Want Fireworks at Your Wedding? Here’s What You Need to Know

Wedding fireworks can be a great way to end your wedding day, or provide your guests a bit of a mental break after dinner or between the ceremony and the reception. But how much does it cost to have fireworks at your wedding? Do you need permits? Should you hire a professional pyrotechnician, or can you save money by setting off wedding fireworks yourself?

A professional wedding fireworks display may not cost as much as you think, especially if you’re not setting fireworks off over the water. Your wedding venue will need to have plenty of space to set off fireworks safely, and you’ll need to adhere to local ordinances, including local fireworks curfews. Here’s what you need to know to make sure your wedding fireworks display is safe and spectacular. 

Consider Hiring a Professional

Consumer wedding fireworks come in cakes containing 10 to 30 shots. You light the cake and all the shots fire into the air more or less at once, for an easy display that you or a wedding guest can light off yourselves. Wedding fireworks are a little more powerful and more impressive than the regular consumer fireworks you can buy from tents in early summer. 

However, it’s well worth considering hiring a professional pyrotechnician to light off your wedding fireworks. Professional displays are achieved by lighting individual shells and roman candles that are fired one by one in most cases, or in groups of up to five at a time. It makes for a very different, more elaborate display, and you don’t have to put anyone in your wedding or on your guest list at risk – remember, fireworks can be dangerous. Having one of your guests blow his or her fingers off could really taint your big day. Plus a professional can ensure that you have the right permits and that you’re in compliance with local ordinances, too.

It’s not as costly as you might think to hire a professional pyrotechnician for your wedding, either. Most wedding pyrotechnicians recommend doing a three- to five-minute display. That’s enough time to wow your guests without giving them the chance to get cold or bored. A five-minute display can cost $2,500 to $5,000. 

Make Sure Your Venue Has Plenty of Space

You’re going to need a venue with plenty of outdoor space if you want to set off fireworks safely. You’ll want your audience to be able to stand back at a distance that’s one and a half times the height of your highest aerial firework. That means they’ll need to be standing at least a couple of hundred feet from the firing line. You’ll also need to be able to provide for a fallout zone at least twice as big – that means a space with no trees, power lines, brush, leaf piles, or structures, so that hot, falling debris can’t catch anything on fire.

Setting Off Fireworks Over Water Is More Expensive

If you want to set off fireworks over water, you’ll need to rent a barge, which will add to the cost and likely come as a separate bill. However, setting fireworks off over a river or lake is usually the safest option. Setting off fireworks from the water naturally creates a great deal of separation between the assembled guests and the firing line. There tends to be more wide-open space for the fallout, especially if you’re setting off fireworks from a lake. And the fireworks reflect off the water, which can add to the majesty of the display.

Check Your Local Ordinances Before Planning a Wedding Fireworks Display

Before you plan a wedding fireworks display, check your local ordinances regarding the setting off of fireworks. Consumer fireworks are legal in most states, but check your local county ordinances. You may need a permit to set off wedding fireworks. In addition to checking whether it’s legal to set off fireworks in your area, also check what the curfew is on fireworks displays. Most locations have a law that says fireworks displays must be wrapped up by a certain time of the night. You probably don’t want to save your fireworks display for the last minute anyway, but it’s worth it to make sure you’re staying within the bounds of the law.

A wedding fireworks display can be a great way to entertain your guests and make your wedding day memorable. A professional pyrotechnician can make your wedding fireworks dazzling and safe, so you can have the wedding day of your dreams.