Evening Wedding Inspiration: Event Lighting

If you’re considering a night time wedding ceremony or just want some evening wedding inspiration read on! We’ve narrowed this design inspiration down to the most important element to consider for night time events: lighting.

Believe it or not, lighting does more than just make it possible for you to see in the dark! It can create a mood:intimate, serene, grand; be part of the design:color and pattern, centerpiece, spotlights; and create and define space.    

Creating a mood with lighting does take some thought, though most wedding venues already have the lights set up in the most useful and flattering position for their building, room, gardens or grounds. Make sure to specify your requests, for dimmer lighting and a romantic feel or for a specific color lighting. This way you will find out what is already available and consider whether or not you need to hire additional event lighting or just add personal touches such as candleabras, lanterns, or twinkle string lights. Consider different forms of lighting such as flood lights, uplights, or spotlights. Uplights can be very dramatic in defining corners of a room to make it look larger, or by highlighting specific areas or design aspects like a beautiful bunch of palm trees or foliage around a pond or a ceremony pergola or archway. They can also make a very elegant statement when set against tapestry linens, curtains or draped fabric along the walls or on the ceiling of a room, event tent, or other outdoor structure. Flood lights fill large or small spaces with light, and spotlights and other decorative lighting can be used on the dance floor for a monogram or to focus the attention on the couple as they have their first dance. Working with an event planner, event lighting professional, or the A/V staff at a venue can help you decide what would work best for your needs. You can also browse this great article by Superlative Events to see photos and definitions of different event lights. You might also like this article: Uplighting: Why to incorporate it into your wedding, by Chicago-based Event DJ and Entertainment Company, MJ Unique Events.

A charming glow for a Rustic, Fairytale, or Starry Starry Night themed wedding. Find this picture and other great lighting ideas on our new favorite wedding blog: Bow Ties and Bliss.

Lighting as design can be as simple as selecting rustic looking lanterns or sparkling crystal chandeliers to complement your style or theme. If your event is indoors with a lot of wall space consider lighting or projecting patterns on the walls as part of your décor. You can even project against the side of a building if your event is outdoors.

From "10 Amazing Outdoor Pendant Lighting Ideas That Will MystifyYour Special Party Night" 

Defining space with lighting can take some creativity and can also be combined with some ideas shared above. For example, use fabric wall dividers with a simple uplight in the corner to draw people to the space and then include a low table for drinks and soft candle light to create more intimate seating at your cocktail reception where people can mingle about or relax after dinner before hitting the dance floor some more. Hang paper lanterns or camping lanterns from a tree with some beanches or comfy chairs beneath it. These can be playful and appreciated even at an early evening event where it is not completely dark yet. A really unique idea we came across was a bunch of umbrellas hung with string lights underneath. A unique design perfect for defining the space and very memorable as back drop for photos.

Whatever you decide on for your event, have fun and let your own creative style shine through! Love from VW.