Wedding tent lighting
Articles, Lighting, Tips & Tricks

6 Lighting Options to Make Your Wedding Tent Sparkle

Wondering how you can make your wedding day shine? While nothing will be brighter than you in your wedding dress, planning your day in a tent is a fun way to illuminate your creativity.

Many brides are unaware of the dazzling array of lighting options for a tented event. It’s important to consider which lights you will need for decoration and for functionality, and which lighting options can serve a dual purpose.

Concerned about how your guests will get to the restrooms or other locations at night? Be sure to consider the lighting for both inside and outside the tent. Here are 6 options to take your tent from basic and bare to a beautiful, glowing focal point on your special day:

Watt Lighting

These string lights are commonly used around the inside perimeter of a tent to brighten it up. They look like white light bulbs about the size of older style Christmas lights and are strung together with a white cord. Depending on the size of the tent, 4 watt lighting can be used functionally and/or as a decoration.

Mini Lights

Mini lights are also connected with a white cord, but they are more similar to a current day Christmas light than 4 watt lights. These lights set a gorgeous ambiance and are primarily used as decoration. Wrap them around the center poles and/or string them from the peaks to the sides of the tent for a glittery, glowing effect.

Twinkle Lighting for Tent Weddings

Lanterns for Inside Your Tent

Lanterns come in an assortment of colors and sizes. When used inside the tent, this type of lighting is for decoration. Lanterns offer a beautiful radiance, but they do not offer any functional light. Depending on the look you would like, this popular lighting trend can get expensive. One way to make lanterns affordable is to add them above specific areas only, such as the dance area, a drink or dinner station, or even the head table.

Paper lantern rentals for weddings

Lanterns for Outside Your Tent

Lanterns can also be used functionally to light the pathway to restrooms or other locations outside your tent.  With an LED option, a very small lantern offers a great lighting source. These can be placed along walkways or hung from large hooks, known as Shepard Hooks.

Outdoor Paper Lanterns

Luminaries

This luminous option for outside your tent uses either paper bags or specific paper containers with a flame or battery-operated tea light placed inside. Once the tea light is on, the bag will glow. These can outline high traffic areas outside the tent, filling both your functional and decorative needs.

paper lanterns for path lighting

Bistro Lights

This romantic option can be used to show guests where to go outside your tent. Keep in mind that you need to have trees that are close together or another source to hang these lights so that they will drape nicely.

bistro rental lights

Lighting is important for functionality, but can also greatly enhance the look you are going for. Most tent companies provide these options, so ask for suggestions and rates.

For more tent lighting ideas, visit our Wedding Tent Lighting Idea Board on Pinterest.