Wedding Decor Rules in NYC: Candles, Petals and Confetti

Candles are where the fire code and the venue's own rules meet, so it helps to sort them by type. Open flame, enclosed candles, tapers, tea lights, unity candles, oil lamps and battery LEDs are all treated differently, and a venue that says "no open flame" may or may not mean a candle inside glass.

The FDNY Fire Code generally prohibits open flames in assembly spaces and public gathering places, with exceptions that include compliant candles, decorative devices and ceremonial or religious uses. Candles must be attended while lit, secured against tipping, set on a noncombustible surface and kept at least three feet from anything combustible. Lighted candles cannot be where people stand in an aisle or exit.

FDNY rules add that candleholders cannot be cardboard, paper or flammable plastic, and table candles cannot sit more than 24 inches above the table unless the Department approves. FDNY lists the open-flame permit at $210 per setup or vendor.

Venues add their own limits. LOFT39 and Dobbin St allow candles only inside votives. The Refinery asks for an enclosed flame in a container taller than the flame. Waveny House requires a three-inch chimney above the flame, and Vista View allows tapers only in glass chimneys. Rosa prohibits candles altogether.

If a real flame is not allowed, battery-powered candles are the usual substitute, and FDNY's own safety notice suggests them in place of open flame. Look for a warm color, a stable base and a timer. Ask the venue to approve each candle type in writing, and ask whether an FDNY permit applies to your setup.

It depends on the property, and two NYC parks show how different the answers can be. A park permit also does not give you the place to yourself; both parks below say the public keeps access.

Sources: the Conservatory Garden wedding permit application and the Brooklyn Bridge Park wedding permit page, both read on November 5, 2026.

Biodegradable does not mean permitted. A park or venue can prohibit all confetti whatever it is made of, so ask about the exact product. Van Cortlandt Park also prohibits tossing rice, birdseed, flowers and confetti.

Private venues vary too. Atmosfera allows petals temporarily during a ceremony if they are then removed, and Bradley Hall allows standard-size real or faux petals during the ceremony with cleanup. LOFT39, Waveny House and Vista View do not. For permits, deadlines and what a park ceremony involves, see our guide to park wedding permits in NYC.

No. NYC311 says all consumer fireworks, including sparklers, are illegal to use, buy, sell or transport in New York City. A venue inside the five boroughs cannot give you permission to light them.

The state picture is different, which is where some of the confusion starts. A New York State bulletin explains that certain sparkling devices may be legal in counties that have not passed a local ban, but all consumer fireworks remain fully prohibited in New York City.

Outside the city, a venue may still say no. Vista View prohibits sparklers because of its wooded location, while Bradley Hall permits them outside with an extinguishing container. The Refinery charges at least $300 if its sparkler guidelines are not signed and filed before the event.

Anything that touches a wall, ceiling, railing or floor needs the venue's approval of the exact product and the exact surface. Tape, command strips, hooks, wire, nails, arches, chuppahs, draping and hanging florals can all be fine in one room and banned in the next.

Here is how the policies differ. 1212 Intimate lists painter's tape or command strips as its wall options. Waveny House allows S-hooks, picture-molding wires and bannisters within fire code, but no tape and no holes. Dobbin St prohibits nails, wall mountings that peel paint and floor tape. The Refinery requires approval for hanging items, which carry charges, and for any temporary adhesive.

Park rules can be stricter still. The Conservatory Garden prohibits floral pieces, balloons, signs, ribbons, ropes, banners and draping around trees or shrubs, and chairs, tents, tables, rugs and runners are not allowed. Brooklyn Bridge Park requires authorization for decorations and installations as part of an approved permit.

Ask who installs and who removes the piece. For design and florist choices, see wedding flowers in NYC.

Cleanup is where a small decor choice turns into a line on the final bill. The amounts below are what these venues say for themselves, offered as examples to show the range; your venue's fee may be higher, lower or set at its discretion.

Some venues set the rule without a figure. LOFT39 requires you to remove decor unless you arrange otherwise, and The Citizen Hotel's wedding document says fresh petals carry a cleaning fee at the hotel's discretion. In both cases, ask for the amount before you sign.

You can keep the moment and change the prop. Options include bubbles, ribbon wands, bells, LED wands, a cheering tunnel and paper confetti poppers. FDNY's safety notice itself suggests paper confetti poppers as an alternative to fireworks, but the venue still has to approve them.

Each choice has its own catch. Bubbles can leave liquid on floors or paving, so ask about slip risk and who mops. Ribbon wands and bells can be reused but still need someone to collect them. LED wands avoid flame, but a venue that limits loose objects or batteries may say no.

At the Conservatory Garden, bubbles are the one toss-style item the permit allows. For a nighttime exit, a professionally run cold-spark effect is another idea, but it needs approval from the venue, the operator and any authority that applies.

Ask these in writing and get the answers into the contract or the written event order. If a rule comes with a fee, ask for the amount.

• Location: Do the ceremony, reception and send-off areas each have their own rules, and does anything change indoors versus outdoors?
• Product: Which exact candleholders, toss materials and bubble solutions are approved?
• Installation: Which tape, strips, hooks, wires or hanging points are allowed, and who may install them?
• Approval: Will the venue sign off on your decor list in writing, and does your florist or decorator need separate approval?
• Permit: Is an FDNY open-flame permit or a NYC Parks permit needed, who files it, and how far ahead? NYC Parks asks for applications at least 21 days before the event, with a $25 non-refundable processing fee, for events with more than 20 attendees.
• Cleanup: Who collects petals, bubbles, wands and props, and what is charged if it is not done?
• Damage: Is there a deposit, and what counts as damage?
• Setup time: How much time do you have, and what does extra time cost?
• Vendor access: When can your vendors load in and take down? Our guide to outside vendor rules at NYC venues covers that side.
• Weather changes: If the ceremony moves indoors, does the same decor still get approved?

Make a short list of every decor item you want: candles, petals, send-off props, anything you plan to hang or tape. Send it to the venue and ask for approval of each item in writing, along with any permit and fee. Buy only after you have the answer, and keep the approvals in one folder with your contract.