Create the Right Wedding Party Vibe with the Right Lighting
Published on Wednesday 19 March 2025
An empty hall, over-lit with fluorescent lights: not the greatest spot for the party to end all parties, right? Even with just a little understanding of how atmospheric lighting works, you can create the right wedding party vibe. Here, guest blogger and wedding DJ Sebastian (also known as NightArchitect) lets us in on some trade secrets when it comes to what kind of lighting and effects can work and how they work.
Think about it: an unforgettable wedding party is all about the atmosphere
The Basics: Light Things Up with Some LED Pars
Building up a strong base for any light show is essential, and a solid base always starts with some well placed LED pars. These static lights can light up an entire space or hall and can do it in any colour you want. They don’t even have to be too expensive. Models like the Ayra Compar 10 deliver a lot of light output and boast outstanding colour mixing options for a really good price. Pars like this aren’t just great for lighting up the dance floor, but also lighting the DJ and anyone who might be delivering a speech on the big night. LED pars can also be mounted on a wall and pointed upwards, which creates a really nice up-lighting effect on the walls. If you can kit out every part of the venue with an LED par, and use some creative programming, then your basics are sorted.
» LED Pars
» Complete Basic Lighting Sets
Moving Lights
To add some dynamics and depth to your show, you’re going to need some moving lighting. The most commonly used lighting of this type is moving heads. Moving heads roughly fall into two types: spots and washes.
- Spots deliver a really bright and sharp light beam and, via built-in gobos, can also project various shapes.
- Washes are much like LED pars that can move around. They deliver a broader light bundle in every conceivable colour.
- There are also hybrid moving heads that can perform as a spot and wash. The Briteq BTX-SATURN is one of my personal favourites.
Guaranteed Success
Whenever I’m preparing for a wedding reception, I always make sure I have the following equipment:
- LED moving heads with a minimum 100 Watt output. This will make sure that the light beams are really visible and will work really well with other effects like a smoke machine or mirror ball.
- I always pick lighting fixtures that, at the very least, have an RGBW light source (especially for washes), so they can emit and mix red, green, blue and white, instead of just RGB (red, green and blue). This will give you far more freedom when mixing colours so you can make sure that the colour of the lighting matches closely to the colour scheme of the wedding.
- Take note of the beam angle of any fixture you might want to use. With moving heads like the Showtkec Phantom 65, the beam angle isn’t variable. That’s not necessarily a problem, you just need to make sure that the beam angle will work in the venue. If you’re working in a smaller space, then a 20 to 30 degree beam will be fine. In larger spaces, it’s worth making sure that you can create tighter beams, otherwise the light bundles will lose their power since they need to travel further.
- Beware of loud fans! Cheaper lighting fixtures will often have built-in fans to keep the unit cool and some of them can be really loud. That’s not so bad for the dance floor in a club, but if people are going to be giving speeches, the constant droning of fans isn’t the best soundtrack. Instead, find some moving head with a fan that’s only activated when the unit gets too warm and when it is active, is really quiet.
Everything’s Better These Days
When you pay more for a moving head, you get more functions in return. Because of the innovation of LED lighting, you can now get fairly cheap moving heads that deliver massive light output. And again, if you’re a bit smart and creative when you programme your lightshow, you can do some really impressive things with a cheaper group of moving heads. More on that later.
» Spot Moving Heads
» Wash Moving Heads
» Spot + Wash Moving Heads
Effects: The Magic of Smoke and a Mirror Ball
Special effects like smoke and another absolute classic – the mirror ball, can really push your light show that bit further.
Smoke Machines
Using a smoke machine, you can make the light beams of your spots and washes more visible and create a more mysterious and literally wonder-filled vibe. Make sure to choose a smoke machine that can really fill the space, especially if it’s an air-conditioned venue. Then it’s really important to use a powerful smoke machine and place it somewhere smart so that the smoke doesn’t immediately disappear. I prefer to use a hazer and keep it constantly active so that you get a consistently heavy and even layer of smoke. I have the Antari Z-350 Fazer and really recommend it. I have it on non-stop from the moment I need smoke and because it produces quite thick smoke, it doesn’t evaporate too quickly – even in a room with high ceilings.
» Hazer & Fazer Smoke Machines
Mirror Balls
The mirror ball is the ultimate when you’re going for a truly romantic atmosphere. You can suspend a mirror ball from the ceiling and use a specialised motor that slowly rotates the ball, giving you that illusion of a star-strewn room and dance floor. Mirror balls can also be mounted on a stand, making them more mobile and, when it comes to mirror balls – the bigger the better! So you need a model that’s at least 40cm wide and you need to make sure to point one or two of your moving heads at the ball so that points of light are reflected off the tiny mirrors and all over the event space. If you’re looking for a good stand for your mirror ball, I recommend using a stand like this one.
Positioning Your Lighting: Location & Height
The way that your lighting units are positioned is about as important as the kind of lighting you use.
No Vertigo
By placing your lighting fixtures at various heights using taller stands and lower stands and by suspending them from the ceiling or placing them on top of the DJ booth, you can create a visual experience with much more depth and dynamics.
I Saw Stars
It’s also important to pay attention to the layout of the location you’re working in. Avoid placing all of your lighting behind the DJ, since it’ll mean that any guests will be forced to look into the light. By strategically placing each of your lights and effects, you can immerse all of the party goers in the lighting experience without blinding them.
Do More With Less
In situations where you’re working with a more limited lighting setup, like some basic pars mounted on two stands, it might be more effective to place them at either side of the room. This way, you can light up the DJ and the dance floor without unnecessarily hindering the guests.
Why Side-Lighting?
- It creates good light distribution across the whole space.
- If someone is giving a speech next to the DJ booth, they’ll also be well lit.
- The light won’t shine directly into the eyes of any wedding guests when they look towards the DJ.
Cut Out the DJ
By placing an LED par behind the DJ, you can create a really professional and impressive visual picture. This way of lighting cuts the DJ out of the background, making them the focal point.
Theme + Programming = Success
The art of putting together a successful light show lies in the programming and thematic connections. Whether you’re the light jockey yourself or you’re working as part of a team, the light show needs to match the music style of the DJ and the overall theme of the party. This will make sure that, when the guests walk in, their experience is seamless, where the music hangs perfectly together with the atmosphere and gives everyone a truly memorable night. As long as your theme and your programming is in place, not much can go wrong.
How to Design a Light Show
Personally, I prefer to programme everything using a laptop and use a USB to DMX converter. I also recommend using software in which you can actually build a virtual space, mimicking the shape and dimensions of the party location, so you can really visualise your light show. With this kind of lighting software, you can test out ideas and design your complete light show from A to Z, all without having to set up or even purchase any lighting gear just yet. I use the Avolites Titan ecosystem, but there are plenty of other solutions out there, including the Sunlite Easy View.
I always put together a checklist for the betrothed couple as well, which includes all of the technical details of the party in a more easy-to-read language. I think it really helps everyone to work together more smoothly.
Summing Up
- Set up some basic lighting with some LED pars and add more depth and dynamics using some moving heads. Carefully position all of your lights to really create the right atmosphere and, for a little extra magic, make sure to add a smoke machine and some mirror balls. Each element is an important part of the total picture, and will combine with the next to make sure that it’s a memorable night.
- Remember, it’s not about how many lighting fixtures you’re using but about how you use them. Take the time to experiment with everything you have in your set up and programme everything well. Use your knowledge and pay attention to the details and your lighting can help transform a boring space into a real experience.
Light up the space, plant the guests in the perfect romantic atmosphere and give the bridal pair the wedding party they dreamed of. If you have any questions, feel free to add them in the comments.
And Now… Music!
To learn more about the right kind of sound system you’ll need for a wedding reception and how to set it up, see my other blog.
See also
» All Lighting & Special Effects
» What’s the Best Confetti Gear for Me?
» What’s the Best Smoke Machine, Hazer or Fazer for Me?
» What’s the Best Moving Head for Me?
» What’s The Best DMX Controller for Me?
» What’s the Best Projector for Me?
» Playlist Tips for Wedding DJs
» Picking Out the Right PA System for a Wedding
» The Wedding DJ: How to Really Bring it
» How to Write the Perfect, Personal Wedding Song
» How to Be a Wedding Singer
» Stage Decor Design – 4 Tips From a Professional
» Party Lighting: Do’s and Don’ts
» Smoke Machines: Are They Dangerous?
» Stage Lighting: what’s the right lighting for you?
» Halloween Party Lighting
» The Ideal DJ Lighting Setup
» What’s The Difference Between DMX and XLR Cables?
» Why You Should Be Using Gaffer Tape Instead of Duct Tape
