AS YOU START to plan your wedding celebration, it will be important for you to know what the lighting in your room looks like at the time of day your ceremony and reception will take place.

Will you need to bring extra lighting in or reposition the existing lighting? You will need to pay attention to where the electrical outlets are in relationship to your proposed layout will cords or cables be visible or be in the way
of your guests or waitstaff and pose potential problems?

Will you be requiring extension cords? Keep in mind that power outlets are limited. Know all your electrical needs and capacity—what your caterer or facility will require for food preparation and presentation, whether you are serving blended drinks at the bar, what your music and entertainment needs are, whether you will be having an audiovisual presentation.

Can all your needs be met without causing a blackout or creating a safety hazard (and does the facility keep extra fuses on hand)? You may have to bring in an electrical technician to ensure that your system will be able to handle it.

Lighting

Lighting creates mood. It adds drama to your wedding. Low lights and Candle Safe candles strategically placed can create ambience at very limited cost. Splash lights with colored gels and mirrored balls are simple and inexpensive effects. Call a lighting company that handles special events to see what can be done to enhance your wedding ceremony and reception with special effects. You may want to limit what you spend on floral arrangements and décor to do something that could possibly provide more visual impact. Lighting effects are only limited by your budget.

You can opt for a full laser show as a grand finale to your wedding reception, pinspot the tables, have your room bathed in changing color, custom gobos can shine a message or your names entwined on a wall or dance floor, soft draping of the ceiling with fabric and
mini lights can produce a delightful effect many options are available to you.

What Your Audiovisual, Staging, and Lighting Company Will Need to Know In addition to the Supplier’s Information Worksheet, your supplier will need to know:

- Whether you will require audiovisual and, if so, whether it will be rear screen, front screen, or other (e.g., plasma screens)
- Whether you will require staging, what side of the room the stage will be on, and whether it will be decorated and/or draped
- Whether you will be requiring specialty lighting
- The room dimensions, including ceiling height
- What the sightlines (lines of vision) are like in the room (whether there are any pillars, hanging chandeliers, etc.)
- Whether rehearsals will be required
- Whether the facility is staffed by union employees
- What else will be taking place in the room

Questions to AskYour Audiovisual, Staging, and Lighting Company

- Can they show you pictures or a video of the type of effects audiovisual, staging, and lighting—they have actually done?
- Can they price their services as line items and detail their labor costs, taxes, service charges, delivery fees, etc.?
- What do they require from the sites for move-in, setup, wedding day, tear down, and move-out?
- What other charges would you be responsible for at final billing (such as power charges, crew meals, etc.)?
- Can they price your requirements for your wedding ceremony and your wedding reception separately in case you have to make a decision based on costs to choose one or the other?