Many couples don’t give it much thought, but they absolutely should.
If you don’t take care of it, you will realize how important it was only at the reception, or even later, watching the photos.
I am talking about… wedding lights – one of the most undervalued elements when designing and organizing a wedding. Let’s see why!
Why are wedding lights so important?
You have put thought into every element of decor, to make sure it represented you. You chose an amazing venue for your destination wedding in Italy. You want all of these to show up during your special day and later, in your wedding photos. If the lights are not proper, all of your efforts will vanish after sunset, just like Cinderella’s dress.
Another reason is safety. High heels and poorly lighted alleys are a sure recipe for someone to get hurt, you don’t need that during your wedding!
We want every guest to feel pampered and taken care of, and the whole event to be smooth and careless, this is why every path the guests might take, from the ladies’ rooms to the cake table, needs to be properly illuminated.
A spot many couples miss is the road to the shuttles, if your organized transportation for your guests. If lit properly, it makes a great last impression about your wedding and assures your guests arrive at the destination safely.
How to choose wedding lights?
I recommend using natural, amber light, and candles, that create that fairy, dreamy, atmosphere to help your guest relax. Don’t choose colorful lights, except for the dancefloor, they usually make weird effects in photos, you sure thing don’t want all your guests to be purple or green in photos, trust me!
Which are the main points that need to be highlighted?
The centers of the tables and the location itself. The centerpiece lights will be a great fit for most weddings. They can be simple, like candles or candelabras, or sophisticated floral elements, it depends on your wedding concept and taste.
An illuminated location, on the other hand, will look great in photos. Uplighting is a way to emphasize the architecture of your wedding venue. These lights are placed on the ground around the perimeter of the villa.
Many locations have only garden lights, that might be fine for people living there but are quite inappropriate for an important event, like a wedding reception. You need to make sure every stair and path is lit properly during the event.
What to consider when you choose the lights
Since this is something impossible to do for amateurs, I always recommend trusting professional vendors. How to choose them? Here are a few hints from the ones I work for that are in this business for years:
Ask how will they solve the voltage issue. This kind of lights require more than the standard 220V you can find in Italy. Will they ask the location to increase the voltage? Will they bring a power unit? Where will they hide it and its noise? All these are questions you need to ask.
You also must check whether they are good at hiding cables. Those outlets are not something you want to see in your wedding photos. Real professionals do hide them efficiently, to make sure your guests won’t see them and no one will trip over one of them.
Ask them if their lights are dimmable. Professionals know that for different stages you need different light, and they take care of it through dimmers, that can increase or lower the brightness.
As always, my advice is to choose the best professionals for your destination wedding. It is a once in a lifetime experience, you want it to be perfect!
How do you imagine your wedding lights? Let me know in the comments!