Several observations have led up to today’s post:
1) The disappointment in my friend’s face when she told us that the pictures of her wedding altar with her wedding party barely showed up because of the poorly lit space. What could we say? You can’t really go back and fix that.
2) The moodiness that we experience on cloudy days where the sun hides.
3) The abundance of lighting in any given house even when a single light bulb would take care of an entire room.
My hypothesis based upon my observations (my science teacher would be so proud…):
LIGHTING IS IMPORTANT.
We like a room to be lit properly, and for every wedding there is a certain lighting scheme that makes or breaks a room. Even an ugly room can look better with the right kinds of lighting. Whether you want dark and romantic or light and airy, the proper lighting can do wonders.
So let’s start from the basics and work our way up, shall we?
Candlelight – Get that glow going by lighting some twinkling tea lights in some beautiful votives on your tables. Float a candle in a vase of water. Give your guests candles to light their way. The gentle randomness of a candle’s glow can certainly add to the ambiance of a space. (Depending on your ceremony and reception areas, you may or may not be able to have open flame candles. If you can’t, opt for the battery operated flickering tea lights. They look fairly realistic.)
Lanterns – Whether they are paper or metal, lanterns are a great way to house an open flame or a light bulb in a safe and beautiful container. Lanterns can throw gentle light over a large space, and they look great whether they are all by themselves or massed together!
String Lights – Not just for Christmas, various sorts of string lights can really add to the glow of a room. Whether they are out in the open or hidden, the tiny lights resemble more candlelight or even fireflies. Put them everywhere! Under tables, under tulle, in vases, around your cake, strung above your dance floor!
Can lighting and pin lighting – Whether it’s to add some depth to understated columns or to highlight a specific area, can lighting and pin lighting can be a way to add instant drama.
Colorwash – Don’t like the stark white walls? Bored with beige? A colorwash lighting system can completely change the color to pretty much anything you’d like. You can even have the lighting gradually change throughout the evening from one color to the next!
Gobos – Now we’re getting fancy with customized stencils that can go over can lights and spot lights to add a message or names to wherever the light shines. How fun would it be for your lighted names to jump around the dance floor as your guests are dancing?
Does all this lighting jargon sound like a short circuit waiting to happen? No worries, my friends. There are plenty of professionals out there who are license and experienced in setting up event lighting. For example, we are having our rental company, AAA Rents, install string lighting on just about every inch of surface for our wedding. They will get up on those high ladders, they’ll make sure the electrical stuff is where it needs to be, and they’re even installing a dimmer! We have several rental companies and lighting experts in the Quad Cities, so do a little checking around to see how you can add that GLOW to your wedding! J
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