Let’s Talk About Uplighting At Your Wedding
- Uplighting, Explained
Uplighting is the lighting around the perimeter of a space to create ambience and depth. It projects light upwards, creating a pillar effect on the surface it is shining on. It can enhance the architecture, decor or overall vibe of the wedding. It can also be used to highlight specific aspects of your event such as a photo booth, bar, dessert table, etc. It can do wonders for a bland slab of drywall or an unimpressive corner, or unifying the color scheme of a wedding. It will often highlight the beauty in an already impressive space or a new perspective on familiar items. Candles and string lighting should be considered more decorative elements than core light sources, as they don’t emit enough light to change the feel of an event unless employed in very large numbers.
- Why It’s Imporant
- It Can Truly Change the Tone and Atmosphere of a Room – While some lighting companies use it to add a pop of color, others use it to make the room more intimate or add depth.
- It creates an Atmosphere with Natural Light – Some couples dislike the use of flash in their wedding photos, so it can help create softer pictures.
- It Brings Dimension to a Room, Making It Warm and Inviting – Another benefit to this lighting design is that it’s completely customizable and can work within any vision, both a larger or smaller scale.
- Cost
Uplighting can be an incredibly cost effective way to make a major impact on your space. Instead of going over the top to fill your space with decorations, adding simple lighting can fully transform your space into a completely different look. The cost varies depending on the size of your space and the amount of illuminating light needed. Intelligent lighting will cost more than traditional static uplighting.
*Our prices start at $350 for 12 lights*
- How Many?
One light should be placed at every anchoring point or pillar in the room. If there are certain aspects of your wedding that you would like to highlight such as a photobooth, head table, bar, etc., then you will need to plan accordingly. What’s needed for a relatively intimate reception for 50 people will not be enough to light a reception for 150. Guests won’t be able to appreciate the hard work and attention to detail that went into your wedding planning if you don’t provide enough light in a dark space.
Questions to Ask Yourself to Help Determine How Many To Rent:
- Do you want to light the whole room or just a specific area?
- How big is the room?
- Are you looking to wash the entire room with color, or are you envisioning more of an accent effect?
The “official” recommendation is to space each light approximately 6-12 feet apart. Each light is going to illuminate roughly a 3-4 foot area of wall (width). The more lights you use means the closer you can put them together and the more color, light, and brightness you’ll get.
| 1000 (25) | 6 uplights | 8 uplights | 12 uplights |
| 2000 (45) | 8 uplights | 16 uplights | 23 uplights |
| 3000 (65) | 15 uplights | 22 uplights | 30 uplights |
| 5000 (100) | 22 uplights | 35 uplights | 50 uplights |
| 10000 (200) | 40 uplights | 70 uplights | 100 uplights |
| 12000+ | 70+ uplights | 100+ uplights | 120+ uplights |
- Where to Place Them?
- Outdoor Weddings:
- Uplighting is not as necessary during a daylight event, or in a basic square room with four white walls where there is little to call attention to. For that reason, an outdoor wedding in an open field will similarly not require uplighting, as there will be nothing for the light to bounce off of. That doesn’t mean all outdoor weddings are off the hook. There are trees, bushes, and sides of buildings to uplight, so the light can bounce back into the space. This gives guests reference points and set boundaries for an area so they can more smoothly navigate their way around.
- Indoor Weddings:
- Uplighting and drapery often go hand in hand for more formal events. It adds to the texture by emphasizing the folds and bringing out the pleats and scrunch at the top. Architectural features like columns, windows, and ceilings can be lit for ambient effect. Materials like unfinished brick and plaster often look dynamic and beautiful when uplit. Once the focal points and floral and decor plans are set for an event, the lighting tech can accentuate those details with each light.
- Outdoor Weddings:
QUESTIONS ABOUT UPLIGHTING AT YOUR WEDDING?
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