LGBTQ Wedding Ideas with Rainbow Smoke Bombs
How To Pull Off A Rainbow Smoke Bomb at Your Wedding | LGBTQ Wedding Ideas | Victoria and Sarah’s Wedding at Perona Farms, Anderson NJ | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
As a photographer and artist, one of my favorite moments is when I look in the back of my camera and I just know I nailed the shot. Every wedding season, there are a handful of moments when everything falls into place and I’m able to really grab that “wow” moment. The rainbow smoke bomb photograph at this wedding was that shot for me.
Yes, there are years of honing your craft that give you—as the photographer—that sixth sense that allows you to dial in your settings in a split second moment, frame the image, direct the crowd, and make it happen. But there is also an element of luck and happenstance that cannot be denied. You have to have all the ingredients to make a truly epic photograph, and in this case, I was lucky to be a part of the scene.
I was shooting for A Sweet Focus and we were having an all around great wedding day. I don’t second shoot much anymore, but this one made me miss it actually. Both of the brides were dynamic, fun, sweet, and gorgeous. They had such an inspiring connection and their wedding parties brought all the energy to match! It was my first time at Perona Farms but barn weddings are basically my jam so I was so excited from the beginning. I also want to quick-plug this venue for the best golden hour light that absolutely floods the bottom floor of the barn, making for super dramatic lighting.
Anyway, back to HOW THE HECK DO YOU PULL OF THE RAINBOW SMOKE BOMB SHOT!? Well, first of all you obviously need to buy the smoke bombs. I recommend this wire pull smoke grenade if you’re getting them online because they are pretty reliable. You’ll obviously want the whole rainbow of colors but I also recommend buying one backup of each color because occasionally, one won’t go off.
You also need to check with the venue because smoke bombs are considered a firework and might be illegal to use at your wedding. In addition, they should only be used by adults because they can burn if used incorrectly. I’m a bit strict when it comes to this stuff so please don’t ask us (the photographers) to do something illegal or unsafe :)
But once you have the green light go, you should know that they don’t last long— about a minute on average so you need to have everything dialed in ahead of time, and prep the people who are detonating them so they don’t pull them too early or too late. Communication and coordination is key, because those 60-90 seconds GO FAST! And as you can tell in the photographs, once they hit their peak, they turn into a cloud of grey smoke— and be careful because they can stain clothes (and white wedding dresses) if you’re not careful.
But I’ll tell you what, when done correctly, smoke bombs are SUPER cool and dramatic. For Tori and Sarah, they were the perfect way to show off their pride for their LGBTQ wedding and have the perfect “Love Is Love” shot. That’s the best part for me, to be able to give such an epic shot that carries such a huge message of love, acceptance, pride, and community.
