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Dancing
on clouds

A low cloud that sits on the floor and stays there, so your first dance looks like it's happening above it. Not the same thing as a fog machine.

EffectLow-lying cloud, floor level
MethodDry ice and heated water
DurationTimed to one song
Venue approvalConfirmed first

Why it isn't
a fog machine

This is the distinction that matters, and it's worth understanding before you book either.

A standard fog or haze machine fills a room with an even mist that hangs in the air. It makes lighting beams visible, and it's genuinely useful for that — but it drifts upward and outward, it lingers, and in some buildings it's the thing that gets a detector's attention.

Dancing on clouds works differently. Warm water is passed over dry ice, and the resulting cloud is colder and heavier than the air around it, so it sinks and stays at ankle height. It doesn't rise into the room. The result is a floor that looks like cloud, with you standing clearly above it — which is the entire point, because you can still be seen.

It's built
for one song

The effect runs for a few minutes, not all night, and that's a feature rather than a limitation. It's timed to the first dance, sometimes to a parent dance immediately after.

It also needs to start slightly before you do. A cloud takes a moment to lay across a floor, so we begin it during the introduction of your song rather than on the first note — otherwise your best photographs happen while the floor is still filling in.

Photographically it's one of the highest-return effects available, and it pairs particularly well with cold sparklers on the final chorus: cloud underneath for the whole song, sparks above for the end of it.

What we check
before promising it

Dry ice is heavier than air and settles, and every venue has its own rules about it. Some ballrooms are fine. Some rooms with sunken floors or poor ventilation aren't. Some venues want notice; some want it in writing.

So, as with every effect we run: we confirm with your venue first, then it goes in your contract. We would much rather tell you in month one that your room won't allow it than have you find out on the night.

Questions couples ask

How is this different from a fog machine?

A fog machine fills the room with mist that hangs in the air. Dancing on clouds uses dry ice to make a cloud that's heavier than air, so it sits on the floor and stays there. You remain clearly visible above it.

How long does it last?

A few minutes — it's built for one song. We start it during your song's intro so the floor is already covered by the time you're being photographed.

Will it set off the fire alarm?

It's water vapour rather than smoke, and it stays low. Even so, we confirm with your venue before promising it, because ventilation and detection differ building to building.

Can we do this and cold sparklers?

Yes, and they work well together — cloud underneath for the whole dance, sparks above on the final chorus.

Related

Want this at
your wedding?

Send your venue and date and we'll confirm what the room allows — usually the same day.

Check my date →