Weddings are getting more and more elaborate with their lighting designs. It can be a challenge to know all the options that are available for you. Here are five creative lighting designs for an outdoor wedding.
A Wedding Under the Stars
Add a celestial vibe to your wedding. Consider adding more stars with string lights. To get that starry night effect connect your lights between end points of buildings, trees, or other points high above your heads. Mix small and medium size for the best effect.
While purchasing individual strings is the best way to fill an irregular space, consider using an LED curtain for a quick solution. The LED curtain can be hung horizontal above the party. Consider adding fairy lights (very tiny LED’s) as table decoration to bring the cosmos closer.
Lanterns
Lanterns can be used in several ways in your wedding lighting design. Traditional lanterns come in many styles and sizes like wood, metal, and paper. For safety, light them internally with LED tea lights, particularly paper lanterns which look nice hanging above. Traditional lanterns can be used as table top decorations as well as placed on the ground or hanging to light pathways. Depending on your wedding theme you can create non-traditional lanterns as well. Take a mason jar and put a string of battery powered lights, white or colored inside.
Sparklers
All the beauty of fireworks without the mess! Flameless sparklers are freestanding sparklers that can be placed anywhere in your reception and wedding venue. These devices are a great option as they can be used in places that don’t allow flames or pyrotechnics. Once activated they continue for 10-15 minutes making them ideal for your introductions or first dance.
Chandelier
Who says you can’t use a chandelier just because you’re getting married outside? An outdoor chandelier adds a level of elegance to either your wedding or your reception. Save a little more and look in thrift shops or online for a chandelier you like the look of or ask the venue if they can provide them. They can be hung just about anywhere high up in a tree, or from a pole or other high location. They can be lit with either battery powered lights or plugged into an outlet.
Use a Common Design Approach
As you plan your lighting, consider keeping it to a common design. That is, if you pick starry nights use white string lights throughout, whether part of the sky or the “down to earth” elements. If using a lantern theme see if you can use the lanterns in a non-traditional way, like hiding uplights in the lanterns. If you’re working with a wedding planner, they can also provide ideas around a common design.
Lighting can be as complex or as simple as you’d like. Use this blog as a guide as you start to explore the lighting design that works for you. Still looking for the perfect wedding dress? Check out our collection today.