Day 3 of Wedding Trends: Chandeliers and Lighting

And I'm back...who knew that there would be 11 whole days between Day 2 and Day 3 of how to bring theknot.com Wedding Trends to Arkansas (or your wedding anywhere!). Thank you to my faithful readers who have not complained! So, back to it...

TheKnot.com is a great resource for anyone planning a wedding. I love their abundance of Real Wedding photos. {Remember that magazine pics aren't always the best place to find wedding inspiration...they are usually well out of reach for the typical bride's budget.} The Knot has reported 9 really great wedding trends for 2009, and I am on Day 3 of how to bring those trends home to you.

SO, Day 3 is all about Chandeliers and Lighting! I am a chandelier girl myself, and always tell my clients that lighting can change EVERYTHING! I was pretty tickled to see that The Knot is encouraging their brides in the same way. Here are some photos from The Knot's suggestions on lighting & chandeliers.


Let's bring this home. You may be thinking about your budget and how lighting and chandelier options can fit in.

With lighting there are many options to transform your room. One of the easiest and most affordable lighting options is canned lighting, or uplighting. These are large lights (almost looking like spotlights) that sit on the floor. Without a gel they shine white light, and with a gel you can choose just about any color of the rainbow. These rent for about $20 each with a gel in Northwest Arkansas. You can focus 2 or 3 of these lights behind a primary focal point, such as your cake or dance floor, for the biggest impact. Two words of wisdom on these lights...they get HOT and they pull TONS of power, so if you overload your room you will indeed blow the breaker. Working with a lighting professional or someone from your venue is a great way to ensure that your plan will work.

LED lighting is a bit pricier but has many "pros." First, they are small and do not get hot and they can even be wireless! This means more strategic placement around the room for you! The fun part of LED lighting is that the colors can change throughout the night. So, think soft amber lighting for dinner and bold magenta walls for dancing!

Another lighting effect that many brides would like is the monogram on the dance floor. You will need a spotlight and a custom GOBO to make this happen, all for about $200 and sometimes even less. This is a great way to personalize AND make a statement in your wedding for just a little bit of spending. It's definitely well worth the splurge in my book! Here is an example (image by Stephen Thetford and GOBO design by Sincerely Yours):


My favorite lighting option that EVERY bride should use is candlelight. What a quick way to bring some romance into your wedding! All you need are some votives and voila...romance, lighting, and sparkle all for pennies.

For more info on your lighting options, I want to refer you to this great document produced by Got Light? Click here to check it out!

Moving on to chandeliers...these can be a bit trickier, but if you are up for some DIY they can certainly be a reality for your Big Day. Chandeliers can be made for unexpectedly, and thankfully, less! With a vision, some hardware, fishing line, and crystals/flowers/fabric you can do it yourself.

If you aren't up for DIY, consider pre-made crystal chandeliers, iron lanterns, paper lanterns, or even hanging mason jars as options for chandeliers. These can all be combined with lighting to make one fabulous reception! You can rent black chandeliers, iron lanterns, and much more from us here at J.Bailey Occasions.

Here are some photos from a recent event that we designed for Benfield Photography that had the priorities of lighting and a fun chandelier treatment. All photos by Benfield!

This DIY chandelier that we made cost UNDER $100!




See how a simple tea light changed this centerpiece? We bought the teal tea light holders at Hobby Lobby for less than 99 cents each!