Popping champagne on your elopement day is a super fun way to celebrate your commitment to each other! Champagne pops make for exciting and lively photos, as well as a fun moment for the two of you to share together.

While popping champagne may seem straightforward, there are a couple things to keep in mind so your elopement champagne pop is fun, safe, and looks great! Here are three of my best tips for making sure your champagne pop is safe, simple, and follows Leave No Trace guidelines. Stick around for instructions on how to make it look amazing in your photos too!

Tips for Popping Champagne at Your Elopement

1. Consider sparkling water to keep wildlife from getting too close

Depending on where you’re eloping, such as a national park, popping sparkling water may actually be a better idea than using champagne. Because of its sweet aroma, nearby wildlife may get curious and find their way over to investigate. While wild animals may not approach you right then, if any champagne is left on the ground, they may stumble upon unsuspecting visitors later who happen to be nearby which could be problematic.

To ensure you’re not enticing any wildlife with the sweet smell of champagne, try sparkling water instead! It sprays the same and you can still drink a separate bottle of champagne or sparkling cider/grape juice if sparkling water doesn’t sound tasty.

2. Don’t pop the cork

Champagne corks will fly far and it’s pretty unlikely you’ll be able to find all the pieces if it breaks apart, which wouldn’t be great in terms of practicing Leave No Trace. That’s in addition to making sure nobody loses an eyeball (there’s about 70-90 psi of pressure in a bottle of champagne!)

Instead, get a bottle that has a twist top, or if it does come with a standard cork, carefully and slowly remove the cork in a controlled wiggling motion as opposed to prying it off with the tip of your thumb. You can also hold the cork steady while slowly rotating the bottom of the bottle with your other hand, but be careful not to drop the bottle while doing so.

3. Plan your champagne pop for the end of your elopement

As your elopement photographer, I’ll guide you on how to get the least messy results on the day-of. But, popping champagne is messy and it’s likely that you’ll get some on you. A little on your hands is easy enough to clean up, but getting your elopement attire soaked in champagne while you’ve still got hours to go won’t be fun (especially if you’ll be outside as the temperature starts dropping).

If you’re really set on popping champagne earlier in your day, bring an extra set of attire you’re okay with changing into just in case! It’s always best to plan ahead and be prepared, and even if it feels a little extra, you’ll thank yourselves later.

How to Pop Champagne Safely & Easily: Step By Step

Now that you’ve got a few of my best tips for making your champagne pop fun and safe, here’s a quick step-by-step guide on how to pop champagne on your elopement day:

1. Figure out which type of cork your bottle has—standard cork or twist top. If it’s a standard cork, gently begin moving it back and forth in a wiggling motion with your thumb firmly pressed against the top of the cork until you feel it release (if there’s a wire cage, twist the little handle to loosen it but do not remove the cage; this keeps the cork in place so it doesn’t explode). Gently remove the cork and be sure to keep it in your hand. If it’s a twist top, simply twist until it releases and be sure to keep the lid in your hand.

2. Quickly cover the opening of the bottle with your other thumb. If some champagne has already poured out, don’t worry. I always suggest covering the opening with your thumb at this point to keep you from getting too excited and aiming the bottle the wrong way. It will also help you get set to begin shaking and spraying.

3. Tilt the bottle at a 45° angle and aim it toward your photographer. (Not to worry, my cameras were built to be weather-sealed for this exact scenario. Well, maybe not this exact scenario, but a little champagne certainly won’t hurt my equipment.) Then all you have to do is pull your thumb back about halfway off the opening of the bottle, then shake and spray!

Popping champagne is an incredibly fun way to bring a close to your elopement experience and celebrate the beginning of your marriage. You can even involve your friends and family (if present) and make it an exciting, carefree event where everyone gets to take part together.

If this sounds like the kind of day you’re looking for, reach out and let’s get started planning your elopement experience!

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