Lighting

Lighting by Cadence Studios

If you’re using a DJ, they may bring their own lights for the dance floor, but there are other ways to use lights to add color and ambiance to your wedding. When done well, lighting can make everything look better, from your wedding cake to your guests.

Where you celebrate will greatly impact the kind of lighting you’ll need. Before settling on a concept, try to plan a site visit for the same time of day as your wedding—you’ll get a better idea of how much lighting, whether natural or built-in, exists in the space you’re using.

Uplighting is one of the more popular wedding lighting options, and for good reason too. The proper placement of uplighting can do wonders and transform even the most basic of spaces into a dramatic room. Uplighting creates a new perspective on familiar items. Architectural features like columns, windows, and ceilings can be lit for ambient effect. Materials like unfinished brick and plaster often look dynamic and beautiful when uplit. This adds a flash of drama that is crucial in an otherwise ordinary space.

TERMS TO KNOW

While there are many different types of lighting that can be used, here are the most common types of lighting used for wedding decor.

Pin spot: A focused beam of light that shines directly onto an object, like a centerpiece or wedding cake, as a highlight effect.

Color wash: Basically a blanket of colored light covering an entire area to create a mood or change the look of built-in décor.

Gobos: Circular stencils that are put over a light to project a design or pattern onto a wall, ceiling or floor. Monograms, dates and wedding motifs are popular gobo designs.

String lighting: A strand of lights that can create a magical effect (think Christmas or market lights). An installation can be labor-intensive, but the lighting itself is fairly budget-friendly.

Uplights: Small lighting units that are placed on the floor around the perimeter of your venue. The lights will illuminate the walls from floor to ceiling with colored light.