Lighting… At the leading edge of décor

Over the past few years the wedding industry has been transformed by cutting edge new technologies now available to professional Lighting Designers and companies. What used to be considered “ultra high-end” and out of financial reach of many, professional lighting has now become affordable and customizable to accommodate different styles and budgets.

The rapid increase in popularity is due to the way lighting transforms the look and feel of any venue regardless of style or stature. The most basic venue designs can be elevated to the level of high-end, and the most amazing spaces can be highlighted in ways that draw attention to its beautiful architecture while simultaneously lighting the event.

The simple fact that many weddings take place at night makes lighting the single most powerful visual décor element available. For newly engaged couples, it is becoming clear that if their reception is in the evening, the use of professional lighting will have a huge impact on the look of the event. Surprisingly, the basic concept that lighting is a “need” at all night events has taken many years to catch up to the wedding industry.

For as long as we can remember, lighting has played a major role in every other industry related to event design, restaurant design, even cityscapes. Lighting has always been an absolute in all of those industries, but the wedding industry has for the most part relied on the venue’s built-in lighting to create the perfect setting for your wedding. Unfortunately, many venues were built in a different era when this level of lighting was not even invented yet. The need to supplement what the venue has to offer is easy to understand once you take a few seconds to notice what makes every evening event on earth look truly amazing…. professional lighting and design!

So how do you pick what is best for your particular taste and wedding style?

First… In the same way you pick a photographer or other wedding related vendor, you need to look at images of past events, ask for advice from industry professionals such as lighting designers, and try your best to establish a budget range that the lighting designer can work with. As with any creative person, if you leave it to their imagination they can easily design well beyond your financial means, so your input and guidelines are important to us.

Second… Remember, if lighting can create the perfect setting, it’s easy to understand how the wrong lighting can destroy the same setting rendering it tacky, cheap or simply inappropriate. If your vision is a soft intimate setting, and the lighting is set up by someone that has intentions related closer to “club effects” or has no understanding of lighting design, your vision will not happen. Don’t underestimate the need for experience and lighting knowledge. Hire a professional lighting designer or company.

Third… Remember that lighting is an important part of your wedding but it is only one part. For a complete and perfect “look” to come together, all other supporting elements such as venue lighting control and candle light, even the influence of the sun all have to work together. So the goal of your lighting designer is to understand and take all factors into account and make sure one is not diminishing the effect of the other. In the end, what you see, feel and experience should be remembered as flawless, amazing and unforgettable!

Visit our lighting design blog at bostonuplights.com/Blog/ for more in-depth articles highlighting weddings throughout Boston and New England. Or visit our website at www.bostonuplights.com to see extensive images of our work at past weddings.

Paul Therrien ( Lighting Designer/ Owner ) Boston Uplights

We are going to start this (short!) week off with a new feature – we are going to be “spotlighting” all of our favorite vendors, so you can get to know all these vendors that we totally heart a little bit better! We are going to kick things off with a little Q&A with Paul from Boston Uplights…

BHW: What is the most important thing you want brides to know about you & your company?
BU: Boston Uplights was developed on the idea that we could create beautiful results that are truly affordable by focusing on 5 key areas of lighting that make the most visual impact to any wedding. Uplighting, Candle Light, Centerpiece Lighting, Hanging Light System such as Paper lanterns and Votive Candles, and Monogram projection.

BHW: How would you describe your style?
BU: Our style is to integrate lighting into your wedding or event in such way as to not see the lights, but see the results. Instead of seeing large stands and lights that dominate a normally beautiful venue, what you get is lighting that creates a softer more intimate atmosphere, a venue that is truly highlighted in a way that allows you to see and feel the space better then ever, and finally, color and light that transforms the space into “your space” due to our ability to project colors that compliment your wedding colors.

BHW: What is your favorite venue to work at? Why?
BU: The Fairmont Copley Oval Room. For a Lighting Designer, shape and perspective of a space is as important as the lighting you use to highlight it. The oval shape and designed-in great architecture not only looks beautiful with the added light and color, but gives you an almost surreal experience when fully lit.

BHW: Do you have any tips for brides who are currently researching/ working on hiring a lighting designer?
BU: To create a space that has a specific “look” or “feel” with lighting you need knowledge. If you feel lighting can add to your reception space, it’s worth calling a professional company that focuses on lighting and has a high level of knowledge on how to use it. Remember…if “lighting” is an add-on to a vendor than how much attention will be paid to the details? Perfect results are not based on having lights, it’s based on how you use lights.

BHW: What do you love most about your job?
BU: I love the entire atmosphere of the wedding industry. The meaning of the day, what it means for everyone to be there together as a family, and what memories will be made during those few hours. I love the fact that what I provide will greatly affect what they remember about their day.

BHW:What is your favorite part of a wedding day?
BU: At the beginning of the reception, we program a set “look” that meshes perfectly with the style and color scheme of the wedding. That in itself is a “wow” when everyone enters the room, but it is later when the formal time of the night is over and the atmosphere changes to more social that we make our first color change… that is when we actually hear a gasp coming from the guests…. That is amazing to hear every time!

BHW: Any touching stories to share?
BU: A few months ago, we were hired to light a wedding due to the room having no windows and the couple feeling the space really needed something to make it feel like an elegant wedding. Since there were no windows, we were able to set the room to the perfect light levels for the grand entrance. When the bride and groom came in to preview the room, the bride stopped about 4 steps in… looked around… and began to cry saying how beautiful her wedding was. She said she was hoping her day would be beautiful, but could not imagine it this beautiful! It was one of the first times I had the opportunity to be standing right at her side as she was able to take in the space as I intended the bride too. That was very touching to me.

Thanks Paul! My favorite thing about Paul and Boston Uplights is that he SERIOUSLY knows his stuff. He’s also so willing to patiently explain to me and to his clients how his lighting designs work, and how he will work to best accentuate the space he’s working with. Uplighting is such a fabulous investment to the overall look of your event.

Check out lots more photos of Paul’s work on his website!

XOBHW

Jo is here with us to share her take on the day, and this cute, cute couple!

Lisa and Scott met on move-in day, as undergraduates at New York University. They became fast friends and soon began to date.

Since then, their love has grown. Now, they watch out for each other with thoughtfulness and caring, and both have ambitions to make the world a better place. Lisa is attracted to Scott because “he is a genuinely good person; and because he makes me feel like the most special and important person in the world – every single day.” And for Scott, it was love at first site. He fell for her charm, her sense of humor, and her beauty.

For their wedding, they wanted to honor their family histories and cultures. She is Chinese so they held a family tea ceremony and brought in lion dancers. And Scott is Jewish; they chose to honor his heritage with the glass stomping as well as the horah. “We wanted to fuse these traditions with modern aesthetics and create a fun and unique atmosphere for our guests.” Still for each, it was their mate’s traditions that most excited them about the wedding. Lisa couldn’t wait to be held up in the chair for the horah and Scott was completely enamored with the lion dancers.

The day went off without a hitch. They ventured to Paris and Marrakech for their honeymoon.

Adorable, right? Serious detail inspiration packed into these photos – Lisa & Scott clearly put a lot of thought into planning a wedding that was totally personalized to them – LOVE to see that in a hotel wedding! No cookie-cutter wedding here!

What are you doing to personalize your ballroom wedding?

XOBHW

Photography: Allegro Photography
Venue: Hyatt Regency Boston
Floral Design: Mimosa Flowers
Cake: Montolio’s
DJ and Band: CZONE
Ceremony Music: Boston Style Strings
Lion Dance Troupe: Gund Kwok
Lighting: Boston Uplights (one of Our Favorites!)
Dress: Kenneth Poole
Groom’s Attire: Joseph Abboud
Hair by Lypor Leung
Make-up by Katrina Hess

The soft white and gold tones of the room were highlighted with romantic white florals (created by the amazingly talented Sarah of Spruce Floral), and accented with pops of purples – especially in the cocktail hour decor.

Deb and Jeff were married in February – the soft, neutral colors of the ballroom at The Four Seasons are so perfect for a winter wedding don’t you think? Gorgeous.

These photos, taken by the wonderful Amanda Ambrose really highlight what great lighting can do to showcase your decor. Suzanne B. Lowell Lighting Design were the talent behind the lighting at this event – doesn’t the addition of lighting to the decor really warm the room?

Isn’t it fun to see photos of a winter wedding? I think winter weddings are so romantic and cozy – even in a ballroom! I totally heart it!

Photography by Amanda Ambrose
Videography by Boston Wedding Films
Flowers by Spruce Floral
Music by Kahootz Band
Stationery by Invitations & Co.
Cake by Cakes to Remember
Lighting by Suzanne B. Lowell Lighting Design
Planning by Tangorra Wedding Planning

Are you planning a winter wedding in Boston? Tell us about it!

xo BHW