Lighting is one of the most underrated wedding design elements- but its absence is significantly felt. It creates an overall atmosphere for the wedding and can enhance all the special details you have planned for your big day. Furthermore, you want guests to be able to see clearly & enjoy the festivities, and your photographers will thank you.
TL:DR
Shane Best, lighting designer and owner of Best Efex lighting; a great company here in Barbados that specializes in Event Lighting –shares why you should pay attention to your lighting plan for your wedding. With a passion for creating unique and outstanding event lighting designs, Shane has spent over six years curating unique equipment and demonstrating his expertise in this field.
We are all after a wedding design that reflects our personality, style and individuality. Shane emphasized that lighting is key to creating a WOW factor in your event design. Not only does it create a “fairy tale finish”, but it can also be considered as a “secret weapon” of professional designers and photographers. Lighting definitely enhances your décor and can be manipulated to further bring your theme or colour scheme to life. What is more romantic than twinkling, warm fairy lights?
It also highlights every detail- What is the point of spending time choosing the perfect shade of teal ribbon for your wedding cake if it won’t show up at a glance? A pin spot light can be set to illuminate the showpieces of your day to perfection and result in magazine-worthy photos!
Lighting options for your wedding
1) Candlelight- candles inspire so many good things, including peace and romance. You can use LED candles or real candles with a barrier at the bottom to stop wax spilling. Pro tip: if you are using candles in a vase, you can add a little water to the bottom so the wax won’t stick.
2) String lights- fairy lights or the larger bistro lights are always a hit! Incredibly versatile, these can be hung overhead to mimic a starry night or used to highlight trees, photo areas, or anywhere, really!
3) Chandeliers and pendants- not only do these look beautiful, but they are required to ensure that there is enough functional lighting for both design and practical use. These are especially important for tents!
4) Uplighting- the king of the lighting arsenal, nothing is as effective at creating a design beyond your imagination! With unlimited colour options, a professional lighting designer can manipulate these to achieve amazing effects… have your wedding feel like a watercolour painting or a winter wonderland!
5) Pin Spot lights- these are powerful lights that are placed on focal points such as the wedding cake or centrepieces to illuminate them so they photograph perfectly.
6) Gobo Lights- These are used to project patterns or words in your wedding design. You can get custom GOBO lights with your monogram or names to make your wedding lighting unique.
Creating your own plan
Once you have booked your venue and designer, you can begin considering your lighting plan. You want to make sure you know the venue requirements and restrictions before setting your heart on impractical designs.
Discuss with your wedding planner or decorator what types of lighting you are interested in, and find a balance between functional lighting- you want guests to be able to see each other and their food easily- and decorative lighting to enhance your theme and wedding vibe.