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!

GOBO's Add Elegance

CUSTOM GOBO'S

A custom gobo can add another level of elegance to your event. These gobo's show your comittment and dedication to this day.

These images can be projected on the wall, floor or ceiling. In some cases, they can be multiplied, rotated, moved and diffused.

A great effect is to have the Wedding Party Introductions and have this image appear as the Bride & Groom are introduced. Another effect is ito have it move or multiple when the first dance begins.

The cost of gobos varies upon the size, detail and glass vs. steel. For the most part, a simple gobo can be added for as little as $50 and up to several hundred (this is for 3D Glass Gobos). When you think about the "Wow" factor of a simple table tent or bouquet, the cost of a gobo is minimal.

At M.R.K.Entainment, you will keep the gobo at the end of the event (for all custom gobo's). You will also recieve instructions on how to recycle and use it at other events in the future, if you so choose.

So why settle for simple lighting, when you can add a WOW factor for little expense. 

WANT TO KNOW MORE? CLICK HERE TO ARRANGE A CONSULTATION

EMAIL Michael Here

Up Lighiting Do's & Don'ts

Ever want that up lighting look but you don't want to the cost associated? You're in Luck!

The cost of uplighting has dropped significantly. What you will want is current LED products like the image below. These lights do not give off heat and they give you incredible flexiblity in color choices.

THIS 

NOT THIS!
These get incredibly HOT! They become a fire hazard and a safety hazard fro your guest. These are what we used 10 years ago! If you see your entertainer setting these up, make they take them down.







The cost of these units (LED) have dropped, but many DJ's have not caught up with the change. You might talk with an entertainer and find that they want to use Par Cans; don't let them!

One of the reasons entertainers have not made the switch is because quality units are more expensive than par cans. Then again, people seldom want to retire old gear.

Another reason why mobile entertainers what to stay with the old system is because they don't truly understand DMX. It is CRITICAL that you find an entertainer who is comfortable with DMX protocol, this way your venue can change colors with the mood, moment or special timing. None lighting specialist will have difficulty with programming and ensuring that your day happens without errors. 

The cost of adding uplighting to a venue depends upon your venue size, both square and cubic footage. An entertainer will need prior access to circut plans, and room measurements, to include the height of the room. Your entertainer will also need extra time to program.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? CLICK HERE TO ARRANGE A CONSULTATION

EMAIL Michael Here

Hidden Cost or Real Charges

A question I often get is in regards to charges and fees. Too often, we are taken for granted with these two terms. Get a credit card with low interest, miss a payment and you'll learn quickly about hidden fees and charges. I have personally met people who were hit with hundreds of dollars in charges; it's scary. As a DJ,  we want to eliminate these fears to be sure you can enjoy your day without worry.

I know dozens of DJ's in my area. many of these DJ's don't chage for an array of services. When I ask about how they cover the expenses, they just laugh and say, "We just charge even more, this way we can make money on the services that are "included."" In other words, the cost just went up so they can tell you they don't charge for extra expenses.

Here is a list of expenses that I frequently encounter:

• Custom Lighting
• Extra Equipment
• Longer Cabling
• Rental of a Generator
• Extra Access to the Venue
• More Labor for Complex Setups
• Extra Travel Time
• More Gas for Travel
• Wear & Tear on Vehicles
• Custom Gobos (price ranges $10-$500)
• And many, many more...

I can see how clients would be scared of "hidden fees." Hidden expenses make us all frustrated. I'd encourage other DJ's to take my advice and itemize the expenses for your clients. Show the client what they are paying for and how much it cost. Obviously, if you spend an extra $200 on a custom gobo that will only work for this one client, they don't expect you to cover that expense. I don't feel that any client would be against paying for expenses that are legitimate.

At M.R.K.E., we will itemize all your expenses, so you can see where your money is being spent.

Gear needed for uplighting

Previously, lighting companies would used a Par Can to light any venue, up or down. These par cans are heavy, they get hot and they can even start fires. Placing a par can inside of a table, under fabric or against a wall on the floor will certainly start a fire. These fixtures were also famous of consuming kilowatts of electricity, often not available at many venues. This resulted in needing a generator outside to provide the extra power. Also, these fixtures needed to be “Gelled” with a sheet of plastic to produce a color. In order to change the color, one must replace the Gel or place multiple par cans with different colors in each can. As you can see, this can become expensive fast.

With the invention of the LED, par cans have begun their conversion. Now, companies are producing LED par cans the don’t have the draw backs of previous modes. There is little to no heat, no chance of fire, they don’t spark and they can produce millions of colors. The options with an LED par can are almost limit less. Now, these can even be wirelessly controlled, resulting in no cords or wires.

A critical piece in controlling the lighting and design is the board. These boards operate on a protocol of DMX512. For lighting designers, this is a familiar language and process. For amateurs, this can easily become overwhelming and frustrating. Many designers will use a board like the one pictured below.

Having a board give the designer the options of color, fade, intensity, blends, movement, strobe, pulsing, and much more. Programming these fixtures takes experience and knowledge. You won’t want a strobe affect during your first dance! Hiring a professional will help to ensure the effects you want are programmed correctly and reviewed before your event.

Aside from this basic equipment, a DJ or you will also need electrical cables. It seems simple to think one could purchase a bunch of cables and plug a series of lights in, but you’ll want to be sure that you don’t overload a curicut. Drawing too much wattage can trip a breaker and leave you and your guest in the dark until the breaker is reset. Amateurs are not good at calculating draw, wattage or amperage of complied fixtures.

Finally, you’ll need dozens DMX cables. These cables are specifically designed for this language and these fixtures. Failure to use a DMX cable (often confused with an XLR or Stereo Mic Cable) will result in erract fixture behavior. Amateurs make this mistake often. The cost is of DMX cables are considerably higher than that of microphone cables. If your lighting designer decides to cut corners, it could produce unwanted effects like, blinking lights, strobing, odd colors or no light at all.

Should I add uplighting?

To uplight or not to uplight, that is the question.

The purpose of uplighting is to give you “Total” control of your atmosphere. The least uplighting can do is add an amazing punch of color and highlight otherwise dull flat walls.

Uplighting is not required, much like basic dance lights, scanners, moving heads are not required. The questions listed below may help you in making your decision on whether to add uplighting or not.

• Do you have unique or bright color choices that are not commonly available?
• Do you prefer to be able to change the decor throughout the night, having one color for dinner and another for dancing?
• Do you have a venue that appears a bit bland and seems to be missing a stylist touch?
• Do you want to highlight certain areas of your even, head table, buffet?
• Does your venue use florescent lighting?
• Does your venue lack dimming functionality with lighting?
• Do you want an ambiance like no other?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then uplighting might be a cost effective solution.

Cost can be a major factor in the decision making process. The cost of fixtures, size of the venue and time it will take to program specific needs will affect the overall cost. If your budget is tight, this might not be the best option.

Uplighting should not be considered the “Must Have,” but rather a great addition. Consultation with an expert will help you in the decision making process. Visiting the room with Mr. K and critiquing the venue might help to give you a better idea of what uplighting can do for your day. If the room looks elegant and is equipped with dimming fixtures and effects, then minimal or no uplighting is needed. On the other hand, if the room has plan white walls and limited options of lighting, uplighting can completely rejuvenate this room.

The bottom line is, this is your day. You should invest in this once in a lifetime opportunity to make it as memorable as possible. Do solicit options from multiple sources. One company may be biased, but speaking with many will give you a better feel of what’s available.

Hire a Professional for Uplighting

Don’t begin your special day by trusting amateurs. There is a difference between professionals and amateurs. Professionals have tens of thousands of dollars invested. The know their equipment well and the fully understand the results of various effects. For example, knowing how much light is need; too much and your wedding could become a carnival, too little and it will be too dark for photos. Amateurs do not understand the effects of light and how various equipment reacts with each other. Some equipment is not compatible with certain models. Don’t let simple errors ruin your day.

Working with M.R.K.E., you’re getting 15 years of experience in lighting, from concert to theatrical events. Most DJ’s will say they can figure it out or they have something similar, but don’t trust someone who will figure it out; trust someone who knows. You’ll get a free consultation. Upon booking you’ll receive multiple consultations and visits with your vendor to ensure adequate electrical needs and space. With a consultation, M.R.K.E. can provide other resources of companies that provide this kind of service. This will allow you to consult with multiple resources and get a strong aspect on the complexity and cost.