Up-lighting: By the numbers

DK Productions - The Branford House

Architectual Lighting (or up-lighting) has become such a popular add-on for weddings and special events that a lot of DJs and catering facilities are “trying” to do it.  I was recently at such a facility.  Unfortunately, the facility’s lights had inconsistent color due to missmatched light fixtures and improper settings.  Here are some typical mistakes inexperienced companies make:

• Cheap Fixtures
  • Some will spend little money on a lot of fixtures thinking it will still look good. The truth is that cheap fixtures are typically not bright enough and becomes a wasted expense to you.  As a result, you may also end up with the next scenario.
• Too much lighting or lighting placed too close together
  • Don’t take away from the architecture of the room by drowning it in light.  Architectual lighting is meant to accent the room by highlighting certain features.
• Too little lighting or lighting placed too far apart
  • Brings attention to the lights and not the structures it’s meant to highlight. It could also give the indication the company does not have enough fixtures, or doesn’t know what they are doing.gf`
• Lighting fixtures that don’t match eachother
  • Each brand of fixtures has it’s own color temperature and/or photometrics.  If the lighting fixtures aren’t the same then the colors displayed may not be exact matches: one fixture may show light blue while another fixture may be more of a violet blue.
• Light flicker
  • To create certain colors, RGB mixing is required: some colors are dimmed while others are brightened to achieve the desired color combination. Lower quality fixtures will show flickering lines that will show up in video.
• Pricing by fixture quantity
  • Probably the greatest disservice a company can do is charge per fixture.  Perhaps you have an $800 budget and each fixture costs $80; you’ll only have ten light fixtures.  Unless your wedding is in a very small room, ten lights aren’t enough by almost half!  Sometimes we won’t know how many fixtures are actually needed until we are there with the room set up.

It’s all about balance and getting the best value for your money. I suggest going with a lighting or entertainment company that specializes in up-lighting.  When shopping for architectual-lighting, ask the company if they have any photos of a room they did up-lighting in.  If they don’t have a picture, then ask them to do a mock set up with you at the facility your event will be held at.  Finally use a  company that charges a flat rate regardless of the number of fixtures.  Follow these tips and your guests will ooh and ahh at how beautiful your room looks.

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