The lighting at your wedding reception can create a magical environment for your special day. I would be hard pressed to find a bride and groom who do not have a fond memory of watching fireworks, looking up at a night sky and seeing the millions of pin points of light or enjoying a romantic candlelight dinner. Just think back to some of the most memorable times of your relationship and you will probably remember that the lighting set much of the "mood" for the event!
It is unlikely that you will enjoy the lighting if it is the typical suspended-ceiling fluorescent lighting! Special lighting will make a tremendous difference...but lighting that will set off your wedding does not come by accident. It must be planned. It can be planned to create drama, romance, fantasy or other moods.
There are numerous different types of lights that can be used to light up the reception hall. These lights are usually not provided by the venue but obtained from a "Lighting Professional". They include:
Up-lights
Washes
Spot Lights
Pin points
Gobo lights
Beam lighting
Under table lights
Architectural
All of these lights come in two main subtypes, incandescent and LED. Each type has advantages and disadvantages but more and more the market is being overtaken by the LED because they do not create heat, a dangerous attribute of the incandescent. In addition, they can be programmed to "beat with the music" or if linked with special wiring, can be controlled from afar to change color over the course of the evening or intermittently told to flash based on the music. Also, because they pull so little energy there is little likelihood of popping a circuit breaker at an inopportune time! These lights are typically rented from a "Lighting Professional".
The foundation of wedding reception lighting is up-lighting. By placing special "can" lights strategically around the venue that shine up onto the wall, you accent the texture of the walls, or dramatically change the look of any room. You can match a specific color to create the mood you wish.
Washes are basically lights that cast broadly casting swaths of light. They come in a variety of colors and add the opportunity to light walls in a more even manner than the up lights. They can be hung from ceiling supports, placed on tripods or ganged in special trusses. Commonly used behind the bridal table or the band, they provide a "backdrop" that creates pleasing photographs. These lights also can be programmed to change color during the course of the reception.
Spotlights are lights that do just that, cast a spot of light on a specific area of a reception. They can be fixed in place and used to highlight the cake or manually moved to place emphasis on a specific activity such as when the bride and groom enter the venue or spotlight the best man as he toasts the bride and groom. Obviously the manually controlling a spotlight will require the use of a lighting assistant to move and manage the light(s).
Pinpoint lights are lights that highlight a very small area. They are similar to the spotlights but smaller and more precise. These lights can be set up to light a centerpiece on the bridal table or some other object such as an ice sculpture. When these are set up, you need to tell the lighting professional to avoid having these very intense lights shine in people's faces.
Gobo lights are similar to the old-fashioned 35 mm projectors. Gobo is short for "goes between the optics". They cast a focused light that has a gobo slide created just for the event. It can be the bride and groom's name, a monogram or just about anything you choose. The "slide" is laser cut steel or a high temperature tolerant glass. The steel gobo will be casting just the color of the light. A glass gobo can project in numerous colors just like a 35mm slide. Gobo's also come in standard images, think hearts, or custom made initials or names. The cost of the slide is about $10 for the standard images; custom made gobo's cost about $100. Numerous Internet sites sell these. Make sure you know the exact shape and size of the gobo projector being used as the gobo slides come in different sizes and shapes. Your lighting professional can advise you on this.
Light beams are lights where the actual beam shows up due to fog being released into the event venue. These can be of various colors, shapes and number. They typically flash to the beat of the music and look like laser beams! But remember, without the fog machine, all that will show up is where the actual light lands.
Under table lighting is also common in weddings. The choices are as simple as a "shop light" to a computer controlled, color coordinated, LED light. Just make sure that if you choose this option you coordinate it with the other lights and use them sparingly, perhaps under a bar table or cake table.
Architectural lighting is lighting that highlights specific architectural features of the building. These can be placed outside or inside. Your venue will dictate if these types of fixtures are needed or desired.
Each of the above lights are typically obtained from a "Lighting Professional" for about $40 to $60 for each fixture used depending upon the number, type and time needed to set up and tear down. A typical wedding can use 15-30 different lights so they can add up quickly!
As a co-owner of awedding event facility I must ask one thing! Before entering into a contract with a "Lighting Professional" make sure he meets with the venue management. Some combinations of lighting fixtures require enormous amounts of electricity and they may end up popping circuit breakers! Together the venue and lighting professional can work it out without disrupting the reception with a black out!
So as a summary, do not be satisfied with just the "house lights" of a reception venue. The use of light can dramatically change the look and mood of any wedding reception. A lighting professional can offer advice on where to begin and where to stop. Remember that you are not attempting to create a Disney Land "Light Parade" but a wedding celebration. Your total budget can be just a few hundred dollars to well over a $1000 depending on how you choose, so choose wisely!
It is unlikely that you will enjoy the lighting if it is the typical suspended-ceiling fluorescent lighting! Special lighting will make a tremendous difference...but lighting that will set off your wedding does not come by accident. It must be planned. It can be planned to create drama, romance, fantasy or other moods.
There are numerous different types of lights that can be used to light up the reception hall. These lights are usually not provided by the venue but obtained from a "Lighting Professional". They include:
Up-lights
Washes
Spot Lights
Pin points
Gobo lights
Beam lighting
Under table lights
Architectural
All of these lights come in two main subtypes, incandescent and LED. Each type has advantages and disadvantages but more and more the market is being overtaken by the LED because they do not create heat, a dangerous attribute of the incandescent. In addition, they can be programmed to "beat with the music" or if linked with special wiring, can be controlled from afar to change color over the course of the evening or intermittently told to flash based on the music. Also, because they pull so little energy there is little likelihood of popping a circuit breaker at an inopportune time! These lights are typically rented from a "Lighting Professional".
The foundation of wedding reception lighting is up-lighting. By placing special "can" lights strategically around the venue that shine up onto the wall, you accent the texture of the walls, or dramatically change the look of any room. You can match a specific color to create the mood you wish.
Washes are basically lights that cast broadly casting swaths of light. They come in a variety of colors and add the opportunity to light walls in a more even manner than the up lights. They can be hung from ceiling supports, placed on tripods or ganged in special trusses. Commonly used behind the bridal table or the band, they provide a "backdrop" that creates pleasing photographs. These lights also can be programmed to change color during the course of the reception.
Spotlights are lights that do just that, cast a spot of light on a specific area of a reception. They can be fixed in place and used to highlight the cake or manually moved to place emphasis on a specific activity such as when the bride and groom enter the venue or spotlight the best man as he toasts the bride and groom. Obviously the manually controlling a spotlight will require the use of a lighting assistant to move and manage the light(s).
Pinpoint lights are lights that highlight a very small area. They are similar to the spotlights but smaller and more precise. These lights can be set up to light a centerpiece on the bridal table or some other object such as an ice sculpture. When these are set up, you need to tell the lighting professional to avoid having these very intense lights shine in people's faces.
Gobo lights are similar to the old-fashioned 35 mm projectors. Gobo is short for "goes between the optics". They cast a focused light that has a gobo slide created just for the event. It can be the bride and groom's name, a monogram or just about anything you choose. The "slide" is laser cut steel or a high temperature tolerant glass. The steel gobo will be casting just the color of the light. A glass gobo can project in numerous colors just like a 35mm slide. Gobo's also come in standard images, think hearts, or custom made initials or names. The cost of the slide is about $10 for the standard images; custom made gobo's cost about $100. Numerous Internet sites sell these. Make sure you know the exact shape and size of the gobo projector being used as the gobo slides come in different sizes and shapes. Your lighting professional can advise you on this.
Light beams are lights where the actual beam shows up due to fog being released into the event venue. These can be of various colors, shapes and number. They typically flash to the beat of the music and look like laser beams! But remember, without the fog machine, all that will show up is where the actual light lands.
Under table lighting is also common in weddings. The choices are as simple as a "shop light" to a computer controlled, color coordinated, LED light. Just make sure that if you choose this option you coordinate it with the other lights and use them sparingly, perhaps under a bar table or cake table.
Architectural lighting is lighting that highlights specific architectural features of the building. These can be placed outside or inside. Your venue will dictate if these types of fixtures are needed or desired.
Each of the above lights are typically obtained from a "Lighting Professional" for about $40 to $60 for each fixture used depending upon the number, type and time needed to set up and tear down. A typical wedding can use 15-30 different lights so they can add up quickly!
As a co-owner of awedding event facility I must ask one thing! Before entering into a contract with a "Lighting Professional" make sure he meets with the venue management. Some combinations of lighting fixtures require enormous amounts of electricity and they may end up popping circuit breakers! Together the venue and lighting professional can work it out without disrupting the reception with a black out!
So as a summary, do not be satisfied with just the "house lights" of a reception venue. The use of light can dramatically change the look and mood of any wedding reception. A lighting professional can offer advice on where to begin and where to stop. Remember that you are not attempting to create a Disney Land "Light Parade" but a wedding celebration. Your total budget can be just a few hundred dollars to well over a $1000 depending on how you choose, so choose wisely!
