Services / Special FX
Dancing in the Clouds
A low cloud that sits on the floor and stays there, so your first dance looks like it is happening above the ground.
What it is
Dancing in the clouds is a low fog effect. A normal smoke machine sends warm fog upward and it fills the room. This one chills the fog first, so it stays at ankle height and rolls outward across the floor instead of rising.
The result is a flat white layer that hides the floor completely. Your feet disappear, the dress sits on top of the cloud, and the whole moment reads as if the two of you are dancing above the ground.
Photographers and videographers ask for it more than any other effect we offer, because it removes a distracting floor from the frame and gives them a clean, bright base to shoot against.
How it works
01
Placed before guests arrive
The machine sits at the edge of the dancefloor with a hose feeding the cloud out across the floor. It is positioned and tested during setup so nothing has to be moved once your guests are seated.
02
Fired live, on the first note
Your DJ triggers it as the song starts, so the cloud builds under you rather than arriving late. It takes a few seconds to spread across a standard floor.
03
Two to four minutes per fill
One fill covers roughly two to four minutes, which is the length of most first dance tracks. We run a single machine, which comfortably covers a standard dancefloor.
04
Clears on its own
The fog settles and disperses within a few minutes of the song ending. There is nothing to sweep up and no residue on the floor.
Ways to use it
The effect is most associated with a first dance, but it works anywhere you want one moment to look different from everything around it.
First dance
The classic use. The cloud goes down as the song starts and clears before the floor opens to guests.
Entrance to the reception
Walk in through the cloud rather than dance on it. Works especially well in a doorway or down an aisle.
Cake cutting
A shorter burst that puts a soft base under the table and lifts an otherwise static photo.
Corporate reveal
A product, a car or an award trolleyed on through low fog. The cloud hides the wheels and the floor.
Last dance
Bookending the night with the same effect you opened the dancefloor with.
Where it works best
Good to know
Is it safe to dance on?
Yes. The fog is water based and non toxic, it will not stain a dress or a suit, and it does not make the floor slippery. Guests with breathing sensitivities are not affected at the concentrations used.
Will it set off the fire alarm?
Low fog stays near the floor rather than rising to ceiling mounted detectors, which is why it is accepted at venues that will not allow normal smoke. We still clear it with your venue in advance every time.
Does it work outdoors?
It is at its best indoors. It does work outdoors, but wind is the deciding factor. If there is a breeze the fog will not hold on the ground and it scatters. A sheltered courtyard or a marquee holds the cloud beautifully, an exposed cliffside terrace will not, and we will tell you honestly which one yours is.
Does the floor need to be flat?
Ideally yes. Fog follows gravity, so on a sloped floor it will drift to the low side. We check this when we look at your venue and position the machine accordingly.
Can we combine it with sparklers?
Yes, and it is the most requested combination we do. The cloud sits low and the sparks frame above it.
Works well with
Add dancing in the clouds to your event
Tell us your date and venue and we will come back with what works in your space, what it costs and what it looks like on the night.