The Importance of Light
Think about a time when you dined at a high end restaurant and everything about the experience felt seamless. You walked in and were met with smooth music and a stylishly dressed hostess. The lighting was low and gave space a romantic feel. The whole ambiance reflected the mood of the eatery; everything chosen intentionally, designed to create a particular vibe.
One of the most overlooked elements when planning a wedding is the lighting. Yet lights can make or break your guests’ experience and your wedding photos. Lighting highlights elements of your décor and makes certain areas of a space a focal point.
My goal is to enlighten you on the most flattering lighting conditions, and prepare you for tricky lighting scenarios. Knowing what to keep an eye out for when choosing your ceremony and reception venue - and where you choose to get ready - will help create the mood, and atmosphere you want for your big day.
Getting Ready
The moments before walking down the aisle are filled with excitement and anticipation. To preserve the feeling of these moments, you’ll want a getting ready space that offers natural light - think big windows.
Before settling on a single room or space, scout the location and pay attention to its overall aesthetic. If there is little to no natural light, it’s probably not the best place for getting ready. Aim for a well-lit room without mixed lighting. A room with fluorescent lights and tungsten bulbs on, and window light pouring in, will have three different colours casts. This can be very tricky to balance in an image. I often open the curtains wide on windows and turn off all the other lights, so to capture true skin tones and clothing colours.
The Ceremony
For outdoor wedding ceremonies
Outdoor weddings that occur midday are susceptible to harsh light, creating dreaded shadows on the face. You know the ones! The mustache shadow under the nose, and the shadow circles under the eyes. This is because the sun is directly above you in the sky. Having your ceremony a bit later in the day - like 4 pm - means that the sun is lower in the sky, creating softer, more diffused light. Another issue that folks run into when planning outdoor ceremonies is making sure that both partners are in a flattering light. Depending on the location, the light might caress half of one person’s face and shade the other person's face completely. Ideally, putting the sun behind you both is the solution. So keep this in mind when picking your exact ceremony spot.
Sun Position is a great app to use when planning these details. Upgrade to the paid version for only $12 and you can pick any date in the future to see where the sun will be in the sky at an exact time. It uses your phone’s camera to show you the trajectory of the sun in the sky, and you can see how that looks at your location. I use the app all the time for planning photoshoots. It’s super handy!
But before writing anything in stone, make sure to chat with your wedding planner and photographer to get their professional opinions.
For indoor wedding ceremonies
Be wary of artificial lights during indoor ceremonies. Venues without windows or other sources of natural light most likely depend on ceiling lights, which aren’t the most flattering. This is the same reason it’s good to avoid midday ceremonies outside. Pot lights also cast light downwards, causing those shadow mustaches and under-eye dark circles.
This doesn't mean indoor ceremonies are off the table though! Warehouses and restaurants are popular backdrops for weddings. Personally, I love the look of concrete walls and iron warehouse windows as the backdrop for “I do’s”. Well-designed restaurants have thought long and hard about the lighting and decor, so it often means less work for you when planning.
Doing a walk-through of the space, before booking, is essential! Know what the space will look like at that time of day, so you can be sure you know what you’re dealing with.
Portraits
Depending on your schedule, it’s nice to be able to split up the couple portraits throughout the day - for example doing a first look and then heading out again at golden hour. This allows for different lighting scenarios, which will give variety to your images. Truely, nothing beats a gorgeous golden hour session! The warm light is diffused through the atmosphere and it is a stunning backdrop for photos. It’s tried and true for a reason.
The Reception
Arguably the part of the day with the least natural light is the reception, and that’s where a lot of the fun happens. Eating the delicious menu you and your partner chose, hearing the heartfelt speeches of your closest people, and dancing the night away. These are moments not to be missed!
The same lighting theory applies for reception - overhead pot lights or fluorescent overhead lighting is not going to do much for the aesthetic and vibe of your party. Not to worry though, there are some easy fixes.
Tapered candles on the dining tables create a romantic vibe and they are a surefire way to add nice ambient light to your setting. I suggest tall tapered candles over tea lights, since tea lights are too low on the table, whereas the tapered candles are at a perfect height to put a sparkle in your eye.
String lights, also known as Italian garden lights, are another popular option! Whether that be for an outdoor dinner, or to section off a dancefloor. These lights add a whimsical touch and provide well spaced out ambient light.
One focal point is the dance floor - who doesn’t want to bust a move surrounded by spotlights and a smoke machine? Trust me, your guests will spend hours dancing the night away on a well-lit floor. When lights are used correctly, even a dark venue can provide a stunning ambiance.
Another lighting choice that is gaining popularity is the custom light up signs. The sign could be both of your names or a phrase that is unique to your relationship. The world is your oyster! Light signs add a personal touch to your celebration and make for an awesome light source for photos.
So what will you do to light up your special day?
