Why Is Professional Event Lighting Important?

When you’re hosting an event, professional lighting is like the icing on the cake — sure, you could serve the cake without it, but the experience and taste will be pretty lackluster. Event lighting is an art form and trained artists can help you build an event to remember. They’ll ensure it goes off without a hitch and help you reach your goals, whether you’re promoting your company’s brand or simply giving your guests a good time.

Why Is Lighting Important?

Professional event lighting services can make a drastic difference in your event’s quality, feel and impact. Imagine attending a classy, romantic wedding and seeing harsh bright blue and green lights dancing on the wall. It would undoubtedly take away from the overall feel of the day. It could also distract from the speeches and make it hard to focus on your conversation partners.

In some cases, bad lighting can even get in the way of safety, preventing guests from finding exits or tripping hazards. Good lighting is essential whether you’re trying to promote a business, run a fundraiser, celebrate a union, or celebrate an event.

Professional lighting services can help you reach your goals and make your event more effective in the following ways:

1. It Sets the Mood

Lighting is crucial when you’re trying to encourage a particular feeling in your guests. Professional lighting technicians will put the psychology of color to work for your event. Colors can affect:

• Emotions: We associate some colors with certain emotions. For example, red often goes hand-in-hand with passion and love, while blue reflects serenity and peace. While people don’t usually make these associations on a conscious level, lighting is a great way to help infuse the feelings you want into your event.
• Alertness: If your lighting is too dim or too bright, it could affect how alert your guests feel. Dim lights can make people feel relaxed and at ease, but guests might start to nod off if they’re too low. Similarly, ultra-bright lights can be too jarring, leading to eye strain. Finding the right balance helps your guests feel a perfect balance of alert and relaxed.
• Activities: Trying to find another person or read a brochure in dark lighting can leave your guests feeling frustrated. Proper event lighting ensures your guests can do everything they need to do.

With these elements, you can add that “wow” factor that keeps your event in people’s minds for years to come. Even small accents and highlights can tie the room together and add the perfect finishing touches.

2. It Draws Attention and Focus

Your event may have many different focus areas, from presenters to artwork to sign-in desks. Professional lighting can draw attention to the right places. You might add uplighting below a gallery piece or highlight a photo op background. At the same time, you can also use lighting to de-emphasize elements, such as the crew working backstage or a venue’s unappealing wallpaper.

Lighting offers a fun way to direct your guests’ attention. Guests understand most simple lighting cues, which can help your event run smoothly. For example, you can simply dim the lights instead of announcing that it’s time for guests to take their seats and watch the stage.

You can really have fun with lighting options to engage your audience in an artistic, creative way. The possibilities are endless. Professional lighting companies have diverse hardware and programming options and the expertise to help you direct your guests’ focus.

3. It Creates a Safer Environment

There’s a reason exit signs must stay illuminated at all times. Good lighting helps guests see their way around without distracting from the event itself. You’ll need to keep your lights bright enough for people to avoid tripping hazards and find exits quickly or create a pathway to help them navigate.

Professional lighting technicians are experienced in finding the right balance and can help you provide safe lighting that complements your event. Their experience and expertise also mean they know how to keep hardware, heavy wires and low-hanging structures out of the way.

4. It Improves Photos

Have you ever looked like a million bucks and tried to take a picture, only to realize the image was barely visible? Or maybe the lighting was too harsh and the photo looked blown out? Poor lighting can ruin a shot for professional and amateur photographers alike — it certainly won’t lead to images that guests are excited to share on social media! Proper event lighting allows you to create an environment that everybody with a camera will love.

In addition to illuminating subjects, lighting can create eye-catching scenes that encourage photos. For example, instead of setting up a photo station at a wedding with a traditional backdrop, you could use projection mapping to illuminate the wall with the couple’s last name and stunning floral background. For another striking wedding lighting service, cake mapping adds a picture-perfect projection on top of the cake.

Good photos provide an additional benefit for organizations and individuals. It also allows everyone in attendance to play photographer since good external lighting is necessary for getting high-quality pictures from a smartphone. Share-ready images can help a business promote its brand or support a non-profit in promoting its fundraiser. Hosts of personal events get excellent photos that will last a lifetime and look great on a living room wall.

5. It Makes Audio More Engaging

Lights can take your event's audio element to the next level. From introductory tunes to first dances and musical performances, light displays can turn sound into a multimedia event that elevates the listening experience. You might sync the lights to the sound or initiate programmed movements like dimming or gentle color changes to match the sounds.

Can I Do My Own Event Lighting?

If you’re on a budget, you may be pondering if you really need professional lighting services. While DIY may seem like an easy way to save money, buying all the necessary equipment can get expensive. We highly recommend working with a professional who can help you create a safer, more effective and polished experience. Lighting experts understand the small details of event lighting and can help you wow your guests with a memorable experience.

Lighting is more complicated than it may seem on the surface. Every venue is unique, and you’ll need to consider how different elements interact, like the color of the walls or the time of day. Without a trained eye, you may unknowingly set up clashing lights or cause other problems. It takes extensive training to understand how to light with color — a professional lighting team knows how to make it work to your advantage.

Poor installation can also lead to liability issues. Professionals also know how to avoid safety problems, which are especially important to avoid when large crowds are gathering.

Ramp Up Your Next Event With Professional Lighting Services

Professional lighting services are crucial whether you’re holding a personal or organizational event. An expert team can provide customized services to fit your vision and the venue’s characteristics for a one-of-a-kind event.

If you need event lighting in Atlanta, Georgia, look no further than Illuminating Design. We’ve been serving the Atlanta area since 2004, helping businesses, organizations and hosts put on successful, unique events. We do much more than install lights — we blend art and technology for customized, creative, compelling displays. The process starts with a visit to your installation site, where we’ll learn as much as possible about your venue, event and goals.

Ready to get started? Reach out to us today to learn more about our event lighting services in Georgia and start planning the perfect event!

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