Lighting can enhance the appearance of everything, from your wedding cake and your guests to your wedding. The right type of lighting will make those details that you worked on for hours stand out, and create amazing photo opportunities (hello sparklers!) You can also spend less money on other decor. This is a huge impact. Lighting is like the jewelry for a room. Just as the right accessories can make a dress, the perfect lights will make your wedding reception memorable. This is the correct way to plan lighting.
Choose Your Glow
The country club is strict about no open flames. You love candlelight. You may want to hang hundreds of twinkle light over your outdoor tables but the lack of outlets will make that an expensive idea. Lighting must match your wedding venue and budget. Speak to a lighting designer before you decide on a particular style of illumination. Since most venues do not offer lighting services, you’ll need to hire a specialist. Engaging a professional has its benefits. Ask your space if they can recommend someone that has worked with them before. They will know the sore spots and the built-in power and lighting capabilities. Many experts will be able to offer suggestions and provide before-and after pictures of different lighting arrangements.
Find Your Pro
You can find a wedding lighting expert in a few different ways. Ask your wedding designer first, as many of them do their own lighting. They may know a professional specializing in Wedding Lighting Hire in Sydney whom they work with regularly. The coordinator of your reception venue may also be able to recommend a lighting firm that has worked at the site in the past. Ask for pictures showing the space transformed with different lighting arrangements. You shouldn’t be surprised to find out that your lighting designer is a theater expert, as many use the same techniques and technology for weddings as they do on stage.
Inside vs. The Great Outdoors
The location of your celebration will have a major impact on the type of lighting that you need. You can get a better feel for how bright the sun is in the afternoon on the lawn and how much lighting there already is by planning a site-visit at the same time as your wedding. You’ll need to visit the venue with your vision for lighting in mind. Better yet, have a professional with you. Even if there is enough built-in light, adding additional options (such as hanging chandeliers), can help you achieve the desired vibe. You can check the lighting in the room to see what is most prominent.
Hosting outdoors? Visit after dark. You can then identify the areas that need to be lit to ensure your guests’ safety and to create a good mood. Ask your venue about outdoor outlets. Avoid fluorescent lights and floodlights. Take note of the limitations in both cases and come up with alternatives. Discuss how much electricity the lighting designer will need if you are hosting a at your home. You don’t want your band or DJ to blow a fuse by using the power in your home to run their speakers. If you’re worried that there will not be enough power, your lighting expert may bring a generator. It should be kept out of earshot.
Learn Lighting Lingo
These are some of the most common types of lighting used at weddings.
Pin Spot: An intense beam of light focused on an object such as a wedding cake or centerpiece, to create a highlight.
Color Wash: A blanket of colored lights covering an area to create mood or change look of built in decor.
Gobos: Circular styrene stencils placed over a light source to project a pattern or design onto a ceiling, wall or floor. Popular gobo designs include monograms, wedding motifs and dates.
LEDs: Short form for “light emitting diode”, LED lights consume less electricity and don’t heat up as much as regular incandescent bulbs. Wireless LEDs are even more discrete. LEDs can be used to create vibrant colors and color changing effects.
String Lighting: A string of lights which can create an amazing effect. (Think Christmas lights or market lights). Installation can be expensive, but lighting is relatively inexpensive.
Lighting Style
Learn what kind of lighting will work best with your wedding style.
Your Wedding S Style: Classic
Crystal chandeliers and wall lights are common fixtures in classic reception areas. They add a touch of elegance to the space without costing extra. Silver candelabras on dining tables will add a touch of glitz and provide a soft glow. Keep things modern? Pour the same romantic effect, fill glass hurricanes up with pillar candle. Use a gobo to add a monogram on your dance floor, or a spotlight to highlight a raw bar or an ice sculpture. Twinkle lights can be a magical addition to a dinner and dance under the stars. Don’t forget a sparkler send off, if the venue permits.
Your Wedding Style: Rustic
What about saying “I do” inside a barn? Market lights are a great place to start. Globe-style strands can add some whimsy and charm to your outdoor space. Each bulb is larger than twinkle lights or Christmas lights. This creates a lovely atmosphere while providing a lot of light. Line aisles for ceremonies or pathways outdoors with luminaries. The simple paper bags make a statement. If you want a more eclectic style, choose a chandelier with a unique treatment (think Edison bulbs or mason jars) or combine different styles of lighting. Designating areas within an open space can make it feel more intimate. For example, you could hang a chandelier above the lounge or use paper star lanterns to create a backdrop for a wedding ceremony.
Your Wedding Style: Romantic
Twinkle lights can be used to enhance your beautiful estate or castle. You can hang them vertically as a backdrop for a wedding ceremony, or drape them over a tent to create an effect of a canopy and starry sky. Consider hanging lanterns from the trees or using them to illuminate pathways if you are celebrating outside. Mini lanterns can also be used as cute escort card. Chandeliers can make any space feel more intimate. Pink color-washed lighting will give the entire room a romantic rose-colored glow. Ask guests to throw lanterns in the sky at the end of your evening with a message for the future.
Modern: Your Wedding Style
Color-wash lighting can add a party feel to an unfinished space (a gallery or a loft in the city). Choose colors that complement skin tones such as pinks or purples. Let them intensify over the course the evening. Pre-lit tables that literally glow from the inside give a modern, warm feel. Add LED lights to floral arrangements to create luminous stems. They can also be used as mood lighting and decor. You can also project stars onto the ceiling of the dance floor or illuminate the walls with cool gobo patterns. Another cool and techy option is a moving design or video project of blooming flowers or a busy cityscape.
Your Wedding Style: Edgy
Are you planning to exchange vows at a historic or converted warehouse? Lighting that complements your style will help you to showcase it. Use uplighting for weddings to highlight architectural details and add color. Look for iron lanterns that can be used as centerpieces and table lights. You can also use an Edison bulb chandelier to create a retro feel. Customize the ceremony area with a marquee sign, or vertical market lights. Are you hosting an after-party or a celebration? Enjoy some glow sticks in the ’90s style, or ask your bartender for LED cocktail stirrers to be added into your signature drink as a festive nightcap.