By Lawrence Arevalo
Event lighting could very well be the hidden gem that turns beautiful events into stunning events. Color and patterns in events are no longer just confined to the look of florals, table linens and rental furniture. Clients are increasingly using lighting to add the extra touch of ambience to their events. When combined with stunning florals, linens, furniture, and scenic props, event lighting can be the “it factor” that transforms a space from ordinary to extraordinary.
The base of all event lighting starts with uplighting. Uplighting is like the base coat of paint in a home. You can use it to color your space and even to add accent walls, columns, or nooks of different colors. Do not be afraid to step away from the mono-chromatic room look and explore colors with your Event Specialist or Lighting Designer. Your event may have some colors or a theme chosen for it already—think wedding linens, or corporate logo colors—which will make your base color easy to choose. Accent colors can be chosen by looking at floral accents, complimentary colors and even personal preference.
Once the base coat and accents have been chosen, the world of lighting possibilities opens up. As for quality interior design, texture and patterns are important factors in the overall look of a room. Similarly, lighting can be used to add texture to large, or even small, swaths of space in your venue that could use more spark.
For example, a big open wall that would normally be a plain sight for your guests would look good with some uplighting. But it could look truly amazing when covered with a textured lighting pattern of leaves, scrolling elements, or even monograms or logos. Lighting patterns can be used to cover the entire floor or ceiling of a venue—even to the outside—to give guests a real wow factor when they walk up. Be advised, however, that more patterns require greater energy to run, so you might have to supplement the venue’s power with a generator to make your look happen.
Adding moving lights and/or projection to your venue space are the ultimate uses of lighting to create a whole new atmosphere. The same patterns that we discussed earlier could slowly scan around the room, changing colors and patterns to create a dynamic look that changes throughout the night and makes your guests feel like the venue is alive with energy and excitement. Projection can also be used to immerse your guests in another world by filling large parts of your venue with video that fits your theme and is transformative for the space. Both of these possible additions will be found on the higher end of the cost scale because they require significant planning, pre-installation design and on-site staff to accomplish.
Lighting may not be the first thing you think about when designing the event of your dreams. But as event lighting continues to grow in popularity, you may find yourself looking at events you attend in a whole new light!
Lawrence Arevalo is the President of Verducci Event Productions, which has a goal of using technology, talent and customer service to create environments that transport people to another place where they can create lasting memories, inspire positive change in the world and achieve their dreams. For more information: https://www.verduccies.com/
Frederick Sullivan and Jaime Botello, who oversee the Weddings & Occasions page for the San Francisco Bay Times, are the talented wizards behind Sullivan-Botello Events (http://sullivanbotelloevents.
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