Under Table Uplighting

Hi Marie! I've never heard of under table uplighting (oh what I've learned from planning a wedding)....do you have any inspiration pics of what you like that you can post...or I can just go google!

YEP!!! Unless you have your DJ use power cords and DMX cabling, you'll need to have a vendor who has wireless DMX lighting fixtures to accomplish this. These fixtures cost over $1000 each, so you're not going to get them cheap. They run for about 8 hours and are computer controlled for color (from the DJ stand).

If your heart is set on this, but you don't want to spend the money for wireless, ask your DJ if he/she'll run cables and tape them down with gaffers tape... problem solved. Make sure to use table cloths that are not real heavy so the light shines through. Expect to pay about $50 per fixture.

And check the liability of whoever you hire. Taping cables in the middle of the room is a HUGE pain (so much so it's one of the 2 - 3 things we just won't do), and exposes you, the vendor and the venue to additional risk should someone trip on a cord. Not to mention the amount of time it takes to do this correctly. Personally, I'd only do it if I could get a battery powered product, but as Tyrone mentioned, they're expensive. But $50 a fixture is more a "basic uplighting around the perimeter of the room" price. Labor and cabling to do that look would be much higher than $50 a unit.

Save-On-Crafts has some under-table lights. I don't have any personal experience with them, however.

That is pretty cool. I have never seen them before.

Oooh pretty....but not for $1000 each!!!! We would have to spend $13,000 on just table lights! I will however drool over other people's photos if they do it!

Thanks everyone - yes this is the look for the tables. Plus the uplighting around the perimeter of the room, the 36" tall eiffel tower vases will be lit up w/ floralytes and gazillions of candles. When the "Party" starts for the reception - we've got killer lights & fog going.

The room we've rented is perfect for the dinner part of the evening but in my mind a little stuffy for a kickass party. So I thought it would be kind of cool to give it a LimeLight Club feel (A club I used to go to years ago in NYC) LOL.

@Miss Tattoo: That's why I was suggesting looking at the Save-On-Crafts lights, which are $59 to $170 each.

FYI - Double check with the venue about using fog and I'd do a test run before your wedding day.

They tend to set off fire alarms and I'd hate for you to spend your wedding day standing outside, waiting for the fire department to give the all clear and turn off the alarm.

And if anyone is doing a sparkler exit, be careful the smoke doesn't blow back into the building. I watched this happen at a hotel and they had to evacuate the entire facility. Sure the wedding was over, but no one will be allowed to use sparklers there, ever again.

Sorry - not fog, it's Haze. I'm told there's a difference so that the smoke alarms don't go off.

@2d Bride-I went there too! I was saying Tyrone's photo is pretty.

The one's at Save On Crafts are pretty too, but that would still be over $1000 for table lights.

I found the SaveOnCrafts ones earlier today too - the price for them is just about what the DJ wants so I was hoping to find an alternative. I'm usually pretty good at finding things on EBay or other sites but no luck. I might try some different battery operated lights - maybe LED Xmas lights taped along the perimeter of the underside of the table. Found them for $6 a string. Maybe closet tap lights 5 per table again taped underneath. Any thoughts?

Oh and what kind of table clothes work best for the lighting?

Test your haze too. Most of the haze machines sold are really fog machines with a small built in fan to disperse the fog.

True haze machines are quite expensive (think $1000+) and still run the possibility of setting off alarms. Especially if they've done any renovation work recently on the AC/Heating/ventilation systems.

If the venue isn't providing it, I'd test. I hate to be so adamant about it, but I've seen a LOT of really bad decisions on DJ's part in this regard. It's why I spoke on this specific topic at the American Disc Jockey Association's convention in September. The talk was on 'Mitigating the Risks of Special Effects' and included fog/haze/smoke, lighting, hearing, and much more.

I want everyone to have a great wedding... even if I'm not there...

Meaning - I just don't want this to happen to you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2RardGlZf0

or this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byoQSyAuqEM

Neither DJ accepts responsibility for setting off the alarm...

As for the table cloths - cheap polyester work well. The problem being... they're cheap polyester and look it.

The thinner the better when it comes to trying to get light through linens.

The trick is to get the light to 'shine' through the tablecloth evenly... and not get kicked over if someone stretches out their legs.

The more light output the better though.

Any particulate can trigger a fire alarm. Haze, fog, doesn't matter. Your vendor should confirm usage with the venue IN WRITING before the event. It's the only way to avoid liability. Some towns require a firefighter on site during the event.

Just checked out those YouTube videos - scary. Now I'm gonna triple check w/ the facility. The DJ & I are planning a meeting at the venue next month so I'll ask him to bring it with him. Thanks a ton for the heads up.

Cheap looking table clothes will kill the dinner vibe we were shooting for. I'm gonna need to think this thru some more and talk to the DJ. Any inexpensive ideas I have I doubt will have enough lumens to make the table glow. I'm glad I posted this - thanks folks! Merry Christmas!

Yeah, when 2 or more vendors are involved, there needs to be testing or at least direct communication. I've done some under table stuff, away from the crowd so cabling wasn't an issue. But the tablecloth was heavy, BLACK, spandex (a last minute change we weren't advised about) and light didn't go through at all. Fortunately, we were able to go to plan B and still make it look good.

I've used all sorts of fog/smoke/haze machines at venues, and they ALL set off the smoke alarms. The haze machines emit smaller particles of matter that hangs in the air longer... but still set off alarms. The smoke detectors manufactured now-a-days are much better at sounding the alarm earlier with smaller amounts of matter in the air.

This is why most venues do not permit these machines. And, you better ask first, or you will get charged several hundred dollars by the fire department for their response. There is only one way around it... hire a firefighter of fire marshal to stand by on scene. Wait, there is a second way... make sure the venue has no smoke alarms... some don't.

That's a FABULOUS idea! I just started laying out the room and think with just uplighting around the walls, uplight the sweetheart table and the other ancillary tables plus some LEDS in the vases I'll achieve the same effect.

Just something to think about before you spend all kinds of money and time creating this special look. Did you notice all the tables were set with chiavari chairs? This lets the light show through much more than traditional banquet chairs or chair covers would. There are also no guests sitting at those tables...that will also block much of the lighting. The tables you use will also make a huge difference in the overall look. The tables in the photos are most likely clear acrylic, that is why the tabletop appears lighted too. If your tables will not allow the light to shine through the top, it will greatly affect the overall effect.

I would recommend using this lighting effect on your specialty tables (bridal, cake, gift, registry, buffet, etc) rather than the guest tables. This will give you a much bigger bang for your buck and as previously mentioned, you won't need to worry about wireless lighting.