Lighting & Decor for The Estate at River Run

Creating classic wedding lighting designs in a new space


The Estate at River Run

Everyone in Richmond’s robust event industry is talking about the estate at River Run. In case you missed the news in Richmond business and wedding magazines, the Massey Manor in Maidens Virginia has been purchased. By this Winter, it will be in use as a wedding and event venue. Doug & Tamra Adams (Adams International School, Virginia Barn Wedding), along with one of Richmond’s most prominent planners and designers, Kim Moody Design, are the new owners. Kim will take on the role of In-House planning and design work at the New River run estate venue. 

River Run Estate Event Lighting Back patio

River Run will be a high-end, corporate and wedding event venue that can serve up to 299 guests. The venue plans to be somewhat selective about their vendors. However, there is no official list as of this post. Kim Moody explains “While we would love to have vendors from all over Richmond work in [The Estate at River Run], we plan on hiring from a small list.” This will keep the property in better shape, and also create a more cohesive week-to-week game plan between vendors that are used to collaborating with each other in the beautiful space.

Our wedding lighting designers were called on to provide lighting for the inaugural event at River Run Estate. The event, a networking event for our good friends at Richmond wedding magazine, a monthly occurrence. The excitement of the new venue brought out all of Richmond’s best wedding vendors. Everyone was excited to inspect the new venue and create ideas for our Richmond brides.  

Photo by Hayes & Fisk Photography

The Design

Our first design at River Run used our extensive collection of powerful outdoor RGB LEDs to highlight and accent the property. The view from the back patio of the manor is perfectly framed, the sun setting perfectly over the James could not be a more picturesque moment, as the deep reds and warm pinks of the sunset blend seamlessly with our our fiery uplighting. Our wireless capabilities means that even outside, we can change the lighting to completely affect the mood. Uplighting is just the tip of the iceberg. With a space like this, anything is possible. We expect to see a lot of Uplighting, bistro lighting, pendants, chandeliers, drape and of course texture gobos to go up in this space.

Event coordination

Event Coordination (Everything Needed for a Perfect Event)


If you are holding anything more than the smallest gathering, you probably have a few vendors providing event services. As your event increases in scale,  you may suddenly be coordinating with tens (or hundreds) of suppliers. If your event has multiple dates or locations, your vendors multiply!

This is where it becomes helpful to get as many services as possible from your suppliers. A single company that provides many related services will be of great help. A company that has contacts with every local event-related business can additionally coordinate other tangentially-related services for you.

The Japanese Garden lake is filled with reflections of glowing trees
Large events require careful planning and expert execution.

Event Coordination is a full-time job!

Imagine an outdoor wedding. You’ve decided who will attend, where to have it and, who will provide catering. But now you have to sort through tent rentals, DJ services, tables and chairs, decor, and lighting. Suppose you handle all of that only to get to your special day and be told that the caterer tripped the only circuit. Now your DJ can’t play and your guest’s can’t see in your tent.

Consider a large concert event. Your band demands a huge stage with a bunch of instruments (backline) and you have 8000 people coming who need to hear the band. The show goes into the evening so the stage needs to be lit up, and the venue has no electrical power. You need fencing to channel the attendees where they need to go, and security staff to make sure there is no trouble. Portable restrooms and parking lot lighting are of course required, as well as illumination for vendor tents…

Concert Lighting Generator

 LSC Production Manager Jonathan Coordinates Generators with Temp-Power

 

Associated Event Services

Enter The Lighting & Sound Co. After being onsite for thousands of events, we know everyone in town who provides top-quality event services. We also have partners nationwide to assist with rare requests or distance events. It helps that we are often one of the first to arrive and last to leave. We can either provide what you need or know the best providers in the area. Make one call and let us handle your event technology needs, so you can focus on other aspects.

We will be glad to provide lighting, sound, AV, drape, and coordinate the best mobile stages, generators, band backline, tents, security fencing, multi-site logistics, and anything else you would rather not have on your plate. Rest assured that we vet all of our event partners and only work with vendors who offer the same top quality standards and reliability we are known for.

A portable quiet-run generator and mobile stage are set up for an event

The best event partners make for smooth events

If you need assistance with event technology or other event services, get in touch and we’ll be glad to assist. (804) 893-5066 or events@lightingandsoundco.com

Want to learn more about event technology? Check out one the articles below!

Best Wedding Lighting Company bistro at hotel john marshall

Best Wedding Lighting Company & How to Find it

How to Find the Best Wedding Lighting Company for You.


Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life. It’s no secret that wedding lights are extremely important when you are planning for the  best moments of your life. Proper lighting can easily affect the mood and make the entire event much more enjoyable. To suit that, you want to make sure you hire the best wedding lighting company possible for your date. But what makes a lighting company great?

There are many things that come immediately to mind when you think about what you want from a company. We put together a list of some of the most important facets of a lighting company, so that you can be sure you choose the best wedding lighting company available.

best wedding lighting company richmond virginia tredegar

Doing your homework: Check the Testimonials

It isn’t uncommon for couples to meet with each of their vendors once, or even not at all. In the digital age, you can usually find out everything that you need about your vendors online. The easiest way to find out what you need to know about a wedding lighting company is to check their google reviews.

While not all couples will leave a review for their vendor, couples that have bad experiences almost always do. Sub 4 star reviews are warning signs that you should at the very least read. You will also want to check for the number of reviews, a low number means a less experienced company. Aim for above 50 good reviews to get a vendor you know you can trust.

Finally, check reviews for their legitimacy. Ensure the accounts reviewing have other similar reviews that make sense for their profile. Many small companies will only receive reviews from friends and employees, double-check for this. The best wedding lighting company will have the best reviews, reading them will give you insight into what kind of experience you can expect from the company. Which brings us to our next point…

Don’t get bamboozled! Read 6 Lies Your Wedding Vendors May Be Telling You.

Responsiveness is Key

If you’re vendor is not responsive at first, it’s only going to get worse once you make your deposit. The quickness with which a company responds is often directly correlated to the level of service you’ll get from that wedding vendor. Vendors that respond quickly take their first interaction with their clients as seriously as their final product.

When a vendor replies to you quickly it tells you two things.

  1. That vendor takes your time seriously
  2. That vendor has the organization and staff available to have an employee available to respond to you.

The best wedding lighting company may be a tough competition, but every serious wedding vendor should be responding to you within 24 hours.

LED outdoor uplighting events
The best wedding lighting company will have the best portfolio, customer service, and equipment.

Getting the Highest Quality

If you’re a bit later in the planning process, you’re used to hearing a few buzzwords so much you probably want to forget they exist.

  • Quality
  • Affordable
  • State-of-the-art
  • Specialists
  • Some combination of these

Who wants to hear a company talk about how good they are? They should be able to easily prove it!
The best wedding lighting company will have a huge portfolio of high quality images. Get as many pictures of you can of a companies work, try to find the pictures that they aren’t catering to you. Getting a picture or two of your specific venue is nice, but the best wedding lighting company can work anywhere. Ask for general pictures of work, outside of just the ones for your venue. You may end up getting inspired along the way.

Need the best wedding party rentals? Check out our friends at Party Perfect!

Using Vendor Referrals to get the Best Wedding Lighting Company

We use referrals every day to decide what to buy, but how do you trust someone with money in the game? The short answer: It’s going to be difficult. More often than not, vendors will refer you to other vendors that they have a lot of experience working with. Most of the time, this is because vendors like recommending people they know will be professional and easy to work with on their side. However, sometimes those same vendors are in on the take!

Beware of preferred vendor lists. Definitely check out the vendors on them and do your own homework, but venue recommendations should be taken with a grain of salt. Often, venues charge to let vendors onto their lists, or take in commission on the referral. Taking a referral from a company getting paid to give it is never a good policy!

Picking the Best Wedding Lighting Company for Your Wedding’s Style

Many wedding companies are lifestyle companies and micro businesses. Hiring companies like this is a great way to get a unique style and feel to your wedding, but often can be quite limiting. While you might be in love with a style when you book it, your feelings might change. For a small company, a change like this can be catastrophic. The smaller the scale of a lighting company, the harder it is for it to stomach any kind of last minute problems, change, or charges.

Picking a well-managed full-size production company is the best way to ensure your lighting vendor can perform to your exact standards.

Pin Spots for Weddings & Events


If you’re planning a gala-style event, with seated dining or low-light ambiance, you’re probably considering using pin spots. Pin spotting (pins, table spotting) is the use of a narrow-beamed light to illuminate centerpieces, tables, and other important decor elements. Many people incorrectly refer to pin spotting as “spotlighting,” which is a different lighting service.

Pin spotting john marshall ballroom

Illuminating Flower Arrangements & Floral Decor with Pin Spotting

Pin spots are most florist’s favorite light. That’s because when florists and lighting companies work together, pin spots are often what comes up. Along with a host of other uses, pins are one of the best ways to illuminate your floral centerpieces.

Need more than pin spots? Here are 7 Things Your Need to Know About Wedding Lighting.


pin spot on sweetheart table

There is no such thing as the best angle for a pin spot. Technicians place lights at various angles to create dramatic shadows, great for a moody feel and less detailed centerpieces. They can also be placed so that the centerpiece is completely and evenly lit. This is great for detailed florals and topiaries. Unfortunately, often venue, budget or both prevent optimal placement of pin spots. A lighting company with any kind of skill will work around this by using ground-support options and a diverse range of pin spotting options.

As with any lighting or decor item, the sky is the limit. Keep it simple with a warm-white 2-angle wash, or get creative with some of the customization options below.

Pin Spots Customization

  • Color – Pins are typically white or warm white, but a well-equipped event lighting company will have LED lights that can change to your specified color.
  • Angle – Different types of supports can be brought in to place your lights at the angle of your choosing
  • Diffusion – While they typically have a 1 degree angle, pins can diffuse anywhere from 1(narrow) to 40(wide) degrees.
  • Intensity – The intensity of your lights can be controlled so that they don’t overpower other natural lighting or design effects.
Pin spotting 1 angle vs 2 angle pins
2 angles vs 1 angle
Some florists, such as The Flow Guy Bron (pictured on top), need 2 angle pin spotting more than others!

Getting the most out of your pin spots

When you talk to your lighting company, make sure you come well-informed. Most companies will charge per table for pins. In most situations, two spots are required per centerpiece, to get total coverage so ensure that’s what you’re getting.

Why use pins? Click the pin spot function on our color picker app, and you can see the difference that they make!


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

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.

Mobile truck stage concert audio

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

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!

 

 

Help lighting 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 email to speak to a pro.

Concert Lighting Company Truck Stage

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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Lighting Design

Adding the “Wow Factor” with Event Lighting

Step up your game with these underrated event lighting design techniques

Do you want your event to stand out among the rest? Of course you do. Event planners are always searching for new ways to spice up their event designs, but these five classics are timeless techniques that you might have underestimated.

Paper Lanterns

A paper lantern is a lantern made of thin, brightly colored or white paper. Paper lanterns come in various shapes and sizes, and in their simplest form, they are simply a paper bag with a candle placed inside, although more complicated lanterns consist of a collapsible bamboo or metal frame of hoops covered with tough paper.

Inexpensive and beautiful, paper lanterns can be added as a complement to bistro lighting, or hung individually without and string lighting accompaniment.

Event Paper Lanterns Lighting Design
Paper Lanterns come in all shapes and sizes, and many different colors too

Pin Spots

Pin spotting is crucial to a successful lighting design. While it is pretty much standard, it’s important to remember why it became such a popular line item. Without pin spotting, many of the details of an event can be lost.

While they aren’t essential for daytime or brightly-lit events, pin spots should always be considered. Even if it seems like there will be enough ambient light to see, a boost from some well-placed pin spots can help decor stand out . A centerpiece washed with the same amount of light as the rest of the event space isn’t going to “pop”. Like any lighting design, it’s important that the lighting for your event is dynamic, and not just a dull wash.

Pin spots help to create a dynamic lighting look that both illuminates and excites

Dynamic lighting leads to a dynamic event design. A subtle, single-color wash is a nice look. But, adding some pin spots, especially in a low light setting, can help keep the look of your event exciting. Ideally, you’ll want an evenly washed room that includes lighting accents to add dynamics and prevent eye fatigue.

Texture Gobos

While there are six controllable qualities of light, often in the event industry we focus focus on only four. Color, intensity, direction, and distribution are all given a lot of love. Meanwhile, the other two qualities – texture and movement – take a back seat.

Movement is an incredibly powerful tool to excite and amaze your guests. We cover the importance of movement in another article, so right now we’re focusing on the importance of texture. Texture gobos are an underutilized & affordable way of projecting texture onto any surface.

One of the best things about using gobos is that they are fairly simple for production companies to get manufactured. Along with the thousands of available designs, you can work with your production company to design your very own texture to perfectly suit your event.

High Definition nebula & starry night textures for an Event at the Science Museum in Richmond, Va.

There are many different materials and manufacturing processes used to create gobos. However, the two types of gobos that are most commonly used in the modern event industry steel-cut and glass. Plastic gobos are now possible with LED technology, although they are not as widely-used. With steel-cut gobos, single-color simple textures and designs are possible at an affordable price. Even custom gobos are within range for most event budgets. Glass gobos are more expensiveness than their steel counterparts, but well worth it for the range of amazing visuals they can provide for events. Glass gobos can be multiple colors, and often feature high definition images such as nebulas, photo-realistic clouds, beautiful nature scenes, star fields, and more.

Texture gobos can be used both to enhance an already beautiful space, or cover up an otherwise dull or ugly surface. Often, event designers will use texture gobos projected onto the floor from above to create amazing surface looks. That barely even dives beneath the surface of what can be done with textures.

In today’s age of LEDs, uplighting is among the most popular special event service. For your next event, keep in mind how gobos can be used to completely customize your venue, and turn a space into a magical, once-in-a-lifetime scene.

Special Effects

Getting to the good stuff. Special effects is a pretty broad category, so we’ll try to keep this brief. Low fog, haze, confetti, streamers, pyro, cryo, fireworks all belong on the list. These are event elements that you’ll need your venues permission for, but it’ll always be worth it

When the dust has settled and the event is over, these are the types of elements that people will remember. A confetti shot at the end of the night can leave a lasting impression. Low fog is great for reveals, entrances, and more. And a little bit of haze can go a long way.

Maddie & Tae perform at Fort Lee for Fourth at the Fort. Haze gives lighting designers the ability to use 3D space

Haze is often used at concerts to create a 3D space for lighting. Many people confuse haze with theatrical fog, but there are many differences. Both a fog and haze machine will create particulates in the air, but hazers produce a finer particulate. Haze is odorless and because it is water-based, it is not an irritant. Having particles in the air allows for an effect called “air light,” where beams from lighting instruments are visible in the air. Haze, if tastefully done, can be used for more than just concerts.

While some venues do not allow haze, it is water-based and completely harmless. Many professional haze machines are designed to not set off most types of fire alarms.

Custom Design Elements & Fabrication

One thing that event planners often don’t realize is the versatility of their local production companies. Like most event vendors, event production companies work with thousands of different clients from a wide variety of industries. Unlike many other industry companies, production companies provide completely different sets of services to different types of clients

A corporate client might have a fancy gala with uplighting and pin spotting, not unlike a wedding or special event. Or, they might need a video live stream displayed on a video wall the size of a house, and syndicated to live stream outlets such as Twich, Livestream, or Facebook live. Because of this, production companies provide services you might not expect. These might include custom set fabrication, content generation, or graphic design services related to your event.

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.

(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.

Richmond AV Company Live sound

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.
Richmond AV Company The Jefferson

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.
Richmond AV Company 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