Wedding Smoke Bombs: The Complete Guide to Safety, Tips & Great Photos
Wedding smoke bombs are everywhere these days! They’re a fun way to add some colour and drama to your wedding photos. These colourful little props create cool smoky effects that can make your regular wedding photos look way more interesting. But before you go crazy with smoke bombs on your big day, you’ll want to know what you’re getting into – the good stuff and the not-so-good stuff too.
Why Choose Smoke Bombs for Wedding Photography?
The Benefits of Wedding Smoke Bombs
- They look amazing!
- They are a huge amount of fun
- Add colour to your photos!
- Really bring out the best in you all!
Wedding Smoke Bomb Safety: What You Need to Know
Burn Risk Warning: Wedding smoke bombs get pretty hot when they’re going off. Always hold them by the handle bit and don’t touch the middle part part while it’s smoking or straight after.
Staining Problems: Coloured smoke can mess up wedding dresses, suits, and other clothes forever. Keep your distance and watch which way the wind’s blowing.
Venue Issues: Loads of wedding venues don’t allow smoke bombs at all. Always check with your venue first – seriously, don’t skip this bit!
Safety Stuff: Read the instructions on how to pull the ring! some need you to pull it up…some to the side….miss this and they won’t even work at all.
Best Practices for Wedding Smoke Bomb Photography
I’ve never had any issues with smoke bombs personally – I always run through how to use them properly beforehand, and so far (fingers crossed!) I’ve kept everyone safe and sound!
Key Rule: Let your wedding photographer take the lead on this. They’ll guide you on the best way to operate them, timing, positioning, and safety considerations. Trust their experience – they know how to get the most dramatic shots while keeping everyone protected.
Your photographer will handle all the technical stuff, so you can just focus on looking amazing and having fun!
Where to Buy Smoke Bombs
I always recommend two options – one budget-friendly and one premium. The choice is yours!
Top Tip: Mix your colours! Using the same colour throughout doesn’t create the best visual impact. I’d suggest a minimum of 2 different colours, but ideally everyone should have a different colour for maximum effect.
Avoid: White and black smoke – they don’t photograph as well or create the dramatic impact you’re looking for.
Premium Option – Enola Gaye – £9 per smoke grenade
The industry standard for smoke grenades. They’re more reliable (though not foolproof) and consistently deliver stunning results. Make sure to get the WP40 model – these produce the largest smoke clouds and last a full 90 seconds, which is perfect for photos.
Shop: https://store.enolagaye.com/p/wire-pull-smoke-grenade-wp40/
Budget Option – Amazon – £5 per smoke grenade
For a more affordable alternative, Amazon has a good selection of smoke bombs at lower price points.
Both options will give you great results – it just depends on your budget and how much reliability matters for your shoot!
Smoke bombs to avoid
Double ended smoke grenades – No use for weddings
One’s that last less than 30 seconds – Not enough time
Grey/White/Black – Personal choice but they don’t look dramatic as coloured ones!
Venue Considerations
- Contact your wedding venue about their smoke bomb policy
How Many Smoke Grenades Do I Need?
For Bride & Groom Photos Only: 2-3 smoke grenades are plenty if you just want the happy couple holding them. However, I always strongly recommend letting your wedding party handle them instead! This protects your dress and means if anything goes wrong, it’s not happening to the bride and groom. (Sorry wedding party – but you know we love you!)
For Bridal Party Group Shots: 4-6 smoke grenades work perfectly. Not everyone needs to hold one – some can wave flowers or bouquets while others handle the smoke flares. A minimum of 4 creates the best visual impact for group photos.
The choice is totally yours, but from experience, having your wedding party take charge of the smoke bombs makes for much more relaxed photos and keeps you looking pristine!
Other options
Even just for a bit of a backdrop smoke grenades can do a lot of good! a simple one thrown behind the couple just add’s some colour to match your colour scheme for the day!
The weather can stop you
Wind is a problem, if it’s windy you can kiss good bye to these looking good as it just blows the smoke away so bare that in mind for any winter weddings (or even summer knowing the British weather!) So there is always a chance you may not even get to use them
Alternatives to Traditional Smoke Bombs
If smoke bombs aren’t suitable for you (or i’ve put you off sorry!) , consider these alternatives:
- Bubble machines
- Confetti cannons
- Sparklers
