Weddingbee Blog

I’ve never given much thought to lighting. I try to make sure they’re off before I leave my apartment. I turn them on when I realize I’m squinting while reading. We are basic On/Off people. Someday we might upgrade to dimmers. Or even a Clapper if we’re real lucky. But that’s about it.

Of course, once you enter the world of wedding planning, you need* “big, fancy” lights. I, for one, did not know this. I’m pretty sure our ballroom has a dimmer switch, which was crazy enough for me. But then I learned about the different lighting options available, and I must admit they are quite impressive. Behold:

1. Pinspots

As the name implies, pinspots are concentrated spotlights that bring attention to certain details - most usually the centerpieces.

Pinspots highlighting a beautiful centerpiece

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2. Gobo

Gobos are used to project images on walls or the dance floor - you can often customize them with your names, monogram, or other design of your choosing.

Awesome Gobo Lighting at my friends’ wedding

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3. Ceiling Wash

Washes of color can be applied to any part of the room, but I’ve seen some really cool ceiling washes. A wash basically bathes (oh, is that why it’s called a wash? Duh.) the room in a soft ambiance of color.

A ceiling wash of pink, purple and blue

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4. Uplighting

Most commonly used to add color to the perimeter walls, uplighting is offered in a multitude of colors (think blue for a cool winter wedding).

Lovely pink and orange uplighting at Mrs. Hot Cocoa’s wedding

(you can see the pinspots on the arrangements as well)

After reviewing these options, the Mister and I ended up selecting only the pinspot option, to showcase our centerpieces. Why so simple, you ask? The first reason is that our reception room is pretty ornate and decorated, so we didn’t need to add too much extra. If, by contrast, we had a blank loft space as a canvas, we might have gone for some uplighting and ceiling washes. Secondly (and the real reason), we didn’t really budget for lighting, so this was a little “Surprise!” moment for us. As my mom said, “Doesn’t the room come with lights already?”

*You don’t “need” need. I don’t think anything in a wedding is absolutely necessary besides your significant other and your mutual desire to get married. But it’s one of those “I don’t know I needed that” things that kinda snuck up on us.

Will you be having special lighting? Are you as clueless about lighting as I was?