wedding

Determine exactly how many uplights you need using our easy to use calculators below.

You have three different ways to determine how many uplights you’ll need for your event.

• Room Dimensions
• Total Square Feet
• Number of Guests

How many uplights you’ll need will generally be more accurate when based off of room dimensions than off your total guest count.

Many venues will provide you the exact dimensions of a space usually given in ft x ft. With this calculation we use the following method to determine how many uplights you’ll need. This is widely viewed as the most accurate way to estimate how many lights you’ll need.

Most venues provide you with the total square footage of the space(s) you’re renting. Based off the square footage you can get fairly accurate approximation of how many uplights you’ll need using the following formula. This method does not account for specific room features you might want to highlight like columns, alcoves, stages, or other architectural elements you might need to highlight with additional lights.

Generally this is the least accurate of all the ways to estimate uplighting. It doesn’t take into account specific room features that may impact the overall lighting effect.

How many uplights? Look at the big picture. 

There are differences in each way of determining the number of lights needed for a space. Every space is unique and ultimately we can help you figure out exactly what you need.

Think about the space you’ll be in. Look for photos of the space online or take photos on your visits to the space.

• Are there columns in the room?
• Are there alcoves or other abnormalities that might need more lights to make the room feel balanced?
• Are there multiple levels to the space?
• Are there stage areas or bumpouts in the room that would need more lighting?
• Do you want lighting for an exit, under table lighting, or other focal areas you want uplighting?
• Are there multiple rooms you need to light?
• Can you move or reuse lights between spaces?

When uplighting columns generally you’ll need one uplight for smaller columns (columns you can hug) or columns up against a wall. You’ll need 2-4 lights for columns you can half hug or for larger columns you’ll need 4 or more uplights. This is because columns are round and multiple sides are exposed to guests. To get an even look around the column you might need to have lights on either side of a column or all around the entire column.

Bottom Line

Using the methods above you should be able to get a good idea of how many uplights you’ll need for your event and the approximate cost of uplighting. Contact us using the form on the right to get in touch about specifics of your space and what types of uplighting might be a good fit for your event.