The estate’s lawn was long enough for a proper display but narrow between two neighboring properties, which set the real ceiling on shell size — NFPA 1123’s minimum spectator distance for anything larger than a 5-inch shell would have put spectators past the available lawn. The final plan used 3-inch and 4-inch shells for density and color variety, with a small cluster of 5-inch shells reserved for the closing seconds, positioned to keep the full 350-foot minimum distance clear of both property lines.
The cue sheet opens exactly on the recessional track’s downbeat as the couple exits, holds a light, celebratory density through the first chorus, and closes on a compact 15-second barrage timed to the track’s final chord — six minutes total, chosen specifically so the display wouldn’t outlast the moment it was built for.
