Event Lighting Tips and Tricks: 8 Tips on How to Wow Your Guests

Do you wish to make your event overwhelmingly impressive? Great lighting is what you need. The lighting will keep the attention of your guests to the main event area and highlight the event’s décor and venue. 

Moreover, perfect event lighting will exceed your guests’ expectations and sweep them off their feet. 

However, event lighting may not be as easy as it sounds. Getting your lighting all wrong will create befuddlement among your guests. So, what does it take to create the right ambiance and build a visual experience your guests will love?

Read on for some event lighting tips and learn how to create an aesthetic blend of the perfect lighting for your event.

1. Ask the Necessary Questions

Ask as many questions as you need to. It doesn’t matter whether it is an event you have been hired for or your event. Some of the questions include:

• What type of event is it?
• Is the event being hosted at a hotel ballroom, tent, convention center, or church?
• How many guests are expected to attend?
• Is there a provision for food?
• Will there be displays or centerpieces?
• Does the venue have any permanent light fixtures?
• What is the event color theme?
• Will there be speakers, dancing, or other forms of technology?
• Is there a budget you want to stick to?
• Are there any municipal regulations?
• Is there table service, or is food going to be served buffet-style?
• Will there be displays or centerpieces?
• What are the ceiling heights and room dimensions?
• What are the timelines for the event? 
• Are there any insurance requirements for the venue?
• Are there other vendors who will be setting up?

Critically think about what you need to make your lighting detail a success.

Create a Plan for the Project

So you now have all the facts you require for the event; you need to get organized. Develop a project plan and quotation. 

Most importantly, come up with an accurate budget. Reach out to event specialists that can help quote and put the event together. Include a floor plan for the event, the event timelines, and a list of all the equipment you will need. 

Ensure you understand where all the event action will happen and its atmosphere for the appropriate lighting plan design.

Highlight Areas with High Traffic

Guests will want to navigate their areas of interest at the event without much of a hassle. They will want to see the food at the buffet and the bar area while highlighting their tables. 

Make use of pin spots to artfully light buffets, centerpieces, bars, and floral arrangements. Be careful not to cause glare to the guests’ eyes.

Use LED Lights

LED lights are offer thousands of custom color options, are more efficient, and many fixtures we offer are even wireless, eliminating messy cables running around your venue. 

You can use amber, blush, white, and light blues in your LED lighting to achieve more flexibility and your desired colors for your event vibe.

Use Colored Lights

Speaking of color, create a significant lighting experience for your audience using colored lights. 

Wash the room using the right color to create comfort for your guests and give the room a warm glow. 

You can also use colored lighting on the ceiling and walls. However, to prevent a circus aesthetic, use colored lights when necessary.

Use Special Lighting Effects

Dynamic videos or Gobos are some special lighting effects you can take advantage of. Dynamic videos adjust the angle, video display colors, width, brightness, and focus in real-time.

Gobos project a patterned design into the event space or incorporate event lighting, especially when projecting the corporate logo.

Don’t Forget Outdoor Event Lighting

The event’s outdoor lighting is often forgotten. When your guests step out of their cars, that is where the event experience begins. 

Some of the concepts you can take advantage of in outdoor lighting include:

• Use Gobos to project logos
• Lighting exterior walls
• Use colored LED lights
• Use pin spots to light the entrance

Explore Your Creative Side

Think of different ways you can create an atmosphere the guests will love. Uplighting is still the classic technique to create an elegant and more dramatic environment. 

Novelty lights such as twinkle and bistro lights are more popular with social gatherings such as weddings. Decide what desires you would like to have as the outcome.

Steal the Spotlight with Centric Events and Rentals

Hopefully, you now have a better idea of how to best light your next event. If you need help with your event lighting, we have all the event lighting solutions. 

At Centric Events and Rentals, we have what it takes to bring your event to life. We will show you how we can put to work the different types of event lighting.

Talk to us, and let us bring your event dreams to reality.

Our Most Commonly Event Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do you light outdoor events?

To add that enchanting twinkle to your outdoor event, string up lanterns and lights around the space. It will make your guests linger in the outdoors into the nighttime. 

For a touch of ambiance, hang smaller string lights and lanterns on tree branches.

2. How do you light up a wedding reception?

• Pin spot centerpieces & cake tables
• Use indoor/outdoor canopy lights
• Cluster the candles in groups
• Uplight the venue walls

3. What are the lights on a stage called?

Simply put, any lighting fixtures dedicated to stage illumination can be considered stage lighting. These lighting fixtures are called lekos, fresnels, and spotlights. Stage lights are typically LEDs, tungsten-halogen lamps, incandescent lamps. 

4. What are the most common uses of a stage?

• Conferences
• Live Bands
• Head Table Wedding Platform
• Festivals

5. What color looks good on stage?

Jewel tones such as sapphire blue, teal, emerald green, and purple look great on camera and stage. 

They also work well with most skin tones. When you are making a presentation in front of a dark backdrop, you may use pastels. 

However, they do not pair well with some skin tones.