When it comes to lighting décor, you may be wondering where to start.  Remember that no one expects you to know about specific types of lighting fixtures.  For example, unless you have experience in theatre, the word “gobo” probably sounds more like the name of a Muppet character than a steel pattern.  One of the most important things to remember when booking wedding lighting is that you don’t need to be a lighting expert.  The type of equipment and number of lights are not important, as long as you can pinpoint the effect you want to achieve with your lighting.  Decide how you want your event to look, and you can trust the experts to take care of designing a package that fits your needs.  With that in mind, I will be covering some lighting décor options you can consider to make a statement on your big day:

Colorwashes

Colorwashing means literally using colored light to wash over the walls, transforming the look of your event space.  Essentially, it’s like painting a room with light.  This is the type of lighting that always provides the biggest “wow” factor, especially when the entire room completely changes from one color to another. 

Colorwashes are a great way to emphasize your event’s theme.  For example, if your color is pink, you can do a rosy colorwash on the walls to match your bridesmaid dresses. 

Or, you can add an additional pop of color as a fun way to draw your guest’s attention to a certain area of the room, like your head table or a floral arrangement.

Colorwashes can also enhance the atmosphere at your event.  For example, if you are planning a winter wedding, you  may want to steer away from blue lighting, which can make your guests feel colder, and instead opt for an amber hue to visually “warm up” the room.  The same logic can be used in reverse when planning your lighting décor for a summer wedding. 

In addition to setting the mood, colorwashes help transition your guest’s attention as the event progresses.  One idea is to wash the entire room in a pale color for dinner, so all attention is focused on the bride and groom, then change to a brighter, more vibrant color later to put guests in the mood for dancing. 

While colorwashes can provide a dramatic effect, they can also be used simply as a way to add more ambient light to the room and highlight beautiful architecture.  In this case, the room lights are dimmed and the lighting décor is a shade of “white” light or a very subtle hue.  The lighting then draws attention to certain areas without taking away from the beauty of your event space.

Have fun with colorwashing, but keep in mind that different lighting can make skin tones look different as well.  Unless your guests are aliens, the best colors to complement complexions are typically warmer hues like amber, red, and pink.  If you want to try a more unusual color, like green, it may be best to either keep it muted, change colors throughout the night, or use smaller splashes instead of washing an entire room in that shade.  Whatever effect you’d like to achieve, a lighting designer can help you accomplish it and set the mood at your event to give you and your guests a night to remember.