Bridal Accessories
Bridal Lingerie: The Best Underwear & Shapewear for your Wedding Day
Planning
Well I hope you found parts of this blog useful and you’ve been inspired by all these pretty images! If you’d like even more wedding lighting inspiration, have a look at RMW’s Pinterest board.Lighting Tips
Before you get started, check the lighting restrictions with the venue. Some have strict rules on the use of candles and what can be hung from walls and ceilings. Also enquire what lighting equipment the venue has and where it's normally used. This will give you a good place to start and a better idea of what additional lighting you might want. Look at images of weddings that have taken place at your venue to see how lighting installations have been arranged. When we compared pictures of our reception area with and without illumination, it was glaringly obvious how effective it was. If previous weddings don’t offer much lighting inspiration, look at similar venues to see what styles work best. I took a lot of inspiration from the Asylum in London and Castello di Vincigliata in Florence. This particularly applies to destination weddings, but if you’re getting married abroad, try and visit your venue at least twice before your wedding. It's unlikely you'll be thinking about the intricate details on your first visit, and even if you do, things will crop up later which you’ll need a second visit to remedy. On your second visit, take pictures of every nook and cranny as well as the walls, windows, ceilings and light fixtures. When it comes to planning your light arrangements and décor later down the line, you then have images to refer back to. If you're planning an evening reception, it’s worth visiting your venue at least once in the dark so you can see how it’s lit and where you might need additional lighting. Choose lighting that's appropriate for your venue. As much as I'd love to dine under chandeliers and hanging bulbs, they wouldn’t be appropriate for our venue and the mood we want to create. If you’re not sure about where to start, contact some lighting specialists and see what they recommend. If like us your evening meal and party is taking place in the same location, consider using different light features to set the dance floor apart. Strung lights are relatively easy to set-up providing you have something to attach them to, but if you’re hiring a band or DJ, definitely look into disco-style/coloured lighting for when the party really kicks in - it will make all the difference on the dance floor! If you’re low on lighting supplies, use what you have around the perimeter of your reception rather than random walls or objects. This will make your dining area become the feature. And if you’re concerned about bare walls, why not consider renting a projector and creating a slide show of images of your guests? As our wedding party is multilingual, we’ll be using a projector to translate the speeches. Once they’re over, we plan to do the same as a fun feature before the dancing begins. If your venue has a path or steps that people will be using throughout the night, consider lining them with mason jars and pop a candle inside. This is an inexpensive and extremely effective way to create a visual impact in the dark, but it will also help your guests to see where they’re going! Lastly, if you’re on a budget but desperate for some mood lighting, consider asking your family and friends to lend you their Christmas lights – fairy lights aren’t just for Christmas after all!