Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Love is in the air for wedding planning!

Seems like each February we start hearing from lots of brides. They are ramping up their wedding planning for spring and summer weddings. And with Valentine's Day happening next weekend, it's easy to get caught up in all the excitement!

Many brides want to know how to use sparklers for weddings safely. We have a few suggestions to share to keep your wedding safe and fun:

1. Only use outside.
2. Test one sparkler before your event so you know what to expect.
3. Light one sparkler at a time and never light a bundle of sparklers at once.
4. Use a lighter that keeps your hand away from the flame, such as a butane or barbecue lighter. Matches will not burn hot or long enough to light your sparklers.
5. Instruct guests to dip unlit sparklers into their neighbor’s lit sparklers to light up a crowd quickly.
6. Always light the sparkler at the tip furthest away from the wire handle.
7. Keep lit sparkler at arms length away from the face, body, or clothing of yourself or other people nearby.
8. Do not try to re-ignite a sparkler or re-light a “dud.” Dispose of properly by soaking in water.
9. Be sure to keep a lit sparkler away from flammable materials, such as gasoline, paper napkins, or tissues.
10. Never grab a burned or burning portion of a sparkler.
11. Keep water nearby (garden hose or bucket).
12. Dispose used sparklers in a bucket of water or sand or on a metal tray. Once the sparkler cools then the sparkler wires can be thrown into the trash.

Some are simply common sense, but all serve as a friendly reminder for how to safely use sparklers at a wedding or any special event!