WEDDING LIGHTING RICHMOND:
Wedding season is in full swing in Richmond, Virginia. Our designers & technicians have created a list of their favorite venues to light up for weddings. This years list features some new venues, and some that we have been working in for years. Follow us on instagram to keep up with the latest wedding lighting trends in Richmond.
Located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, Tredegar Ironworks is home of the American Civil War Museum. Nestled atop a hill adjacent to the James river, Tredegar features a large tent for weddings and a larger view. Wedding Lighting at Tredegar typically includes bistro lighting hung dynamically throughout the large tent. But don’t let that limit your imagination. The space inside allows for everything from pin-spotting to dance floor lighting.
Recommended Wedding Lighting Services: Bistro Lighting, String Lighting, Uplighting, Gobos
Wedding Lighting at Tredegar Iron Works
Great staff, access, and versatility make this one of the better hotel ballrooms in the area. The Hilton in short pump is a blank slate, ready for lighting. In the past, we’ve used a lot of uplighting, drape, and textures to cover and disguise the neutral ballroom walls. I Beams in the ceiling can be used as rigging points for larger, more elaborate weddings.
Recommended Wedding Lighting Services: Uplighting, Gobos, Drape
First dance at the Hilton in Short Pump
Setting up wedding lighting at the Science Museum of Virginia comes with challenges. SMOV doesn’t close until 5pm, and wedding load-in starts as folks are still leaving the museum. This means turnaround time has to be fast. Normally, our techs have fewer than 1.5 hours to complete this load in. Normally, it’s still bright during lighting focus. This adds another layer of complexity.
Despite these small challenges, SMOV makes the list. The huge walls of the rotunda make for amazing canvases for uplighting. The balconies are perfect for setting up pin spots & gobo projectors. The loading dock, freight elevator, and friendly staff make for a swift and smooth load in.
Recommended Lighting Services: Uplighting, Pinspotting, Gobos
Beautiful Uplighting & Gobo Lighting look at Science Musuem of Virginia Rotunda
One of the smaller venues on our list, making lighting even more effective. BHH is a classic venue located in Downtown Richmond, Virginia; Perfect for intimate weddings. Bolling Haxall does have a small parking lot, useful for vendor load in and close family. Around the room are conveniently located power outlets, making powered lighting without extension cords easy. This is great if you intend to use services that don’t utilize a battery. These can include dance floor lighting, low fog, textured gobos and more. The ornate walls and lack of chair railings or molding means uplighting is both effective and useful to highlight the walls. A stage at the end of the room is perfect for DJs, Bands, Cake tables, or stylish decor centerpieces such as drapes.
Recommended Lighting Services: Uplighting, Pinspotting, Gobos
Shimmering uplighting provide a fiery look on the walls at Bolling Haxall House. Pin spots bring focus to the tables and highlight the centerpieces, while providing lighting to dine in.
The Commonwealth Club is one of the premiere wedding venues in Richmond. Known for its gorgeous ballrooms and extravagant decor, The Commonwealth Club is a great venue for an elegant affair. A litttle wedding lighting enhances this further. A bit of drape and uplighting adds to the sophisticated look, and pin spots can pull out specific features. A large parking lot and pull-up provides ample space for vendors to load in and out.
Recommended Lighting Services: Uplighting, Pinspotting, Drape
Vibrant Wedding uplighting at Commonwealth Club of VA
The Jefferson Hotel is another one of Richmond’s treasures. Our favorite historic hotel has everything you want out of a building built in 1885. A huge, gorgeous, entryway. Two large, ornate, ballrooms. Finally, a pull off that makes loading somewhat convenient. There is still a long way to push gear into the ballrooms, but ultimately, it’s worth it. The Jefferson hotel boasts several large ballrooms and a large number of meeting rooms. This makes it good for meetings and corporate events, along with weddings.
Recommended Lighting Services: Uplighting, Pinspotting, Gobo Textures
Wedding Lighting Richmond: Pin spots bring out the detail in florals and decor at the Jefferson Hotel in Downtown Richmond
Main Street Station is huge. So big, sometimes couples have difficulty deciding what to do with the space. With all of that space comes opportunity. We’ve tried everything in MSS and it all works. Ample parking, wide open spaces, and widely available power makes everything from chandeliers, to powerful gobo textures possible. The best way to segment the space in here is drape, lots and lots of drape. The whole place is worth decorating. Modern updates to a classic space makes for one of the best spaces to light in the city of Richmond.
Recommended Lighting Services: Uplighting, Bistro Lighting, Chandeliers, Drape
Sparkling Chandelier group hangs above a wedding at Main Street Station
We’ll take a trip a little outside of the city for the next venue. Dover Hall is about 25 minutes west of Richmond and is well worth the short drive. It is a unique ballroom that looks pretty perfect with a little bit of decor attention. An outdoor patio area is ideal for ceremonies and stepping away from events in the ballroom. 22′ draping throughout the room is practically begging to be uplit. We’ve also used them to hide support structures for the bistro, adding yet another gorgeous lighting touch to the ballroom.
Recommended Lighting Services: Uplighting, Bistro Lighting, Drape
Uplighting around the balroom at Dover Hall
Linden Row Inn is one of our favorites. Due to its amazing and consistent staff, LRI continues to be one of the best places to hang lights. Simple is good here. A little bit of bistro and uplighting goes a long way. That doesn’t mean you can’t get creative and wrap the trees with twinkle lights or add a rustic lantern here or there. Alley pull-up loading is located right next to the venue, making life easy for vendors.
Recommended Lighting Services: Bistro Lighting, Twinkle Lights, Uplighting
Cascading Edison bistro lghting hangs over guest’s seats at Linden Row Inn. Lively uplighting gleams on the garden’s trees
The John Marshall Ballrooms, located in the Hotel John Marshall, tops the list. A large, elegant ballroom located in downtown Richmond, JM Ballrooms can fit a light of lighting. The main ballroom, the Virginia Ballroom, is perfect for low-lighting events. A balcony allows for easy pin spotting and quick focus on texture gobos. Uplighting can be used around both levels of the ballroom to create intricate, layered looks. A large, built-in dance floor and stage make throwing a party a breeze.
Recommended Lighting Services: Uplighting, Bistro Lighting, Gobo Textures, Drape
Wedding Lighting Richmond: A couple enjoys their first dance under a sparkling blanket of bistro string lighting
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