Event Lighting.....Is it really necessary?

When working with clients on their event or wedding,  I’m often asked if lighting is really needed.   After all, it’s an additional expense that most clients have not figured into their overall budget.   The short answer is YES, make room for lighting.  It can make a huge impact when you walk into the room.  Whether you’re looking for your room to look magical, whimsical, sophisticated, or intimate, lighting will transform your venue.  Here’s some different lighting options for you to consider.

Pin spotting the centerpieces on your table.  This is a light(s) that is hung and directed at your centerpiece to highlight it’s beauty.  No, your votive candles or the overhead chandelier will not spotlight it in the same way.  Votive candles provide sparkle and ambiance but won’t direct the light at the centerpiece.

Up lighting and color washing the walls.  This allows you to make the walls (or columns, etc) glow.  You can add a warm color that matches the color of your event.  It allows the room to be light enough but not stark and bright with overhead lights.

Lighting your bars, buffets, and other décor.  Want to highlight different areas of the room?  This is a great way to do so.   It’s also fun to use illuminated bars and buffets for a cool, modern look.

Light your dance floor or stage.  Lighting your dance floor provides an area to spotlight your guests dancing.  Gobos (a light that projects a custom stencil, like your monogram or a logo, onto a flat surface like a wall or floor) are a terrific way to customize your event.  Don’t forget to showcase your band by adding b-lights or spotlights.

Textured lighting.  Want a pattern like leaves or water on your floors or wall?  Textured lighting is a fun way to carry your theme throughout an event.

Paper lanterns. Lanterns are popular for weddings and other fun events.    They come in a variety of colors and look fantastic whether it’s just a few or a “sea” of them.

Twinkle lights.   These type of lights can look beautiful strung on trees, as a ceiling in a tent, outlining a room, and more.  This is a terrific way to get a romantic feeling in your room.

Professional lighting companies can guide you through the design of your room and suggest great ways to use lighting.   View  images online by entering "event lighting" into a search to see different ways to light up your event.

Honeymoon Fun

I remember , when I got married, being very focused on planning my wedding.  I had an oh-my-gosh moment several weeks before my wedding when I realized I had “forgotten” that I was going on my honeymoon two days after the wedding.   I think a lot of brides and grooms “forget” about their honeymoon in all the hubbub of planning.  What a treat to have after the exhilaration, fun, and exhaustion that comes with planning your perfect day.

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Meghan and Stephen

I had the privilege of working with Meghan and Stephen last year for their fall wedding.   From the start, I knew Meghan was a very stylish bride with lots of fun ideas.      When she told me she wanted to use ornamental pepper plants, citron yellow and purple, and  pinwheels, I was a little puzzled and not sure how it would all come together.  In the end, I was so happy and amazed to see that she and Stephen got a truly unique and special wedding and it looked wonderful.

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Let Them Eat Cake

One of my favorite parts of the wedding planning process is choosing the cake for the reception.  The style and design of the cake is a beautiful accent to the décor of your reception.  Whether you love the smooth and highly moldable look of fondant or the traditional beauty and deliciousness of buttercream icing, there's a cake out there you’re sure to love.  (Unless you’re not a cake person.  More on that later.)

I always tell brides and grooms to find lots and lots of pictures of cakes that they like the look of.  Do you like highly decorated, colorful, themed, smooth, floral, etc?  Colors and themes can always be changed.    It’s nice for the cake maker to be able to see what the bride and groom are envisioning.  There are thousands of themes and ideas for cake.  Having a few pictures and color ideas is really helpful.

Often couples come to a cake tasting with some idea of flavor in mind for their wedding cake.  Always try everything!  I recently had a bride and groom who thought they knew what they wanted and went so far as to say they didn’t like coconut.  Guess which cake they ended up picking?  Yup….coconut.  It’s also very popular to pick a different flavor for each different layer of the cake.  Make sure you pick your favorite for your top layer.

Read more: Let Them Eat Cake