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wedding lighting ideas and inspiration

Wedding Lighting Ideas

Photography by HUMà06-photo-&-cinema

No matter what season you're getting married in, wedding lighting will be essential. Wedding lighting can often be seen as an unnecessary expense or an extra thing that you might not commit to, but looking at these photos, you can see how lighting not only acts as fun decor but also determines the mood and vibes of your big day. We've compiled some advice and also plenty of inspiration. Whether you're doing a cosy winter wedding or a lush outdoor destination wedding, we're coming at you with a whole variety of our favourite lighting ideas!


Wedding lighting is essential to creating the right vibe...think of the photos!

Fairy Lights

The ultimate wedding staple. Let's be honest, we can't think of many weddings that don't have a fairy light in some shape or form. Whether your venue already has them or not, they are perfect for creating that cosy feel while also adding such a magical element, too! These are a perfect companion for a rustic barn wedding, for a winter wedding (all the Christmas vibes) or even for making a more industrial venue feel homier.

Bride and groom stand at the altar in front of huge fairy lights display
Bride and groom walk into their winter wedding with fairy lights
Eden Barn wedding venue with fairy light wall backdrop at the altar
Bride and groom pose together at Tythe Barn wedding venue with warm fairy lights
Rustic and cosy wedding with fairy light decor
Bride and groom share their first kiss as a married couple with fairy light backdrop
Destination wedding marquee decorated with fairy lights
Fairy light canopy for outdoor destination wedding

Festoon Lights & Edison Bulbs

Though a little less magical than twinkling fairy lights, festoon lights/Edison bulbs offer up a similar vibe. These naked light bulbs are great for resting above your banquet tables at an outdoor wedding or destination wedding. They offer a nice low light that is the perfect brightness for being so close to your face. No sunnies are needed here! Or they also suit an industrial wedding venue with exposed brick, the naked bulbs are an obvious choice to emphasise that relaxed and effortless feeling.

Festoon lighting for boho wedding
Festoon hanging lighting for castle wedding
Festoon hanging lighting over outdoor table setting
Bride and groom kiss under festoon lighting at Preston Court
Decorative Edison bulb lighting for outdoor destination wedding
Boho dried wedding flowers with festoon lighting
Silchester Farm wedding venue with low festoon lighting
Gold vertical bulb lighting with bride with cape and groom

Candle Wedding Lighting

The most popular trend for candles at weddings is to have them along the aisle and on your tables. White pillar candles in hurricane vases along the aisle or on the floor in front of your wedding signage will always look flawless and we add them straight to our Pinterest boards without hesitation. Alternatively, some bright and colourful candles in intricate or simple candleholders/candelabras make a simple, yet effective, table centrepiece or decor.

Romantic candlelit table with black tall candelabras
Dewsall Court wedding reception with candle wedding lighting
Lit white wedding candle lighting for table setting
Bride and groom sit amongst white pillar candles in hurricane vases
Lit white pillar candles in hurricane vases with white roses and foliage aisle decoration
Lit candles at Asylum Chapel wedding venue
Dewsall Court white taper candles for wedding reception
White taper candles in mismatched candle holders

Neon Wedding Lighting

Neon lighting is not only a fun decor piece you can take home (if you've purchased it instead of hired) but they really do jazz up your wedding. By adding a bright pop of colour, they make great photo opportunities for you and your guests! Whether it's on a flower wall, above the top table, or on your dessert table, these look epic no matter how you want to style them. We think the images below speak for themselves...

Personalised white neon sign with dried flower decor
White neon wedding sign on wooden pallet surrounded by candles
'Happily Ever After' white neon wedding sign
Personalised neon pink wedding lighting
Neon pink 'Crazy In Love' wedding lighting with pink wedding flowers
Neon pink wedding sign with bride and groom embracing in front of the neon lighting
Bright pink neon 'LOVE' wedding sign
White 'You & Me' neon lighting wedding sign

Lanterns, Lamps & Chandelier Wedding Lighting

These types of wedding lighting can be a really unique way of not only adding the right kind of lighting, whether that be a warm or bright white or even a coloured light, but adding texture too. Chandeliers elevate your wedding pics by adding that sense of class and sophistication. Perfect for a country house wedding! Lamps can be styled to match your day by changing up the shades. This way they can turn into a kind of sculptural piece, too. Take a look at the real wedding inspiration below for some ideas.

Small hanging chandelier wedding lighting for destination beach bar wedding
Bride and groom embrace in front of hanging chandelier lighting
Paper lantern lighting at Trinity Buoy Wharf wedding
Wicker lighting over outdoor table setting for Bali elopement
Marrakech wedding with cool lantern wedding lights
Cloud wedding lights over wedding table
100 Barrington wedding venue with cool large chandelier centrepiece in the foyer
Bride and groom stand underneath a variety of mismatched chandeliers

Letter Lights/Marquee Lights

The perfect companion for any dancefloor are these large letter lights. You can spell out your name, a fave word or just go for the classic 'Mr & Mrs'! With a variety of words to spell out, these letter lights are also a great choice if you're going for a marquee wedding to help jazz up what might feel like a blank canvas as they take up a fair bit of room. 

Personalised initial letter lights for wedding
Classic Mr & Mrs wedding lights for marquee wedding
'LOVE' light up wedding letters with a heart light
Letter lights for spelling out 'LOVE' next to the wedding cake

Lighting also affects the mood..do you want soft and romantic, or bright disco vibes?


So, have you felt inspired by the incredible wedding lighting on offer? If so, we have even more where that came from. Take a look over our wedding lighting Pinterest board! So, you've made up your mind about lighting, but have you thought about your flowers? We have all the advice for finding the right florist.


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