Today I wanted to talk a bit about a tool that you can use to transform the look and feel of your event - Lighting. Sadly the lighting in a space is often overlooked.
Firstly I think this is because we often do site visits during the day. Of course this is the practical time to do a site visit, but the reality is that the majority of functions happen in the evening when our venue simply doesn't look the same.
Secondly, I think we undervalue the impact that good lighting can have. A well thought out lighting scheme has the ability to hide and accent areas of the room, drawing attention to those key areas.
When choosing your lighting first consider the effect you are trying to achieve - Colourful & festive? Warm & inviting? Dark & mysterious? Maybe a night sky would complete your look? In general warmer more natural tones are most flattering to the skin and therefor a better choice unless you want your guests looking like aliens or as though they are submerged under water!
My favourite lighting effect by far is pin-spotting. This is basically the use of a sharp focussed light generally onto centerpieces. This is a great technique to make your centerpieces really pop and the other perhaps not so desirable areas of your space fade into the background.
If you can't afford pin-spotting a cheaper alternative are our light boxes. At only $15 each they make any centerpiece that has a clear vase really come alive and are available in black or white.
Candles are another affordable solution for a more subtle glow. For the full effect and if the budget allows I would be hoping to use a combination with perhaps a coloured wash over the room, some carefully placed uplighting or pin spotting and loads of candles - of course it all depends on the look you're going for.
Jargon your lighting tech may use:
Pin-spotting - A focussed beam of light usually onto a centerpiece
Wash - An even-coloured light over a space
Gobo - A stencil fitted over the light that creates shapes and effects
Parcan - A type of light
