Your Ultimate Wedding Lighting Guide

Wedding lighting is one of the most underappreciated aspects of wedding planning. Wedding lighting creates an atmosphere and highlights all of the elements you've worked on with your wedding dream team for months.

However, lighting isn't just for displaying your wonderful taste in décor. Guests won't be able to enjoy their meals or the dance floor adequately if the lighting isn't enough. You'll also want your images to be stunning. You can't perform any of those things if the lighting is bad or insufficient.

If you're not sure where to begin, don't know what questions to ask a lighting designer, or simply need some inspiration for your wedding style, this wedding lighting guide will take you through the process.

Quick Tips For Wedding Lighting Guide Lingo

Color Wash

Color washing is a general splash of color that covers the entire room and doesn't draw attention to any one spot. This is because it "washes" the entire room in the color of your choice.

Gobo Lighting

A personalized template through which light shines to produce a pattern, monogram, or theme on the floor, ceiling, or wall is known as gobo lighting.

LED Light

This isn't a form of light, but rather a bulb that is less expensive, lasts longer, and produces a more bright color than a standard bulb.

Pendants

Drop or suspender lights are other names for pendant lights. These are single pendant lights that are suspended from the ceiling.

Pinspot

Pinspots are small lights that are used to illuminate a small area, such as table centerpieces.

Spotlight

Spotlight lamps that project a narrow beam of light on a specific area or object are known as spotlights.

Lights on a String

Twinkle lights, fairy lights, bistro lighting, and cafe lights are all terms used to describe these lights. These light strands are incredibly popular since they are the most versatile and cost-effective solution to light up any place.

Lighting with Texture

Similar to Gobo light, but with a pre-programmed pattern such as leaves or a starry night sky.

Uplighting

Uplighting is exactly what it sounds like: it illuminates the tip. These lights are set on the floor to illuminate the varied colors of the walls and furnishings.

Questions To Ask Your Lighting Designer And Venue

It's crucial to take your lighting designer on a tour of your wedding location so they can grasp the requirements for your specific space. If you're having a daytime wedding, try to arrange your walkthrough around the same time as your event to get a feel for the natural lighting.

Similarly, if your wedding or reception will take place at night, plan a nighttime walkthrough to determine how much light would be required to appropriately illuminate the room. Don't forget to ask your lighting designer and venue organizer the following questions during your walk-through.

Questions For Your Lighting Designer

How long will it take you to put up and tear down?
How much power will the full lighting arrangement require?
Will the designer be on-site for operation and/or maintenance concerns during the wedding?

Questions For Your Venue

During the walkthrough, your lighting designer or wedding planner will most likely ask these questions. However, if you're doing your own lighting, be sure you know the answers to these questions. They'll have an impact on your capacity to create the ideal atmosphere on your wedding day.