2009 June | Eric Hegwer

Today, I’m taking a step away from my regular early week wedding blog posts, or even my random garden blog post, to talk about wedding reception lighting.

Whenever I walk into a room the first thing I see is the light. You probably too, but don’t pay as much attention to it as I do. But it really influences our mood, perception, and attitude. Think about the difference between a club, with it’s darkness, lasers, disco balls, and other flashing lights. Contrast that with the relaxed lighting at your favorite day spa.

Wedding lights are the easiest way to step up your event to the next level. More than just simple christmas lights, custom wedding lighing can have several components: pin spots, color washes, or those fancy gobos that project your initials or floral pattern onto the dance floor. There are also tent lights, projections and color changing LED lights. Even the most simple wedding light techniques can make your cake, flowers, tablescapes and decorations look 100% better. This is much more than putting a couple of votives on a mirror in the center of the table, but for just a little more than what you would spend on votives, you can rent the equipment you need for 1 night.

Red and blue lights are by far the most common used at weddings because they are the most flattering for skin tones. You don’t want your guests to look like sick green monsters (although with enough trips to the bar…)

Of course once you have your room perfect, the next step is to make sure the pictures of your reception match. Photographing wedding lighting can be tricky - especially during the fast pace of a wedding reception. It’s more than just having professional equipment – it’s knowing how to use it when someone else is in charge of the lights. Too little flash, and you can’s see the details, too much and all that hard work lighting the room is washed out.

Here are some photos from some recent events where custom lighting was used in Austin if you have any comments or questions, be sure to let me know at the bottom of this post.

Custom blue tent lights with white spots on the center of each round table

Custom blue tent lights at this private residence with white spots on the center of each round table

This room is lit with red up-lights flooding each wall, then custom pin lights on the tables, accented with electric votives hanging from the table centerpieces

This ballroom at the Four Seasons is lit with red up-lights flooding each wall, then custom pin lights on the tables, accented with electric votives hanging from the table centerpieces

This dance floor is lit with two custom gobos - the first is a red light filtered through a floral pattern, creating shadows on the floor, and then the second is the couple's initials in white light over the top.

Custom Lighting at Laguna Gloria projected onto the side of the villa.

This wedding ballroom was also lit with custom red up-lights washing each of the walls.

This wedding ballroom at the Renaissance Hotel was also lit with custom red up-lights washing each of the walls.

Blue floods were used to wash the entire UT alumni center. In addition, each table had a custom centerpiece with LED's glowsticks, and pin lights.

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Today’s post is going to be a bit different a lot longer but worth it, as the wedding pictures are at the end.

As my regular readers know, I usually mix wedding photos with stuff from my real life (growing plants in my Austin garden, taking pictures of food, stuff I find on the internet, and home repair bloggy topics). But today, I’m going to give you a bit of photographer’s insight to a real wedding I shot a few months ago at the Vista on Seward Hill.

The Vista, as the locals call it is located just off 360 and Bee Caves – about a 15 minute drive from downtown, and has tons of great parking. But the day started way before the guests began to arrive – the Bride and her five bridesmaids began their afternoon at Thomas Saverio Salon and Spa around 1:15 or so. They brought in sandwiches and champagne, and enjoyed a relaxing series of treatments, before sitting down to get their hair and makeup done. These girls knew what they were doing, and scheduled plenty of time for relaxation and pampering before the limo came and whisked them off to the venue. Instead of rushing around trying to make sure everything was at the venue when the arrived, they dropped everything off before they started their spa – so when they arrived it would all be ready and waiting.

The vendors began to arrive around to the venue around 3:00. This place has lots of room to load and unload all the tables, chairs, food, and 100′s of other wedding things that are dreamed up. Sterling Affairs began to set-up for the catering, Merreville Floral brought all flowers for the altar, bouquet, buttoners, and table decorations, the liquor – courtesy of Grapevine Market, and the team of coordinators and interns began to tie the pink bows on the backs of each chair.

The rentals from Marquee had been dropped off earlier in the day, and the tables and chars were already in place. Soon they were draped with the pink linens, and napkins, and place-settings – and magically the room was transformed from an empty space into an elegant dining hall.

A Polaroid station was set-up at the entrance gazebo, so as guests would enter, a wedding coordinator would take their snapshot (don’t leave this job to your guests or family) and I’d jump in every now and then to help them find the good light and make sure the photos were coming out OK. The pics were immediately entered into the guestbook by the hired and dedicated guest photographer so everyone could see, and write their well-wishes for the couple and comments next to their image.

All this time, I’m running back and forth, grabbing shots of the bride and bridesmaids getting ready, and quickly photo-ing on all the details that the couple has spent so much time preparing over the previous 8 months. Im taking pictures of the Candy station, favors from Tiff’s Treats, the cake, flower arrangements, shoes, bouquets, rings – It never seems like there is enough time to capture everything, but somehow I always manage. Of course I have an experienced 2nd photographer with me, and he is dedicated to photographing the groom and other guests as they arrive.

At 5:00 Mike the Officiant arrives, and has a quick conversation with the relaxed groom and then the bride separately (this couple opted to not see each other before the ceremony), and puts everyone around at ease.

By 5:30 the ceremony musicians are in place, making sure the mood is set, and providing great ambiance for arriving guests. At 6:00 on the button, the ceremony starts. This is how most weddings I attend go down. We all work as a team, ensuring a perfect day for the couples, family, and guests. No drama, no issues, nothing but a fantastic, fun experience.

Here’s how I see it as a photographer – I want people to relax, smile, and act naturally when they see me coming. I don’t dress all in black or have a shirt with my logo (goodness NO!). Instead I wear a nice suit, tuxedo, or other appropriate attire (I’m not wearing a tux to your beach wedding), so that I blend in and look like one of the more fashionable guests. By the end of the night, people just think that I was another one of the guests. I’m not a fly on the wall kind of photographer, or a bossy guy shouting out instructions to make sure everybody is standing just so. Instead, I go with the flow. I’ve shot enough weddings to know what works and what doesn’t in every situation. There are a lot of different personalities at weddings, and sometimes a lot of family politics, on both sides. I work with everyone to make sure there is a great candid shot of them that they (and you) will love.

After the 20 minute ceremony ended, I let everyone congratulate the bride and groom, and when the time was right, we began the fast formals – Everyone expects formals to happen after the ceremony, so everyone was in place. Simultaneously, my assistant is getting shots of the guests at the cocktail hour, food pictures of the appetizers, and more detail shots. Once all the family shots are done (I know the perfect spot at the Vista on Seward Hill for formals), I steal the couple for 7 mintues to do their wedding portraits.

When the buffet opens at 7:00 the formals are done, and I get to take my first break of the day as the guests dine. I’ve been going non-stop since meeting the bride at the salon, and take a moment to rehydrate, straighten my hair, and clean my glasses. I don’t usually take photos while people are eating – its not very respectful, and the shots never look right – have you ever actually watched people eating? Do you want photos of that? Really?

When the wedding meal is over, people stand up and begin to wander over to the dance hall and lounge area. The DJ is playing the perfect wedding music. Let me just say how important it is to hire a great DJ or band for your wedding. Everybody thinks that it’s a great idea to pre-program an iPod with your favorite songs – but a great wedding DJ knows how to read the crowd, and puts on music that everyone loves, and can groove to. I’m not saying that you can’t design the perfect playlist, just that how many songs can you think of that both you, and your parents will dance to? Your DJ can think of 100, and blends them in the perfect order to make sure everyone stays on the dance floor.

The toasts and speeches came early, around 8:30, with photos of the couple as kids, teenagers, playing on a big screen in the background. Mixed in were some of their engagement shots that I had taken a few months earlier. At one point when the father of the groom spoke there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. This was followed by the cake cutting and bouquet toss. By getting these things done early, there was lots of time to dance. Sure some of the older folks left right after, but why trap them at your reception? Cut them loose, and that gives you more time to PARTY!

Many hours later, once everybody was sweaty, and sore from getting their groove on, the rose petal toss showered the couple as they were ushered to their waiting Town-car.

Pictures of the Bride getting her hair and makeup done at the salon

Pink Cherry Blossom flowers as table displys

Pink and white wedding bouquet with roses, carnations and a bunch of other flowers I can't identify

3-tiered square wedding cake with ribbon and white frosting

Photos of a candy bar - pink and grey candies in jars with scoops

More candy bar pictures - pink hard candy on a stick

The bride wrote her own vows -

Sometimes it's weird to have a photographer with you as you get dressed - duh! So what I do is stand just outside the door until you give me the word, and then I come i...

The bride getting ready - usually I take photos from the front, but every now and then it's more interesting to see what's happening behind you.

After you are dressed in your wedding gown - take a moment for yourself. You won't ever have this chance again...

Pictures of Liz Rene wedding shoes

UT garter - A real Austin wedding tradition

Final Make-up touchups before the wedding starts

Just a few minutes before the ceremony, everybody is ushered into place.

The pink rose is used for the grooms flower

Knowing where to take the best formals makes all the difference. There is a great spot at the Vista on Seward hill for portraits - but I'm not telling where it is....