Wedding lights bring ambiance to your ceremony and reception, and illuminate outdoor weddings into the night. Unique ideas include hanging icicle lights from ceilings, draping white wire lights across head tables, wrapping centerpieces, and stunning guests with impressive curtains of lights. Use our Wedding Lights Guide as a planning tool to ensure the bride and groom's day is picture perfect.
Once the ceremony and reception venues are confirmed, planning lighting for your wedding can begin!
White Christmas Lights: Mini and Icicle
White wire mini lights and icicles are among the most popular Christmas lights used in weddings. They are ideal for decorating aisles, wedding walls and backdrops, and illuminating tents for outdoor weddings.
Church Ceremony Lighting
If having a church ceremony, string mini lights along the end of the pews and intertwine with flowers. Hang icicle lights in the background to create a lighted backdrop for your vows.
Outdoor Wedding Lighting
If your wedding is taking place outdoors, the lighting possibilities are endless! Hang string lights down each side of pathways, wrap trees with white wire mini lights and decorate an arbor or ceremony focal point with the soft glow of icicle lights.
Wedding Reception Lighting
At the wedding reception, lighting options are endless. Place wide angle LEDs at the head table under a sheer overlay, along the edge of the bridal table, or hang from the edge of cake and gift tables. Drape lighting strings along walls or on the ceiling next to sheer material to create ambient lighting for a dance floor, the cutting of the cake, and more.
Wedding Lighting Ideas
Head and Guest Table lighting
The head table at the reception seats the bride and groom, and typically the entire bridal party. Ensure that this focal point of the reception is aglow with lights.
Drape icicle lights along the head table, covering with sheer fabric such as a tulle overlay to soften the glow Use flameless candles to add ambience to the table settings Battery operated lights are perfect for table centerpieces and around the cake table
Choose your lights carefully. Keep in mind that incandescent lights will become warm almost immediately whereas LED lights stay cool to the touch no matter how long they are in use. For guest comfortability you may want to choose LED lighting for use with table decorations.
Wedding Ceiling Lighting
Wedding reception ideas like this are perfect for an indoor or outdoor space! Cover the ceiling with patio lights or just add a few strands of mini lights mixed with fabric. Try alternating light strings with paper lantern lights or moravian stars, mixing textures is a fun way to add your personality while still keeping it chic!
Wedding Tent Lighting
Wedding tents feel more open when illuminated with bright white lights. Hang white wire mini lights along the walls and over the top of the tent, either on the inside or outside surfaces. You can also create a tent using patio lights for a more open air feel while still framing your space. The result is a cozy gathering space that feels open and welcoming!
Wedding Arbor Lighting
Wedding arbors are a popular backdrop during the vow exchange in outdoor weddings. Take advantage of the potential surfaces offered by arbors, including the lattice walls and pergola ceiling.
Flower Lights
Flower lights, lighted branches, and additional unique ideas bring serenity to outdoor weddings. Flowers grace the brides bouquet, head table vases, flower girl hair bands - dont pass on adding lighted flowers to bushes and tables as well.
Party and Patio Lights
Hang clear or white party bulbs from patio light stringers for evening events, and to accent lanterns and spheres. Party bulbs make ideal summer wedding lights.
Popular ideas include combining patio light bulbs with lanterns or stars. Patio lights can be used to create a ceiling of lights, or in zig zags for a festive design.
Craft Wedding Lights
Craft Lights
Craft lights are a wedding planners best friend, and are very popular in DIY wedding lighting as well.
Battery operated lights can be used in covered areas, on tables, in centerpiece bowls, around picture frames, cakes, and in crafts. Innovative ideas to add decorative elegance with craft lights:
LED Lighting For Weddings
LED lighting for weddings is a great way to add brightness to a wedding. The advantage with using LED strings is that you are able to run more lights, resulting in greater lengths and less wires. Great uses for LED lighting includes:
Lighting the DJ booth - Highlight the DJ during the reception with strings of cool white LEDs. Lighting the dance floor - Use cool white LEDs mixed with your wedding colors to create excitement on the dance floor. Line the floor with LEDs or hang them above the dance floor on the ceiling. Best of wishes from Christmas Lights, Etc. in planning your big day!