WHAT KIND OF LIGHTING WILL MY WEDDING DJ PROVIDE?

The following is a perspective on lighting from DJs who have been playing events for many, many years. We will talk about our thoughts on lighting for different events and the two main types of lighting we can provide for weddings which are dance floor lights and uplights.

We have a pretty simple equation about great events.

Good People + Good Music = Good Times.

At Plenty, we’re a crew of DJs who understand the power of music and how it can be used to create an unforgettable atmosphere. That being said, some of the best, most fun parties and events we’ve ever played have been in the most stripped back, bare bones spaces you can imagine. The combination of a fun group of people and good music is an undeniable combo that’s stood the test of time. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a firehall, hotel or a multi-million dollar nightclub, music + people is what usually makes or breaks a great party. Keep that in mind during this discussion about lighting.

There’s no denying that lighting can add to a great party or event. We just don’t believe it makes or breaks an event. The following sentence has never been said to ANY of us during the course of our DJ careers.

“The music was great but I wish there was more lighting.”

To be perfectly honest, at most events, most people simply want there to be less lights. Remember when you were at a high school dance and they finally turned down all of the lights in the gym? All of the kids would start screaming instantaneously. The same exact thing happens every time we play a bar, nightclub, wedding, birthday party, etc for adults. They go wild when the lights go low. Dim lighting simply provides a more comfortable party atmosphere where guests feel like they can let their guard down and dance. NOTHING kills the vibe in nice bar, restaurant or at a wedding more than harsh, bright lighting.

That being said, there are definitely tasteful ways to use lighting to set a specific mood or atmosphere.

LET’S TALK ABOUT DANCE FLOOR LIGHTING

When you book a Plenty DJ for your wedding, you have the option of including dance floor lighting for free. What this means is that when your dance reception begins, the DJ will have a small rig of lighting by their DJ table that will move around to the beat and energy of the music being played. It’s not overpowering and definitely not bright. It’s a great accompaniment to a party and can definitely bring extra energy to any room. We don’t turn this lighting on until after dinner. Many couples choose to skip the dance floor lights altogether too which is perfectly fine.

PRO TIP : In order to get the most impact out of your dance floor lighting, please make sure that your wedding planner or on site director knows that the house lights need to be turned down very low when you’re dance reception begins. If the house lights aren’t turned down, your dance floor lighting is essentially useless.

Below is a quick 30 second video of a similar lighting setup to what we use.

Please note that there are two lighting setups in the video. One on each side of the “DJ table.” We typically bring one lighting rig and it brings just as much energy to the floor without being too harsh or bright.

Please also note that our DJs use different individual lighting setups depending on who you book. Some of our DJs use this exact rig too. This video is just a tool to show you a similar feel of what our dance floor lighting can provide and doesn’t necessarily mean we will be using this exact setup at your event.

LET’S TALK ABOUT UPLIGHTS

Uplights are accent lights and are traditionally used around the perimeter of a room to accentuate a space. They are small lights that usually lay on the floor and are pointed upward. The lighting will highlight the walls or whatever they are being used for. Uplights can drastically change the look and feel of a room and can be used throughout a wedding, not just during the dance portion. When you choose to include uplighting, you also choose the color of the lighting you want to go with and you can also choose multiple colors for different portions of the wedding. For example, cocktail hour can be blue, dinner can be a soft white and the dance reception can be multiple colors.

The uplights we use can also be used as extra dance lights during the reception and will pulse to the music and can drastically increase the energy in any room. We just heavily reinvested in our uplights and now use top of the line APE Uplights. You can learn more about how they can change the feel of your wedding or event in the video below. Make sure to skip to the end so you can see the drastic difference once the dancing begins.

DJ Cutt (not affiliated with Plenty) also does a great job in the 30 second video below showing you how uplights can completely change the feel of a room.

Uplighting can be added to any wedding quote.

We charge $250 for 6 Uplights or $475 for 12 Uplights.

Those fees cover the the lights, setup, programming, operation and breakdown at the end of the event. We typically stray away from more than twelve uplights in most rooms because in our professional opinion, we feel the lighting can become a little too bright and overbearing.

A few uplights can go a long way too. For example, simply providing 3-6 uplights on the the wall behind your main dinner table can provide a nice ambience at your wedding and will become a focal point for your guests.

We highly suggest talking to your wedding planner or your on site event coordinator about uplights. Chances are, they know what will look best in the room you’re in.

Lastly, uplights don’t need to be decided upon or paid for until up to 60 days before a wedding or event when you book with us. If you know 100% that you want a certain amount of uplights when you book your DJ, we can add the charge to their quote so everything happens in one transaction. If you’re not sure, simply let us know when you’ve made a decision and we’ll handle the uplighting in a separate transaction after your DJ has been booked.

Don’t forget to check out our post about bar placement at your wedding and why we recommend keeping your bar close to the dance floor