves the sky lanterns. Has anyone successfully ended a reception with either? I have never seen anyone around us do that (one wedding a couple years ago near our house ended with a firework display, but thats the only reception ending event i've ever actually seen).
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Re: ending the reception ideas

  • ViczaesarViczaesar member
    Ninth Anniversary 5000 Comments 500 Love Its First Answer
    Knottie2017523 said:
    our reception is not at the hotel so us, and a few guests will be driving to the hotel. I am in LOVE with sparklers, and my mom loves the sky lanterns. Has anyone successfully ended a reception with either? I have never seen anyone around us do that (one wedding a couple years ago near our house ended with a firework display, but thats the only reception ending event i've ever actually seen).
    I haven't heard good things about the sky lanterns in actual use.  Does your venue have any restrictions?  A lot of venues don't allow sparklers for safety/fire damage reasons.



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  • artbyallieartbyallie mod
    Moderator Eighth Anniversary 5000 Comments 500 Love Its
    Knottie2017523 said:
    our reception is not at the hotel so us, and a few guests will be driving to the hotel. I am in LOVE with sparklers, and my mom loves the sky lanterns. Has anyone successfully ended a reception with either? I have never seen anyone around us do that (one wedding a couple years ago near our house ended with a firework display, but thats the only reception ending event i've ever actually seen).
    The one time I went to a wedding with sparklers, maybe 3 or 4 were still even lit by the time the bride and groom emerged. This is a great-on-paper but not-so-great-in-reality idea.

    I'd imagine the lanterns would not only have similar problems getting them all lit in a timely manner, but they may even be in conflict with local littering laws. Check with the venue and city/county beforehand.
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  • ernursejernursej member
    Knottie Warrior 1000 Comments 500 Love Its 5 Answers
    I've heard some environmental and safety issues with sky lanterns so I would personally choose the sparklers.
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  • missJeanLouisemissJeanLouise member
    Eighth Anniversary 2500 Comments 500 Love Its First Answer
    Lanterns are bad for the environment and can start fires miles away. Check with your venue about sparklers.
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  • missfrodomissfrodo member
    Eighth Anniversary 500 Love Its 500 Comments Name Dropper
    I agree with everything PPs have said about lanterns.  I think if you want people to have fun with sparklers, and your venue is okay with it, then go for it--but if you're picturing a Pinterest-worthy picture of everyone with their sparklers lit at the same time, don't get your hopes up.  Unless you purchase a lighter for every guest, they won't all be going off at the same time, plus people leave weddings gradually, so there may not be many guests remaining at the end.  If you want a picture with sparklers, consider lighting one with your FI or your bridal parties (you'd have to do this when you shoot the rest of your photos, since they may not be there at the end of the night either).  
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  • donethatdonethat member
    Knottie Warrior 500 Comments 100 Love Its First Answer
    ernursej said:
    I've heard some environmental and safety issues with sky lanterns so I would personally choose the sparklers.
    I love the look of sky lanterns ... BUT ... I was a guest at a wedding a couple years ago, and the bride and groom lit two sky lanterns, and one flew into a tree and caught some leaves on fire.  It was scary (and a little funny).  So I vote "no" on those :-)  
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  • thisismynickname2thisismynickname2 member
    5000 Comments Sixth Anniversary 500 Love Its First Answer
    If you can't do either, have your DJ or band announce a Last Dance and make it a good one! Then just... make your way out.

    I did attend one wedding with a sparkler send-off and it didn't work well, in my opinion, due to sparklers just not lasting long enough and not everyone having a lighter. Mine was burnt out by the time the couple paraded past me. 

    I attended another wedding where they did sparklers as a nighttime photo op for the couple and whoever wanted to join in. It was fun. Kind of odd, in practice, but they got the photo op they wanted with friends and loved ones so it certainly didn't hurt or inconvenience anyone to participate. 
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  • bohobrideCAbohobrideCA member
    100 Love Its Second Anniversary 10 Comments Name Dropper
    My friends did a sparkler send off at their wedding last summer and it was the coolest part of the night, I couldn't believe how well it went. I think they had people in the middle and ends with lighters and we lit each others with an already lit sparkler, plus they gave us like 2-4 each. So much fun and really pretty!
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  • Knottie2017523 Knottie2017523 member
    10 Comments First Anniversary Name Dropper
    There was a family who lit some sky lanterns a few weeks ago in town for a memorial, so out city must allow it. Our venue is pretty lenient on everything so far, but I have not specifically asked them about either option. We are allowed to have actual candles for decorations. I was just curious the best way to go about doing either option to make it thefts experience for everyone and the best photo opportunity. 
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  • lembasloverlembaslover member
    500 Love Its 500 Comments Third Anniversary First Answer
    We did a sparkler sendoff and it was great. Make sure to get the at least 20" sparklers so that they last. We have a bunch left over so we're going to have July 4th this year :)


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  • kvrunskvruns member
    Tenth Anniversary 5000 Comments 500 Love Its First Answer
    We didn't do a send off, we had thought about something with sparklers or fireworks since H loves those but we weren't sure how it would work logistically, not to mention we wanted to enjoy the end of the reception with friends. As it turned out the DJ announced the last song then the lights came on, we said goodbye to those friends still there and we gathered stuff up and left ourselves. I'd much rather enjoy the reception with friends than leave early for a few pictures, not to mention you never know how many people will stay til the end (I rarely do as a guest) so it might be a paltry amount of sparklers or whatever.
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  • tigerlily6tigerlily6 member
    500 Love Its 500 Comments First Anniversary Name Dropper
    We're using glow sticks as an alternative. I agree that sparklers can be fickle, and lanterns can be downright dangerous. Pretty sure there's an episode of Bridezillas that ends with the bride catching her dress on fire as her and her new husband try to light their lantern together. 
                        


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  • lovesclimbinglovesclimbing member
    Seventh Anniversary 2500 Comments 500 Love Its First Answer
    edited June 2016
    I have only been to one reception with sparklers and that turned me off them at weddings forever. For starters, a wedding-size group of people (this particular wedding had about 75-80) each with a sparkler puts off a TON of heavy smelly smoke. Also, it can be quite challenging to get them all lit and burning before the first lit ones burn out.

    If you have any kids at your wedding who are not well supervised, it will be bad.  Most of the people at that wedding had well-behaved and well-supervised children. One family did not (and this was a large family). So there were four or five young children dashing around grabbing half-burned sparklers out of the buckets people put them in once the exit was over and running around with them. I was truly worried someone's clothes or hair would catch on fire. 

    Sparklers are fun at the beach with a small group, but not for a wedding. 
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