Well let me answer that for you since I work in that "field" per se.
The short answer is no you cannot buy professional grade fireworks and launch them at your sister's wedding. You require the proper class of Fireworks Operator Certificate after having taken the various courses and demonstrated your proficiency "interning" for a certified pyrotechnician who signs off on the hours you have accumulated doing larger commercial shows.
The good news however is that thanks to all the competition out there, mainly from fireworks importers from China, the quality of " consumer" grade fireworks is unbelievably good. So much so that many smaller companies that are hired by community leagues are using this grade of fireworks at their shows. Buy mines, multi shot cakes and some barrages and as long as you don't penny pinch on the cheapest stuff you'll find they go significantly higher than the typical roman candles that everyone bought and used in the old days.
I do not recommend buying from small retailers who sell everything from gum, milk and gasoline. Generally most large centers have at least one store specifically selling a large variety of consumer grade fireworks. If not, I have heard good reports of the kits Costco sells however you can't customize and pay only for the type of shots you want to use but instead get a lot of smaller ground effects ones mixed in with the kit that are frankly not very dramatic or effective.
Set up your display to minimize time needed to light fuse in between shots and it will look like a professional show but expect to pay hundreds of dollars - the stuff isn't cheap !
Hope that helps.
Last edited by C2C3PO; 06-26-2017 at 06:23 PM.
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