Choosing LED Lights for Your Wedding

A marriage is all about the relationship, but a wedding is all about the atmosphere. While you’re planning the venue, dresses and tuxes, flowers, and the reception DJ, don’t forget about enhancing the atmosphere with LED Christmas lights—an easy and safe addition to your celebration’s decor. Consider all the elements you can illuminate: trees and shrubs, dining tables, arbors, ceiling and roof lines, and much more. Get started by matching your light selection to your decorating themes.

Getting Started

Your wedding light selection depends on the nature of your event.

• What kind of atmosphere do you want the lights to provide?
• Where will the lights be used?

Answer the first question the same way you answer(ed) it about the overall ceremony. Subtle and understated? Romantic? Classic or traditional? A big party? Wild and edgy? A “theme” wedding?

The second question is probably simpler: indoors or outdoors? Around or on tables? At the entrance? At the altar?

The overall atmosphere of your wedding, reception, and all the decorations and lights that accent it may reflect the time of year, time of day, location (not just indoor/outdoor, but the venue for both the ceremony and reception), where people will gather throughout the celebration, and most importantly the statement you want your nuptials to make to your guests.

Photo credit: Danielle Simone Photography

Outdoor Wedding Light Applications

For outdoor ceremonies and receptions, all-weather lights rated for outdoor use are appropriate (even though everyone’s expecting blue skies and sunshine!). To make sure guests see your lights and not cords, choose green or dark brown wire for trees, shrubs, railings, and dark backgrounds, or choose white wire or light brown for tents, canopies, trellises, and other light backgrounds. Simple light strings are beautiful in any of these applications, but icicle lights are particularly striking for outdoor structures!

Indoor Wedding Light Applications

Inside, you can use the same types of lights that work outside for everything from a highlighted entrance-way to whole-room borders. Plus, battery-operated LEDS are ideal for adding pizzazz to floral arrangements or creating wedding table decorations like firefly jars.

Setting the Mood with Colors and Shapes

White lights are the popular choice for weddings, but with so many LED colors to choose from, why not choose LEDS that complement your theme? Use white as an anchor, and add in hues to match the bridesmaids’ gowns or the bouquets. Or go all in with bright, bold colors and let white only show up in the wire! Just remember—if you do choose white lights, the bulbs can be either pure white (with a bluish hue) or warm white (with yellow undertones). Learn more about the types of white LED lights so you can make the right choice for your wedding’s atmosphere.

Shapes matter too, and you’re not just limited to the mini light that’s popular on Christmas trees. Larger strawberry-shaped bulbs (“C” shapes) are striking. Round (“G” shapes) would add a fresh touch. Wide angle bulbs are small but bright and focused. And rope lights add ambience and an indirect glow. But did you know there are special lights for wrapping around tree trunks or decorating shrubbery? And when you don’t have trees at all, prelit LED trees with cherry blossom bulbs bring the outdoors in—or use cherry blossom strands to spruce up existing trees.

Choosing wedding lights can seem as complicated as the rest of your wedding planning, but if you match your selections with your theme, colors, and the purpose of your joyous day, then your choices will be easier… leading to a future that will be bright indeed!