Come on baby light my … reception space!

Special lighting techniques can really add a lot to your reception (or wedding) space. They can help hide ugly walls or accentuate pretty ones. They can make a space more elegant, romantic, crazy or fun! They can truly transform an ordinary space into an extraordinary one.

So, if you’re looking into having some special lighting brighten your big day, here are a few basic lighting techniques you might like to know about!

PIN SPOT Think of this as a spot light … but a very tiny one. It shoots a beam of light at one particular object, lighting up only that object. These work perfectly for cakes and centerpieces.

This great shot is from Pacific Weddings.

LED These great little numbers are fabulous for weddings. They come in a number of colors, emit less heat and use less electricity than regular light bulbs, and can easily be used for light color changes. Sometimes, wireless LED lights can be used, meaning they can be placed almost anywhere. If you’re looking to spice up a room with some color or just accent a particular area, look into LED lights.

Below is an example of a LED color change, from blue to pink, to help give the area a different ambiance during different parts of the evening.

These images are from Our Wedding Plus.

COLOR WASH A color wash is basically a technique that fills the room with a particular color, transforming a white room, perhaps, into a green, purple, or pink room. This is perfect for a lounging area near the dance floor or another space where people aren’t really trying to see what they are eating (at least in my opinion).

GOBOS These stencils can be custom made to fit your specific needs (monogram, special designs, etc.). They can withstand extreme heat, which is fabulous considering they are placed over light that project their image onto a wall, dance floor, or some other service. Check out this video with a bunch of great examples of what gobos and do.

Here is one last picture from Bridalwave using a combination of lighting techniques - very visually stimulating! See how much it transforms the space? On its own, the space looks like an elegant area, but with the lights we get something that looks more like a club. Love it!

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