All posts by lscjonathan

lighting and decor room transformation greek wedding

Total Room Transformation With Lighting & Decor FAQ

Transforming Your Event Space with Lighting & Decor

Completely transforming spaces is a major part of what lighting & decor companies do. As lighting & decor specialists, we are often asked to transform event spaces in varying degrees. There are many tools that we use to make a space go from drab to dream. Lighting and drape are among the most popular resources we use to transform event venues, but there are so many more options. To clear up some common confusion, we asked our design experts to answer some common questions.

Backyard wedding lighting and decor tent bistro lighting

How can I use my backyard for my wedding?

Pretty easily, actually. While tents are always a good back-up plan for weather, a tent isn’t needed for your backyard wedding. Waterproof uplighting can light up your backyard and turn it into a magical event space. Portable lamp posts can be a quick and easy option to provide area lighting. Classic edison bistro lighting is a fantastic option for covering large spaces, and it can be hung several different ways. Ground supports can suspend bistro lighting over your backyard. Learn more about those services by checking out our catalog.

Suggested Lighting & Decor Services for Backyard Weddings

Bistro Lighting
Outdoor Uplighting
Chandeliers
Pendants
Lamp Posts
Mini Lights

The Bottom Line: If you have the space, having a wedding in your backyard is both very common and totally possible with portable lighting services.

Can I use lighting and drape to transform a basketball court for my wedding?

Working in gyms is very similar to working in a conference center or hotel. Unfinished ceilings mean plenty of rigging points, making it easy to hang lighting such as pin spots, texture gobos, or wash lights above your event. The walls of a gym can be totally, or partially draped to cover up ugly paint and textures. Dropping in chandeliers just above your guests will provide both a beautiful decor effect and a practical lighting one.

Suggested Lighting & Decor Services for Church Gyms

Chandeliers
Pendants
Pin Spotting
Uplighting
Drape
Lighting Wash
Texture Gobos

The Bottom Line: With the proper lighting design and drape look, any room can be transformed into a beautiful event space.

My event is in the middle of nowhere, can I still have lighting?

Along with a huge collection of battery-powered uplights, we also can bring in any sized generator to pretty much any location. Skilled technicians will run power for lighting, your DJ, and event your caterer, while keeping hazardous cables out of pathways and neatly out of site.
Battery-powered pin-spots are almost standard now, so there is no location where lighting is out of the question.

Suggested Lighting & Decor Services for Remote Events

Battery Pin Spotting
Battery Uplighting
Drape
LED Bistro Lighting
Generators
Power Distribution

The Bottom Line: Portable generators and battery lighting make remote events a piece of cake.

Have more questions? Reach out and speak with one of our event designers.

Staunton Pride Festival – Stage/Audio Production

Staunton, Virginia is known for its vibrant and diverse arts communityand historic main street area. So it’s no surprise that they hold an annual Pride Festival in support of acceptance in the Shenandoah Valley.

The Lighting & Sound Co, being no strangers to street festival production services, was involved at the early stages of festival planning to assist event promoter LGBT Technology Partnership with a mobile stage and audio reinforcement services for the Pride Festival.

We provided a Stageline SL100 mobile stage, which at 24 ft wide by 20 ft deep was the perfect size to fit in a downtown street. Furthermore, we installed a full banner kit on the stage, increasing the visibility and impact of the stage. Due to restrictions on street closures, the 1 hour setup of the mobile stage was critical for this event. Stageline mobile stages, complete with engineering documentation, easily satisfied the fire marshal’s pre-event inspection.

An LSC audio engineer operates the sound system at Staunton Pride Festival

Hanging from the stage’s built-in speaker rigging points was a DB Technologies T12 line array. We paired this with S30N subs on the ground for suitable low-end. Stage lighting consisting of Chauvet Colordash H12IP (waterproof in case of rain) was also provided. This illuminated the stage during the evening headline performance by Virginia-native Catey Shaw. Event attendees could hear performances away from the stage with delay speakers placed at the end of the block.

We’re always happy to support the LGBTQIA community with quality event production services, and this Pride Festival was no different. We are looking forward to continuing our support of this annual event!

11 Things Your Lighting Company Will Need to Know About Your Event

A guide for event planners, coordinators, and brides.

1. Where

It almost goes without saying, but you’d be surprised how many folks don’t lead with the location of their event. Production companies need to know the location of the venue for multiple reasons. The primary reason is knowing the layout of the venue. This helps with costing services and knowing what will work in the space. Any kind of custom design needs exact dimensions, so being able to get a look at the venue is often crucial to the success of the design team.

2. When

Why your lighting company knowing the exact date is important

Lighting companies also need to know when your event is. It isn’t unusual for a lighting company to book events several months, or even a year in advance. While most lighting companies can service multiple events in a day, every company has its capacity. An exact date is the only way to determine for sure that equipment and labor resources will be available for your event. Try to make sure that this information is included in your initial request for services.

Why you need to get your lighting company an up-to-date schedule.

Lighting equipment can sometimes take longer than anything else to set up. Lighting companies have a pretty good idea of how long a service will take based on past experience. They use this information to get the most out of their equipment and crew during a somewhat lopsided work week. Corporate events and meetings often happen during the week. However, a large majority of events take place on the weekends. Lighting companies service all types of events year-round, but most event companies see a huge boost in activity during the fall season. This leaves them with a large amount of events, all happening at once. Because of this, event companies keep schedules that can be very tight. It is important to update all of your vendors with any schedule changes, to prevent any issues.

3. Event Type/Theme

After providing lighting services for thousands of events, we’ve learned a couple things. We like to handle different types of events differently, and with the care they deserve. Because of this, we’ve developed several departments that specialize in different event areas. It’s useful to know early on what type of event we’re dealing with so that we can get it in the hands of the right event expert. Chances are, we’ve dealt with a very similar event, and can call upon that knowledge when designing your event.

4. Total Attendance

Knowing total attendance is important for a few reasons. For a simple wedding in a hotel ballroom, your production company probably doesn’t need to know this information. But for larger events, especially where there’s sound involved, be sure to mention this number. More people not only create more background noise that the system needs to project over, they also obstruct the sound by physically being there. Knowing how many people will be there helps audio technicians bring the correct equipment. This ensures that your event audio will be heard loud and clear.

6. Power Requirements/Availability

Your lighting company needs to know more than just the power available at the venue; they also need to know what other vendors expect to use it. Caterers often require a large amount of power for heaters, and appliances such as coffee makers or food warmers. Many large-scale coffee makers require an entire circuit to themselves. In fact, everyone from the DJ to the photo booth could require power. Insufficient electrical availability could mean an important aspect of your event might go dark or without power.

7. Onsite AV or Lighting Technician

For some events, lighting is basically just a decor item. The lighting team will unload, set up the lighting, and take off. For events with simple uplighting, drape, or string lighting, this is the way to go. Although a technician is not always needed, some event coordinators prefer to have one standing by for the very rare chance that something goes wrong. However, if anything has to change during the event, you will need onsite staff. This includes everything from tying up drape pieces into gathers, to changing the color of the uplighting. The cost of this will depend on the length of time that the tech is needed, but work calls usually have four-hour minimums.

8. Service Needs

The more you can let your lighting company know about your needs, the better. You can save a lot of time by preparing a list of the exact services you need, and the details of each service. Ultimately, many people don’t have this information in the early stages of even planning. If this is the case, save time by making this clear to all of your vendors, so you can avoid them fishing for the information.

9 . Load In Procedure

More often than not, your lighting company will already be familiar with the venue. But for unusual event spaces or private residences, it’s important that an information sheet with any relevant rules and procedures is generated not only for your lighting company, but for all of your other vendors as well. Ideally, your lighting company won’t be loading in at the same time as other vendors.

10. Parking

Parking is something that many people take for granted. Venues in urban areas can often have parking that is quite limited. Some event setups can take anywhere from four to eight hours, so it’s important to think about where your vendors are going to park during this time. Most lighting companies drive extended vans or box trucks, so keep in mind that there may need to be more room than usual for them to park.

11. Venue Rules

As an event planner, you are often the center of communication between other vendors. The venue is no exception. While many venues are proactive and reach out to all vendors to provide information, every experience varies. It’s important to pass any essential information down the line to your vendors. Often, the venues expect this, and rely on planners and coordinators to pass information along to vendors.

If you want to learn more about lighting, The Lighting & Sound Co. offers tons of resources for people of all knowledge levels. Reach out by phone or e mail to speak to a pro.

5 Reasons a Mobile Stage is Perfect for Your Event

When you’re planning an outdoor show or concert, the last thing you want to worry about is staging issues. The common options these days are a stage built of small decks that can be carried by a person, and a mobile stage trailer which sets up mechanically. Mobile stages offer many advantages over a traditional riser or Bil-jax deck stage, and help to ensure a successful outcome for your event.

Stageline SL320 mobile stage is setup for Punk in Drublic music festival in Richmond, VA — Stageline SL320 mobile stage is setup for Punk In Drublic music festival

Mobile Stage Means Safety

An event that is safe for attendees and performers is everyone’s first concern. You can be assured the stage production is secure by using a mobile stage. Engineered to withstand up to 110 mph winds, a Stageline mobile stage will remain standing even in the event of a hurricane. Ballast or ground anchors are not required to achieve this level of wind resistance. Additionally, the roof is engineered to safely support heavy loads of production lighting and sound equipment.

Setup Time

In certain locations, such as street festivals, there isn’t much time to set up before the event begins and the area must be cleared rapidly after the attendees leave. Traditional deck stages and roof systems can take hours or days to setup and takedown. The smaller mobile stages can arrive at a site and set up in less than 45 minutes. This means your stagehand labor costs are kept to a minimum. And if the site or venue has time restrictions, a mobile stage is the only choice.

Promotional Banners

An SL100 mobile stage with full banner kit is set up for Staunton Pride Festival — Stageline SL100 mobile stage with full banner kit is set for Staunton Pride Festival

All mobile stages are designed to easily hang large printed banners. Promotional banners greatly increase the impact and memory of an event. In addition, they present an easy opportunity for you to sell event sponsorships. Compared to a traditional stage setup, you don’t need any additional structures for hanging banners. And, the mobile stage wind rating includes the use of banners! Every stage looks better when flanked by colorful banners.

Small Footprint

Stageline SL260 is setup for event in Petersburg VA, showing view from the rear of the stage — Stageline SL260 showing minimal space requirements on sides and rear

Many stage roofs need space around them for ground anchoring or outrigger legs. A Stageline SL-100, with 24 by 20 ft stage size, requires no outriggers or guy lines on any side. Because of this, the audience can get right up to the front, with no sightline obstructions. You can pack the side areas with vendors or tourbuses since no ballast obstructs that space. Do you need to set up on a two-lane city street without blocking the sidewalk? This is not a problem for a mobile stage.

All-in-one Solution

When you use a mobile stage at your event, you get a secure elevated platform, a roof covering, and optional rainproof windwalls. Your AV production company can easily hang sound and lighting equipment from the mobile stage with low effort, meaning less cost for these items. No need for separate stage, roof, and lighting supports, which reduces costs. The technical elements are installed before the stage raises up, avoiding costs of boom lift rental. All in all, if you are holding an outdoor performance, a mobile stage should be at the top of your list.

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Get a mobile stage today!

AV Company in Richmond, Virginia

AV Company: How you know you’ve found a match.

Looking for an AV Company? We are The Lighting & Sound Company, a national design, production, and AV company based in Richmond, Virginia. We provide lighting, AV, logistical support, and design concepts for upscale events and serve a broad range of industries. Our experienced crew helps major brands and groups of all sizes conceptualize, design, and execute unique visions and successful events.

Get started now!

(or learn more below)

AV Company technician — An LSC AV Tech prepares a truss to fly over a fundraiser gala in the Siegel Center at VCU.

AV Services in Richmond

Like any AV company, we offer more than just lighting, video, and audio services. Our services also include a large range of decor lighting, fabrication and soft goods options. Because of this, we’re able to provide a “one-stop-shop” for most events.

Live Event Audio with your AV Company

Our modern audio inventory has all the elements needed for large-scale events. Most importantly, our live event audio crew has experience working in corporate events and meetings, concerts, broadcast, large-scale sporting & worship events and more.

Full-sized PA systems from multiple high-end brands, such as DB and JBL. Our crew of professional audio engineers will ensure that not a single word or note is missed.
Our audio techs have experience mixing for national and international acts from a wide range of genres. Consequently, they have the skills they need to operate in high-pressure event situations
We can field audio consoles to fit any rider, including favorites like the Venue, and standbys such as the Behringer X32.

An LSC lighting designer operates lighting for a turn-key lighting system at Fort Lee in Virginia.

Stage Lighting with an AV Company

Our lighting team consists of classically trained designers and experienced lighting technicians.

Turn-Key stage lighting systems including conventional and LED stage lighting, available to fit events of any scope.
Indoor and outdoor stage lighting available, we like to think of ourselves as “weather-friendly”
Conventional and LED TV Lighting available for broadcast and live streaming events. This includes Kino Flo LED lighting with adjustable color temperature for TV Stages.
Range of moving lights to fit most riders and needs. This includes both arc source and LED beam, profile, wash, and hybrid fixtures.
Effect lights for stage decor and effects also available. Strips, bricks, cycs, blinders, whatever you need to make your event outshine the rest.

Event Video and Image Magnification

Our AV team comes full equipped with any video equipment you might need.

Projectors and fast fold projection screens in all standard sizes for corporate events and meetings.
LED Video walls for concerts, corporate events, and high-visibility outdoor image magnification.
High-lumen projectors available for projection mapping and large-format projections. Perfect for corporate parties, meetings, and displays.
TVs up to 70″ for digital signage displays and AV for small breakout rooms.
Live streaming and recording options available, including live image magnification and onsite camera teams. High quality cameras will help to ensure that not even the smallest detail is missed.

The Japanese Garden lake is filled with reflections of glowing trees

Learn more about event lighting design and Maymont Garden Glow

Decor Lighting

We can do a lot more than just stage lighting for your event. For instance, our decor lighting is unrivaled. Along with design services, we offer a huge number of decor lighting options that will blow your event attendees away. Work with our experienced designers to craft a design. Or, come to us design-in-hand and we’ll make your vision a reality. In other words, it’s completely up to you how involved you are in the process.

Powerful wired and wireless uplighting to change the look and feel of your event space.
Bistro lighting for tent and outdoor events. String lighting overhead is the perfect way to light large areas with a warm and intimate charm.
Pin-spots to light centerpieces, or tables in low-light scenarios such as galas or holiday parties.
Custom and Texture Gobo projections are great for making your event look unique. Moreover, we have an enormous inventory of patterns that can completely change the look of the event space, or just accent it a little. For example, if you have a winter theme, you can choose from a long list of frost, snow, and other winter-themed patterns.

Richmond AV Company Gayton Jazz Nativity

Soft Goods and Design Elements

In addition to being an AV Company and decor lighting wizards, we have one of the largest collections of drape in Richmond. As a result, we do a lot of custom event designs. Our creative fabrications team can help design and build a set to support events of all types.

Velour, poly premiere, banjo, and sheer draping in many sizes and colors.
Custom drape backdrops both simple and elaborate.
Custom set pieces.
Textured vacu-form plastic pieces.
Texture tiles, illuminated blocks, and other common elements available.

For party rentals & linens, check out our friends at Party Perfect

Book us as your AV Company now!

church event lighting jazz show production

Church Event Lighting: Gayton Jazz Nativity

Most industries have events of one kind or another, and because of this, event lighting is in high demand. Most production companies serve a wide range of clients. One of the larger groups among those are churches. There are thousands of churches in the state of Virginia alone, and we provide production services to many of them.

Event production for a good cause

We are enjoying our third year working with Gayton Church in Henrico, Virginia. Each year, Gayton Church auditions members from their talented congregation to take part in their Christmas jazz show, Jazz Nativity. Jazz Nativity is in it’s 10th year, and features popular Christmas music, fused with both original and classic jazz pieces. The show benefits Feed My Starving Children, a charity devoted to providing meals to malnourished and impoverished children in 3rd world countries. To date, Jazz Nativity has funded more than 1.2 million meals, which are packed right in the gym of the church on Super Bowl Sunday.

Jazz Nativity 2016, our first year with Gayton Church. Picture by Katelyn James.

Now in it’s 10th year, Jazz Nativity continues to grow

Jazz Nativity has come a long way. As it has grown, the need for production has expanded. When we began with Gayton Church, we set up for the show in the church’s sanctuary. After our first year running production, it became clear that there was need for a bigger space. We helped prepare the (much larger) gym for Jazz Nativity 2017. By moving to the gym, we were able to make the show a lot bigger. The gym is more than 4 times larger, which allows for more stage space and more capacity. Much needed for a show that sells out 5 dates every year.

After 8 years, Jazz Nativity moves to a larger space. Jazz Nativity 2017. Picture by Katelyn James.

Keeping with an intimate feel

One of the best parts of the show is the intimate feel, and with the move to the gym, we were sure to keep that in mind. It’s a little harder to keep things intimate with an audience of over 700. Bistro lighting works great for this. Mainly, it replaces the cold, harsh lights of the gym. It also helps to bring the focus in closer to the audience.

Jazz Nativity director David Esleck.

Jazz Nativity is directed by Dr. David Esleck, a Grammy Award nominee, and music faculty at University of Richmond. Esleck’s compositions, both jazz and classical, are heard in concerts, films, and television.

Jazz Nativity 2018 church lighting production christmas

Jazz Nativity 2018. Picture by Katelyn James

Jazz Nativity now has more lighting and scenic elements than ever

For 2018, we stepped up our lighting and fabrication for the show. In addition to adding more moving lights, we changed the scenic elements as well. We used with Vacuform castle rock scenic pieces against black velour as a backdrop, which helped give the show a warm, intimate feel.

More pictures from Katelyn James below.

Michael Simon Photo Maymont Garden Glow Outdoor Event Lighting Richmond

Event Lighting Design: Maymont Garden Glow

One of the best parts of fall is providing outdoor event lighting for events like Garden Glow. The first annual Maymont Garden Glow event just finished up and it was one of the coolest events to see in the city. Running for three weeks during the height of fall colors in Maymont’s Japanese Garden. Attendees were treated to magical views of the landscape bathed in colored light and tall pine trees were illuminated from below while rolling hills stood aglow. Boulders beneath the waterfall sparkled and shimmered with color-changing lighting.

uplighting Spanish moss string lighting tree

The Japanese Maple in the garden was beautifully lit with a combination of blue uplighting and Spanish moss string lighting.

Environmental Difficulties of Outdoor Event Lighting

The Lighting & Sound Co is always involved early in the planning process for events like Garden Glow. Outdoor event lighting provides a number of challenges, such as weather. We provide consultation to the event organizers about technical feasibility and lighting features. For Garden Glow, the remote outdoor site location of the Japanese Gardens provides additional obstacles to the event design.

It took over 3 miles of extension cable to provide all of our waterproof LED lighting throughout the garden with power.

With many events, our event technology equipment is operating indoors in climate controlled-spaces. However, Garden Glow was quite the opposite with lighting used outdoors exposed to the full elements for more than three weeks. This necessitated the use of waterproof lighting designed to be used outdoors. (IP65) Lighting fixtures, power supply cables, and control enclosures were all weatherproof. The Lighting & Sound Co maintains an extensive stock of suitable weatherproof LED lighting fixtures.

Our event partners, Temp Power, provided power for Maymont Garden Glow

Providing Power for an Outdoor Event

Electrical power is not available in Maymont’s Japanese Garden, so generators were required. Our event partners at Temp-Power were also involved, supplying mega-silent portable generators that kept the lights on while staying quiet to avoid distracting from the tranquil ambiance of the event. Remote monitoring, standard on all Temp-Power units, kept us aware of fuel levels to prevent running out of gas.

This amazing annual event was sold out nearly every evening it was open. We are definitely looking forward to next year’s Garden Glow.

Cover photo by Michael Simon Photo

Lighting for Sports Events: Boulder Bash

Providing Lighting for Sports Events.

Since our inception, we’ve provided high end lighting for sports events all over the country. We’ve created designs for some pretty unique events. Our crew has crisscrossed the country with Tough Mudder, setting up obstacles made out of entertainment truss. Lighting & Sound Co. Richmond works with VCU Athletics every year on the hype video for the VCU Men’s Basketball team, and works with Bleacher Report to provide production for their Honor Bowl Event in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Black Truss tough mudder Technician lighting for sports events

An LSC project manager oversees the building of black truss obstacles for Tough Mudder X.

Mile high custom aluminium truss structure lighting for sports events

An LSC technician tests the “Mile High Club” in Kentucky for Tough Mudder.

Production for VCU Basketball’s Hype Video shot at The Siegel Center in Richmond, VA.

Lighting Up A Rock Wall

One of the cool clients we get to work with every year is Sports Backers. Sports Backers is a non-profit aimed at getting people more active. They put on all of the large sports events in Richmond. Some of their events include the Anthem Richmond Marathon, Dominion Riverrock, and The Monument Avenue 10k, which is the 4th largest 10k in the country.

An LSC technicians ties up cables on the complex scaffolding structure.

Boulder Bash at Dominion RiverRock involves “the most unique bouldering wall ever constructed” and is over 20 feet high, which is a fitting challenge for the nation’s largest outdoor sports and music festival. 20 men and 20 women, some of the best rock climbers in the nation, compete for cash prizes worth up to $1500. Since the final stages of competition go late into the evening, lighting is needed for climbers to see the routes and spectators to view the action. We use waterproof lighting fixtures, Chauvet Colorado 1 Quad IP and Colordash H12 IP units, to light up the outdoor area. We provide an operator during all competition times, allowing for lighting effects to run during inter-race periods.

Lighting the wall was both aesthetic and functional. High-powered LEDs places strategically out of sight-lines illuminated the path for competitors.

Sound Reinforcement

What’s a sporting event without an announcer to let the spectators know who is winning? We provided powered speakers, the venerable QSC K12, flown high up from the top of the structure. This position enabled everyone to hear announcements and music far across the event site.

About The Lighting & Sound Co.

The Lighting & Sound Company provides high-end sports event lighting to the East Coast. We’re here to help make sure it’s perfect. With an extensive portfolio of beautiful events, we serve sports events of all sizes. Our team has worked many high profile projects, and has experience working and integrating with major TV networks.

The Lighting & Sound Co. offers many custom design & AV solutions for events of all sizes. Take a look at our portfolio and give us a call to start designing your sports event. Our knowledgeable and friendly designers will walk you through the process. Our extended office hours mean you can reach us at almost any time of day.

Wedding lighting company charlottesville

Charlottesville Wedding Lighting

Designing your Charlottesville Wedding Lighting

In Charlottesville, wedding lighting is more popular than it ever has been before. Adding lighting & drape to your event has become increasingly more affordable, production companies have never been more accessible to the general public. Charlottesville is filled with wonderful venues to have your wedding in. We put together some tips for you to look at as you plan your Charlottesville wedding lighting design.

Many Charlottesville brides are feeling string lights

Macaroni and cheese. Wine and cheese. Weddings and string lights.

String lighting has become the go-to for covering event spaces all over the country. Using string lighting is one of the more effective ways to cover large spaces with lighting. There’s also a big upside! String lighting is functional, it lights the space so people can see. In addition to functionality, the decor possibilities with string lighting are endless. You can’t top that charm that comes from a sunset wedding covered in string lights. The reds from the sun, the trees nodding to a lighting breeze, and classic bistro gently swinging in the wind above you event. The classic incandescent glow of Edison bulbs strung across the landscape definitely has an impact. Many Charlottesville wedding lighting designs are utilizing twinkle lights and bistro lights (also referred to as market lights, cafe lights, or Edison lights.)

Wedding String Lighting: Everything you need to know about stringing up your event.

All drape is not created equal, but it’s all equally AMAZING.

Drape is the workhorse of the decor department. When you’re designing your wedding, think of drape as a great way to do a great many things. It can serve as a backdrop, as a canopy, and even a sun shade. Drape can also be used to cover the ugly, or accent the beautiful. It can be translucent or opaque, and it comes in colors all over the spectrum. Typically brides will go with a white, ivory, or champagne to accent their Charlottesville event. Drape is a good look for both indoor and outdoor weddings, so don’t be afraid to use your imagination.

Don’t know where to start on wedding drape? Start right here.

Chandeliers can add elegant beauty to your Charlottesville wedding lighting design.

Chandeliers continue to be one of the more popular lighting accents for a Charlottesville Wedding. Charlottesville wedding lighting designs have always been Chandelier heavy. Gorgeous Charlottesville venues and event spaces, and the beautiful countryside lend themselves to a chandelier accent. Chandeliers let you customize your event with a classic centerpiece. In addition, Chandeliers can be turned into amazing centerpieces by creating groups. Most high end lighting companies will offer a wide range of chandeliers for your to choose from, often featuing 4 main themes: Industrial, Rustic, Modern, and Classic (or Traditional.) A chandelier’s style can set the tone for the whole event, make sure you pick the right one for your event!

Event Chandeliers in the Charlottesville Area

Uplighting. The good, the bad, and the cheap Chinese knockoffs.

Uplighting. If you’ve been researching wedding lighting at all, you’ve probably seen this term everywhere. You’re also probably familiar with what it is. For those that aren’t wise to it, follow the link under this paragraph to learn more. Uplighting is a great choice for your Charlottesville wedding, but be wary of budget services in this area. The differences between a cheap uplight that a DJ might be able to afford, and a powerful LED Par that a lighting company can field, are 3-fold.

1. Cheap uplights are not always bright enough to punch through and make a big impact on an event. If you’re looking for a small accent, this could be your solution. If you want the lighting to have impact, be wary of using a DJ for lighting.

2. Cheap uplights can have color variances. Many cheap Chinese lighting manufactures use different LED chipsets in their lights, causing color to vary from light to light. This gives your event an uneven and sometimes can cause an event to look cheap.

3. Cheap optics vary drastically. Optics are the lenses that are used to focus the light coming off of the diode, and make an even field of light. Cheap lights utilize cheap plastic optics that throws the light unevenly. Unmixed colors are often visible near the bottom of the wall, but high enough for your guest to see.

Lighting is the same as anything else. The cheap stuff works on a budget, but you’re going to notice the difference in quality.

Cutting the cord: is wireless the right solution for your rural Charlottesville event?

With wireless technology, access to lighting for areas with no power is no problem. Gone are the days when you had to bring out a generator or run hundreds of feet of power cable for a rural event. These days, having lighting, or even audio on the in a remote area is no problem. A well-equipped lighting company has the quiet-run generators needed for an event located where there may not be easy access to power. But sometimes events don’t call for all the bells and whistles, and budget is almost always a factor. Wireless, or battery-powered solutions make events with limited power options affordable. LEDs, string lighting, speakers and area lights with batteries can make your remote event run flawlessly.

The Lighting & Sound Co. provides Charlottesville wedding lighting, audio, video, and drape.

About The Lighting & Sound Co.

The Lighting & Sound Company provides high-end wedding lights in the Charlottesville area. We’re here to help make sure it’s perfect. With an extensive portfolio of beautiful events, we serve events of all sizes. From small weddings with a touch of bistro lighting and sheer drape, to extravagant weddings and more. We offer a very large selection of options and want to help make your special day as easy as possible. Lighting, drape, uplighting, gobos, projections, audio, string lighting and marquee letters are just a few of our wedding lighting services.

The Lighting & Sound Co. offers many custom design solutions for weddings and events, such as custom drape backdrops and chandelier displays. Take a look at our portfolio and give us a call to start designing your wedding lighting. Featuring a 5 minute quote process, and easy online payment options. Our knowledgeable and friendly designers that will walk you through the process. Our extended office hours mean you can reach us at almost any time of day.

Top 5 Rustic Wedding Lighting Looks

Explore the Top 5 Rustic Wedding Lighting Looks of 2018

Rustic & barn weddings have never been more popular. You want your decor to stand out and there are almost endless possibilities with rustic wedding lighting. We put together this short-list of wedding lighting & draping options for your rustic feel.

1. Bistro Lighting

Bistro lighting tops the list, and for good reason. Not only do most rustic weddings have bistro lighting, most outdoor or tent weddings do too. Some of the reasons may be less obvious than you think. Obviously, bistro looks amazing when done right. It also fits into most themes, and you can set it up in almost any venue. Bistro lighting is also one of the easiest and most aesthetic ways to cover large areas. Because bistro lighting is strung overhead, it doesn’t get in the way of festivities.

Bistro light provides a warm, incandescent glow that makes it one of the best rustic wedding lighting options available.

Learn more about bistro lighting here.

2. Chandeliers

Chandeliers are #2 in the rustic wedding lighting category. With a little help from the florals, the possibilities are endless. Chandeliers come in all shapes and sizes, so there is a suitable match for any theme. You can use chandeliers at your wedding to add accent and drama. Decorate with a single chandelier, group chandeliers, or hang them from distinguished areas such as tents, arches or gazebos. You can also suspend chandeliers from trees to create a look of enchantment and sophistication.

Learn more about chandeliers here.

3. Pendants

Pendants are those classy old school Edison bulbs hanging from above, and you just may need them for your rustic look to be complete. It’s hard to top the vintage charm of this effect, and because of that, it is number 3 on our list. With dozens of classic bulb options available, pendants can fit any kind of rustic or vintage wedding. Pendants are great over bars, head tables, and buffets. They can add a subtle accent to a bistro look, or stand alone for an intimate low-light look.

4. Marquee Letters

There is no better way to light up your dance floor than a set of full-sized marquee “LOVE” letters. The warm incandescent glow creates a perfect center piece for your dance floor. Marquee letters are a good fit in both indoor and outdoor venues.

5. Drape

Last but not least, drape is a fantastic way to add to your rustic theme. Canvas drop clothes can cover up ugly barn walls, and sheer waterfall curtains serve as awesome backdrops for your head table. Custom drape displays are a great way to have a unique look and feel.

Learn more about drape here.