There are many types of lights. From the most common Edison bulbs to new innovations such as LED lighting, there is a lot you can do with lights. The challenge, however, arises when it comes to picking the right type of lighting for your event.

Today, lighting is not only used to enhance visibility but also to impress upon the tone and mood of the event, not to mention the decor.  With so many options in the market, you are bound to feel overwhelmed with choices. To get you started, we have some key pointers that will help you pick the best lighting for any event.

Event style

The lighting for your event should be in accordance with your style and this will be able to create the desired ambience for that event. For instance if you are planning to have a casino event, using LED lights would be ideal since these would create the flashy look and feel that is associated with casinos. For a more laid back event such as a baby shower, you should aim to create a cozy environment. This would be achieved using soft white light with hues of blue and pink.

Ensure you have enough lighting.

One of the ways of achieving a properly lit event is ensuring that the lighting is spread throughout the venue. Having less than enough lighting can make the entire event dull which would cause difficulty in movement since people cannot see properly. On the other hand, if the lights are too bright, it will be distracting hence making people restless.

One way in which you can get ahead of this is by conducting a site visit before the event. This helps you visualize the lighting for your event which will inform of lighting. The site visit will also enable you to highlight dark spots which would require more light compared to other areas.

Once you have made your choice of the lighting, it is advisable to do some testing of your light levels right before the event to make sure you have the ideal brightness for the room.

Event lighting arrangements and control

You need to be able to arrange the lighting in a way that highlights certain elements and sets the desired mood for the venue. Different colors are interpreted by the brain in various ways.  For the upbeat elements of your event such as the entertainment, you could focus bright white light which encourages people to let loose and enjoy themselves. The more serious aspects, for instance a keynote speech could be illuminated with darker blue lighting. Colors such as blue evoke a calming feel enabling people to concentrate. A simple, well-constructed lighting design could go a long way to impressing your guests and attendees.

You also need a way to control the lighting. This is where a lighting technician comes in. Before any event, you need to have familiarized with your lighting team and have briefed them on the event. This will ensure you have a seamless event as your technician will know when to switch up the lighting to create the desired ambience.

Photography

Lighting is a rather determining factor when it comes to producing high quality images and films. If your venue is dimly lit you may struggle to gather great images without using external lighting elements. Likewise, if your venue is filled with harsh bright light, your images might be over exposed. Some lighting issues can be corrected when you are processing the photos, but ideally you want a well-lit image to begin with.

Lighting needs to be positioned where it won’t interfere with photography and videography activities. Likewise, light needs to fully fill the space that is going to be filmed.

I’m sure there are other things that could be added to this list (please leave a comment below) but this is a basic checklist of some things to consider. Once you have all these checked out, you’re on your way to picking the best light for your event. Good event lighting can be set up around any size of budget. Just keep in mind what you want to do first, understand your venue and take advice from an events planner.