Designing with light and fabric

Lighting design provides both function and decor for a wedding reception in a remote location.

When Crown Rentals of Chesterfield, Mo., was hired by a client who wanted a really special look for a wedding reception, the tent rental company turned to event design and production company Exclusive Events Inc. of St. Louis, Mo., for lighting design and decor. For this event, lighting would be even more important than normal, due to the fact that the location was in a remote grassy field near a lake, with no permanent light source for miles other than the moon and the stars.

“They needed functional lighting since they were out in the middle of a field, but they wanted an attractive look as well,” says Bryan Schulte, creative director for Exclusive Events. “The color we used for the lighting was the color of the bridesmaids’ sashes and the accent color for the entire theme of the wedding.”

A 40-by-120-foot frame tent installed by Crown Rentals provided the structure within which Exclusive Events designed a whimsical motif of light playing off draped fabric. Lanterns added another dimension to the scheme.

“We used the lanterns as a decorative visual light source, as well as functional lighting,” he says. “We dimmed them to where they created a soft glow to add warmth to the overall feel.”

The lighting design continued outside of the tent, with C-9 fixtures casting a glow around the perimeter, which illuminated the area around the tent poles and the rigging.

“We also up lit the surrounding trees, portable restrooms and a gazebo that sat on a nearby lake with colorful washes of light to set the same mood outside of the tent,” Schulte says.

Representatives of Exclusive Events and Crown Rentals first met at a trade show, and Crown Rentals brought Exclusive Events into this job following a presentation.

“[This experience] gave both of our companies the knowledge and understanding that we can accomplish many things together rather than trying to do everything ourselves,” Schulte says. “We know that we can offer all these services to our clients without the financial investment.”