Adding Lighting will make the difference!

The knot did a great job at highlighting the importance of lighitng a venue. Why waste all that time and money, if your guest can't see what you've spent it on?

How to Light a Wedding!

15 Fun Ways to Light Up Your Wedding

Lisa Turner of California wrote a great blog post highlighting 15 Fun Ways to Light Up Your Wedding.

She has clearly done her homework and she list the most popular options for lighting. Her collection of photos are great and show some of "Big Impact" options available in the wedding industry.

There are many was to light a venue. Most commonly, couples will use house lighting, primarily consisting of wall sconces, chandeliers or recessed lighting. This is a minimal look and very clean. These lights can always be used throughout your event to add to or take away a desired look. Consider a different approach. Consider the entrance, patio, cocktail location, church, dinning room and of course the dance floor. 

The cost of lighting is not as much as most think. The trick to saving and getting a BIG look, is to find fixtures that can multipurpose. This way, with each moment of your event, the mood or ambiance can change to indicate a change in guest expectation. reinvesting into low cost addons such as candles, led strings, lanterns can accentuate those specail areas like a cake table, head table, gift table or even a center peice. 

Change your centerpiece to a stunning focal point.
Photo Credit: Stevie Ramos Photography

Consider addressing some look outside to indicate to your guest, this event will be like no other. A great DJ and lighting technician can make sure the lighting and music compliment one another. Think about the holidays; Christmas, Hunaka, Helloween. These days have a look that elicites a feeling and sets the mood for the day. Guest entering a blank room with plain lighting says what?

Set the mood and welcome your guest!

Imagine walking through the enterence above and entering the venue below. The blue lighting and tree lit pathway is welcoming and calming. Walking into the dinning area, sets the romantic mood and will encourage your guest to sit, eat and enjoy themselves. This two looks (depending on the size of the venue) would start around $400.00 Adding more trees, uplights and such would increase the cost. Compared to the cost of linens, chair, table and ties would easily cost $50-$200 a table! Keep the linens simple, save the money and reinvest in the overal look because with each light, every table feels the impact.

Lighting plants is a great way to highlight the venue.
Photo Credit: Amanda Marie Photography

Ask your DJ if they can help you create looks like these. Visit the 15 Fun Ways to Light Up Your Wedding and see what one bride put together for her event. If your DJ cannot help with lighting, visit M.R.K.Entertainment for Southern Maine Wedding DJ and Lighting Services. Our advice is always free, whether you book with us or not. 

Why Worry About Lighting?

In recent days, I've been asked by many brides, "Why should I worry about lighting?" Often over looked and at the same time, the fasting growing trend in Wedding "Looks" is the use of lighting effects to change the ambiance and mood. I will reply something like, "Do you want your venue looking exactly original or like the 50+ wedding prior to yours?" Using lighting, you can make a wedding event look entirely different from one hour to another. Unlike physical decorations, (paper, balloons, globes, fabric), once they are placed, you're stuck with that one look.

Lighting gives a client the ability to change the venue in a moments notice based upon desired looks. Moving between white and blue or pink is common, while quickly changing through a rainbow of effects will change an elegant mood to a raging party without upsetting the mature guest. Can you imagine painting the room in lights that complement the thousands of dollars you spent on gowns, suits and more. Why let the static and plain lights make your venue look okay, when it could look AMAZING!
Yes, you can just have a couple of disco lights, but this can also reek havoc on your wedding photos! In recent conversation with a local photographer, Stacia, she replied,
"DJ's who don't understand the process of a wedding and the lighting needs of the photographer can easily ruin many or most of the photographs by placing random gobos and lights on the faces of wedding party members during the most important moments."

With experince and knowledge, a good DJ will Program custom lighting shows to meet you vision and accompany the needs of other vendors like the photographer, videographer and caterer. The experience a of lighting technician will give you looks like no other, while protecting your images and memories that are being recorded.
Some couples express concern with the cost of lighting when they see the dramatic changes that are accessible once lighting is installed. Actually, Lighting is the MOST cost effective choice for decorating  choice, the least expensive. Seeing the images on this post, you would think these affects cost thousands. Actually, you're looking at a fraction of that price. Prices begin a few hundred and can climb into the thousands, depending on the venue size. If there are multiple rooms, halls, landings, and such, then there will be added cost. For most weddings and proms, the cost is on the lower end because most of these events have 150-250 people and simple locations. Consult with DJ Michael for more information about the cost of adding this feature to your event.
"How is lighting the most cost effective?" Have you ever priced the cost of decorations? Even then, you're not going to purchase one color or a couple table cloths. Venues WILL fine you if you use tape, nails, screws or damage the facility in any way. Pay a few fines and you'll be wishing you had lighting. Lighting does not affect the venue rules or regulations in anyway. Lighting is placed at strategic locations and secured with special fasteners. You won't need a variety of fabrics, or paper goods. Your DJ can assist in creating the color or colors you want in your venue. There is also no trash or cleaning to be done at the end of your event. This is better on our environment and on your wallet. Cleaning fees for linens are not cheap.
Lighting allows you to change, modify and alter the mood of a room quickly or slowly. Have you ever noticed that when it gets dark and quiet, you get sleepy? How do you feel when you see first fallen snow and outside looks pure and white? How about at sunset when you're watching the sun set from a great location and you feel the warms of the orange and yellow rays. See, lighting can make you feel a mood change. The advantage of lighting allows you the opportunity to quickly change the mood of your guest. When lights are carefully placed and cool colors are used, people are quiet and relaxed. When they become red, green and pinks, people become excited. Obviously, strobing lights either make you want to dance or be sick; this is be an option.
Having this control allows you to change how your guest act throughout the evening. When guest sit in the back of the room away from the dance floor, it can be intimidating to walk across the room and into the dance lights. When the room is lit up, they already feel as a part of of the group. Changing the lights will also send visual cues that the party has begun or it's time to grab someone special and hit the floor.
You should worry about lighting. You could save thousands by changing a simple room into an extraordinary venue, without the expensive venue cost. Schedule a consult now for more information!