Lighting is a critical aspect of a wedding reception. Discover the different ways to light your venue.

Get the ambience just right. Lighting sets the whole tone for your wedding. It creates atmosphere and atmosphere is everything. It’s important to have the right style and amount of lighting that will set the vibe of your wedding, whether it be relaxed, classical, magical or romantic.

One extra special detail about your wedding day that takes it to another level is stunning lighting effects. You may not have thought about this yet- but the lighting can increase the ambience of your wedding celebration. The perfect lighting for your wedding reception provides a number of beautiful effects: It welcomes your guests into an exquisite and magical space for your reception It will look amazing as a backdrop to your photos and video It will compliment your theme and the décor of the venue Lighting can create a wonderland finish with just a few twinkling lights and candles. for modern to vintage and all in between. Lighting design is very scalable and can be tailored to suit your wedding venue If you aren’t totally happy with the lights provided, or you just want to add a new dimension to your wedding decorations, here are some popular ideas for lighting your wedding reception. • Choose lighting that suits your venue.

There are so many lighting options available these days, from a glamorous, draped ceiling with chandeliers to a string of vintage bulbs over your tables. Vintage Lighting Ideas For true vintage glamour nothing beats glass chandeliers suspended above the tables. Check with your venue whether you are allowed to temporarily install these and if your venue isn’t that large limit yourself to one chandelier in the centre of the room or above the top table. Depending on the decade you are aiming for, you can pick up vintage lamps to reflect your theme. Lava lamps or rotaflex lampshades can give a 1960s feel, while those looking for 1970s lighting could pick up orange, yellow, and brown lamp shades in a range of geometric patterns. Nothing adds romance to the atmosphere like the soft glow of a candle flame, and many brides choose these as a simple and low budget way to light their reception venue. Candles can be used as stand alone table centres when grouped together in a variety of colours or shapes, or when placed in storm lanterns.

They can also be wired into floral arrangements or floated on water. Using scented candles can add fragrance to your reception venue as well as providing light. Outdoor Lighting Ideas Lighting is essential for an outdoor wedding that will go on into the evening, and outdoor lighting can be really effective way of decorating your venue. Citronella candles will have the added benefit of keeping the bugs away, and they can be placed in hanging lanterns so that the wind doesn’t blow them out. Flaming torches on long poles can add a dramatic edge to your wedding theme, and look great at the entrance to your venue. Your venue may not allow open flames, especially in mid summer if there are a lot of trees in the area. Outdoor fairly lights can be equally as charming, especially if they are artfully placed in trees and bushes. Use fairy lights to highlight any particular features of your venue Chandeliers are an old favorite for wedding venues, but they are a wonderful effect. They can take you back to a variety of historical periods, or bring a modern feel to everything. We like the 1920s feel created by these chandeliers. Fairylight Curtains and Ceiling Drapery offer this kind of service in the Sydney area, talk to them about inspiration for your ideal day, and have great reviews. Here is a review from Tiffany: “The draperies and fairy lights really added the magical touch to the night!” Candles can do a thousand things. You can create a vintage themed look with candlelight, or take it to the complete other end of the scale and have the most sleek and modern candles you could find. Wonderful vendors of modern candles include Styled Candle Co who can tailor your candles to your exact colours and scents, and also send some home with your guests as bonbonniere.

Or, get White Label Hire to fill up the rooms with breathtaking candles and florals like the image below. Lighting is a great way to create a mood and can enhance your theme. There are many lighting options from which you can choose, from fun and exciting to elegant and formal. Letters You could hire gorgeous vintage look letters spelling out words like love, or get some of your ownintials, or use a word that means a lot to the two of you, like “forever”, your hashtag, “I do” etc! The sky is the limit. Fireworks You’ll need a venue that allows this, but some lighting effects come with the venue or can be hired in by specialists from our vendor partners such as those on the Decorations section of our wedding directory. Pyrotechnics Who doesn’t love a bit of sparkle? Real Weddings couple Effie and Matt had a luxurious Melbourne wedding on the river’s edge and enjoyed their first dance with a little something extra…. pyrotechnics! It really adds to the visual impact of the venue. Lanterns Lanterns again are wonderfully versatile and can create a world of different effects, from rustic to contemporary. Consider St Andrews conservatory, a gorgeous venue in Melbourne with lovely lanterns in the ceiling. The venue has impeccable reviews, including this recent review from Sheridan: “St. Andrews Conservatory is PURE MAGIC. The Quality of service is second to none. The venue speaks for itself – it is well decorated, functional in design and is the perfect space for a mid-sized wedding (we had a cocktail wedding of approx 120 guests).

The staff were so polite and went above and beyond to ensure our guests had the best time. Most importantly, this venue is incredibly well priced. I cannot fault this venue.

All I can say is BOOK IT! you won’t regret it.” Gobo Lighting Gobo, which stands for “Goes Before Optics,” is a very popular form of lighting in weddings and events. A gobo is a stencil that slides over a light source to project an image onto a surface. Gobos are used to project monograms, dates, and other wedding-themed designs and patterns and are a fun way to add a personal touch to the lighting effects at your wedding. They can also be used to easily decorate an otherwise plain wall. From a typical monogram of the bride and groom’s initials to a starry night sky on the ceiling, gobo lighting can be used in a variety of classy and tasteful ways to enhance any wedding. Another fun way to light up your outdoor reception is with string lights or bistro lights. You can use as many strands as you’d like to create the perfect setting. Use more strands to create a canopy effect over different sections of the wedding, such as dinner tables or a dance floor. Or, keep it simple with just a few strands to cast a romantic glow over the reception. These lights are a great DIY option and are very affordable. They aren’t just for Christmas decorations anymore! A classic lighting technique is to use candles to illuminate a pathway or light up each table. Candles are very versatile and can be used to accent any element of your wedding or reception, indoors or outdoors. Use pillar or votive candles to light up the pathway and create an enchanting ambiance as you walk down the aisle. If you’re feeling creative, many different shapes and sizes of candles can be put together to create your own beautiful table centerpiece.

Tea candles also serve as a fantastic light source for outdoor pathways and gardens. Place a tea candle in a mason jar or glass bowl to instantly transform these simple items into classy décor. You can also hang these jars from tree branches to light up your outdoor reception. There are endless possibilities with candles, and they are another great DIY option for the cost-conscious bride Before even going down the path of deciding what lighting to use, you and your partner will need to set a wedding budget you’re comfortable with. The next step is to then break that budget down and allocate amounts to the main areas – catering, venue, lighting, AV, dress etc. This will help manage your expectations as you’ll need to be realistic in what you want and what you can afford. Of course, we’re not expecting you to know this straight up so it’s important that you keep an open mind about how your wedding will look and let the event experts come up with the best lighting solution that fits your budget. A good way to approach this is to think of it as a shopping trolley, “I’ll have a bit of this and a bit of that”.