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What happens when you have an idea for lighting your wedding reception, a really cool idea. But it’s not something that can just by bought or rented? Maybe you found a picture of a themed chandelier, an awesome tent ceiling, or something called a “statement piece.” As soon as you realize that you are in a situation like this - talk to your lighting designer. We can help! Show us any pictures or sketches you have. Describe your idea. It is always helpful to meet at your venue for this conversation so that everyone can try to visualize your custom idea in the actual environment where it will exist. Many factors come into play when creating a custom fixture. Where is it going to be placed? Near the head table, over the dance floor, or in the entry? Maybe outside, along a path, or somewhere completely different. What is it made out of? How big is it? Is it meant to light up the space or just create ambience? All of these questions need to be asked and answered eventually. Many people immediately think custom equals high cost. Although there are times when this is true, it is not the majority of the time. Custom simply means you probably can’t find it in a “big box” store ready to plug in. We have worked with many clients to create custom solutions to their ideas. In a way the budgeting isn’t all that different from non-custom ideas. Pricing is all about materials and labor. How much will the materials cost to realize your idea? How long will it take to create and with how many people working on it? Some ideas are much more elaborate than others. Some are simpler. This is probably the same with every detail of your wedding and reception. We always advise our clients that the most important decisions you will make in planning your wedding are which details should be more elaborate and which should be simpler. Determine what is most important to you. An example of a simple custom idea is projecting your initials onto the dance floor or the side of the tent. We had one customer whose new spouse was a Batman fanatic, so at the appropriate moment we turned on a simulated Bat Signal! We also create custom chandeliers or perhaps better said - we create custom lighting fixtures. From simple to elaborate, all you really need is an idea. We can take it from there. Last year we were asked to create two very different looking custom fixtures.  If you can dream it, most likely we can make it. Materials, labor, and of course time are the key factors in pricing. To simplify this idea think of it this way:
The whole point I’m trying to make is don’t let yourself be scared by the word custom. If you really take a moment to think about it, your whole wedding is custom. Nobody else’s wedding will be exactly like yours. Nor should it be. If you never ask the question, I can pretty much guarantee it won’t happen. So if you have a special thought about one detail or many…talk to the right vendor and see if it can happen.  Photos courtesy of John Carver Photography. Both custom pieces designed specifically for Shirley & Eric for their wedding at Shadowlawn Hall Falls, NY.
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Solar Energy has become a “buzz word” in the lighting industry. Synonyms include “green”, “efficient”, and “off the grid”. Everyone from businesses to residences to even government construction zones are embracing solar power. Solar energy does not produce air pollutants or carbon dioxide. Many people ask if Solar Energy is a possible option for providing electricity at their wedding or wedding reception. With today’s state of technology the answer is a definite, possible, maybe. Let me explain the basics of how solar energy works first. We have all been using Solar Thermal Energy Systems for many years without even knowing it. Do you have a swimming pool? Does the water get warmer as the days get longer and hotter? Have you ever been inside a greenhouse made of glass? Do you remember how warm it was inside even in the winter? That heat was all generated from the sun. Today’s solar cells, which you may have seen on houses or as an array in a field somewhere are like sponges. When sunlight hits the cell, it absorbs the energy from the sunlight and converts it into electricity. The solar cell becomes a battery - full of power waiting to be used. The key is how to access this wonderful power. In theory, anything that requires electricity can be powered by solar energy.
Solar Energy has become a “buzz word” in the lighting industry. Synonyms include “green”, “efficient”, and “off the grid”. Everyone from businesses to residences to even government construction zones are embracing solar power. Solar energy does not produce air pollutants or carbon dioxide. Many people ask if Solar Energy is a possible option for providing electricity at their wedding or wedding reception. With today’s state of technology the answer is a definite, possible, maybe. Let me explain the basics of how solar energy works first. We have all been using Solar Thermal Energy Systems for many years without even knowing it. Do you have a swimming pool? Does the water get warmer as the days get longer and hotter? Have you ever been inside a greenhouse made of glass? Do you remember how warm it was inside even in the winter? That heat was all generated from the sun. Today’s solar cells, which you may have seen on houses or as an array in a field somewhere are like sponges. When sunlight hits the cell, it absorbs the energy from the sunlight and converts it into electricity. The solar cell becomes a battery - full of power waiting to be used. The key is how to access this wonderful power. In theory, anything that requires electricity can be powered by solar energy. That all sounds great, and it is. But there are a few other considerations. Sunlight doesn’t hit every solar cell evenly. Geographic differences, seasons, weather, and time of day all contribute to how quickly that solar battery gets charged. And like a battery it can only hold a finite amount of electricity. So let’s go back to the original question: Can you use solar energy at your wedding or reception. The answer is YES. The extent to which you can use it depends on a number of things. The simplest way to use solar is for pathway lighting. There are a wide variety of pathway lights that have built in solar panels and photosensors. They can be set up a day or two ahead of time so the solar cell can be fully charged and then, just like magic, they will turn themselves on to illuminate the pathways once the sun starts to go down.  From a beginning of simple pathway lighting the sky is almost the limit. Perhaps your venue has a solar array on the property that your vendors can tap into for all their needs. OR anywhere in between. Just keep in mind that for our purposes solar equals electricity. Think of them in the same way. The higher the wattage of a coffee pot or musical amplifier or light the more solar it will need to work properly throughout your event.
If solar or other energy efficient options are important for you to consider, make sure to ask the question and ask it early. Sometimes it is easy to integrate alternate energy sources but sometimes it requires more planning. So much is possible today it is important to keep in mind that all it often requires is speaking up on the subject and letting your vendors run with it! |
AuthorRita Kogler Carver is the co-founder of BearFly Designs LLC. Archives
March 2020
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