Wedding Wednesdays Q&A: Where to Rent Lighting From

Q: I read somewhere that lighting is something I should invest in for my wedding.  I started looking into it and I noticed that tons of different companies provide lighting.  Where should I get my lighting from?

Thank you for asking this question!  It’s such a good one.  And you are so right!  There are many companies that provide lighting.  It can be a bit confusing, but don’t worry I’ve got you covered!

Before I dive into the lighting options, I do think it’s important that we talk about the purpose of lighting.  To start, lighting is functional.  It can be used to light a space or draw attention to something or away from it.  Lighting is also aesthetic.  It can be used to make a room pretty and add color.  And lastly, lighting also helps to create a mood.  It can add warmth or coolness or a sense of being in particular place.  Lighting can do a lot!  And it really can add so much to the overall look and feel of your wedding.

Now, there are a bunch of different lighting equipment you can utilize for your wedding.  I’m not going to go into those specifics at this point as that is more technical than is necessary.  And honestly, the equipment doesn’t matter so much.  It’s what you want the lighting to do that is important.

Which leads me to your real question about the options you have and what makes sense for you.  So, there really are 3 different companies you can rent lighting from.

1. You can rent lighting from a lighting company.  These companies focus solely on lighting and lighting design.   This is their specialty, so as you can imagine, they are the best by far from a technical and design standpoint.  Their physical equipment will be the best and they’ll have the most skill.  They can be the most expensive option sometimes, but if you want to create a mood and feeling with your lighting, then you want to go with a lighting company.

2. You can rent lighting from a rental company.  A rental company that rents tents can also usually provide lighting as well.  This is a great option if you want to go with a one stop shop for all your rental needs.  It also means that one team will be in charge of setting everything up, which makes it easier on you from a logistics standpoint.  While their skill won’t be quite as good as a lighting company, if you aren’t doing anything big, you should be fine.

3. You can rent lighting from a DJ company.  The last option available to you is a DJ company.  Many DJ companies now also provide lighting as an add-on to their music services.  This usually takes the form of uplighting and dance floor washes.  We didn’t cover equipment, but these are smaller lighting options that are more aesthetic than anything else.  If you’re looking specifically for uplights, then going with a DJ can be easy and cheap.  But, if you’re trying to create a certain mood or feeling, I’d work with a lighting company instead.

(Photo credit: Kate Webber)

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