Wedding Lighting: everything you need to know
Wedding lighting sets the mood for your entire reception — and renting it yourself is easier than most couples expect. Browse our uplighting and string light rentals, reserve online in a few clicks, and your gear arrives exactly on your rental arrival date with everything you need to set up in minutes. When it’s over, pack it back in the same box and drop it at UPS. That’s it.
We’re with you throughout the process — from choosing the right lights and quantities to tracking your shipment and troubleshooting on the day of. Most of our wedding customers have never rented lighting before. That’s exactly who we built this for.
What lighting is right for your wedding venue?
Every venue is different. Here’s where to start.
Ballrooms & Formal Venues
Uplighting is your primary tool here. Wash the perimeter walls in your wedding color to transform a neutral hotel ballroom into something that feels designed. 16–24 uplights typically cover a full ballroom perimeter. String lights work overhead if the ceiling height allows rigging — confirm with your venue first.
Indoor Celebrations:
Parties, Mitzvahs, Family Events
Smaller footprint, fewer lights needed. 8–16 uplights along key walls creates a full color wash without overcrowding the space. Focus on the head table wall and dance floor perimeter first, then fill outward. String lights overhead add warmth if the ceiling is accessible.
Barns
String lights are the natural choice; Edison patio string lights or globe string lights overhead create the warm, organic canopy that defines the barn wedding aesthetic. Uplighting along the walls or beams adds color depth and separates the space visually. Wireless uplights are preferred here since outlet access along barn walls is often limited.
Tents
String lights run along the tent ridge or draped in a canopy pattern are the most common treatment. Wireless uplights work well along the tent perimeter since there are no wall outlets. Plan for 1 string per 40 linear feet of coverage overhead, and 1 uplight per 8–15 feet of perimeter.
Outdoor Ceremonies
Keep it simple — wireless uplights flanking an arch or altar, or lining an aisle, create focal points without requiring power access. String lights work well overhead for covered outdoor spaces. For open-air ceremonies, focus lighting on the ceremony backdrop and let the natural environment do the rest.
Find your wedding color, instantly.
Match your uplighting to your dress, your flowers, or your bridesmaids.
Most wedding colors aren’t simple “red” or “blue”; they’re specific shades like champagne, dusty rose, or sage. Our color match tool cross-references popular bridal and bridesmaid dress lines to the exact RGB code for your uplighting, so the color in your venue matches the color in your photos.
Search by brand, including David’s Bridal, Azazie, Birdy Grey, and more.
Find my wedding colorReal weddings, real lighting
A few of our favorite setups, lit by real couples from across the US.
What does wedding lighting rental cost?
There’s many ways to light a wedding — pick based on your venue and budget.
Uplighting
From $18/light
Wired (black) |
$18/light |
Wireless |
$27/light |
Ultra Wireless |
$35/light |
Most weddings rent 10–24 lights · Typical budget $200–500.
Best for ballrooms, indoor venues, color-washed walls
string lighting
From $19/string
Globe string lights |
$19/string |
Edison string lights |
$27/string |
Mini string lights |
$6/string |
Most weddings rent 4–10 strings · Typical budget $150–400.
Best for barns, tents, outdoor canopies
When should I book my wedding lighting?
Here’s how our process works, from booking to return.
1
Book early
Most couples reserve 3–5 months out. We book up to 8 months in advance, and popular dates during peak wedding season fill first. Reserving early guarantees your date and gives you time to finalize quantities and colors.
2
Choose your rental window
Select a 5 day or 10 day rental, whichever fits your event timeline. You’ll set your Rental Arrival Date at checkout, so your lights show up exactly when you need them.
3
Confirmation and check-ins
You’ll get a confirmation right after booking, plus a few automated updates as your event approaches. You’ll always know where things stand.
4
Lights arrive
Everything ships ready to use on your Rental Arrival Date. No assembly, no guesswork. Setup typically takes a few minutes per light. Our support is on standby should you need it.
5
Light your event
Use your lights for your wedding, reception, or both. Your rental window covers the full celebration.
6
Pack up and return
Repack everything in the same box it arrived in. Your Rental Return Date is when it’s due back to UPS. Drop it off using the prepaid label already included.
Need lights sooner than 10 days out?
We accommodate most last-minute requests within 12 hours at no extra cost. We approve over 95% of requests, though each one is manually reviewed to confirm we can meet your quantity and location requirements before confirming.
What real couples are saying
Real reviews from couples who rented their wedding lighting from us. See more on Trustpilot.
Great Overall Experience
My wedding rental arrived in time; they very responsive and reminded me about mailing back their products!
Great Company, Would Recommend!
I had a great experience with uplight rentals. Everything went so smoothly and it was such an easy process to return. I rented some of the outdoor string lights and they were great quality as well. Couldn’t have been more pleased for our wedding!
Fantastic Experience
This was such a great experience-professional, timely, great communication, easy to return. The cost savings versus using a local company with very high delivery charges was remarkable, and we’ll definitely use them again!
Great service/Product
Uplight Rentals will be my go-to for light rental in the future. Simple order and easy return process. Lucas was available and speedy to answer any questions I had. Will be doing business again in the future. Thanks for everything!
One of the easiest rentals
This was one of the easiest rentals I’ve ever done. I received them on time, with clear instructions for how to package them back up, return label AND tape included (loved this), and send them back for return. Would recommend to anyone who needs lights for their wedding!
First Time Rental
If you are first timer renting uplights online and hesitating like I was, I think you should definitely go with this company. great service and communication. I rented a dozen of wireless uplights from uplightsrentals.com for a wedding, there was no issue whatsoever from start to end. Thanks!
UplightRentals.com was awesome. Very communicative and helpful. Would definitely recommend and rent from them again!
Cost efficient and easy solution when all you need are uplights! No costly delivery fees or on-site techs needed.
The entire process with UplightRentals.com was amazing! I noticed two days before our event that our original shipment was not going to be delivered until after our event. Uplight Rentals re-routed the original shipment to be returned to them and sent out another shipment that arrived in time… Thank you for providing such amazing customer service! We will certainly be renting from them again.
Wedding lighting rental FAQs
Can I set it up myself, or will you set it up for me?
All of our rentals are DIY, we don’t offer setup services. The good news is setup is surprisingly simple: most lights take just a few minutes each, and color is set with easy on-device controls, no electrician or lighting tech required. Many couples set up the day before with help from family or their wedding party.
Can I match the lighting to my exact wedding colors?
Yes. Our color match tool cross-references popular bridal and bridesmaid dress brands to the exact color code for your uplighting, so the color in your venue matches your photos.
Do I need to rent uplighting and string lights, or just one?
Most couples choose one based on their venue. Uplighting works best for ballrooms and indoor spaces with walls to color. String lights are the better fit for barns, tents, and outdoor canopies. See our venue guide above for a quick recommendation, or mix both if your space calls for it.
What if my venue doesn't allow real candles or has strict decor rules?
Our uplighting and string lights are LED, cool to the touch, and battery or standard-outlet powered, so they meet most venue restrictions on open flame or high-heat fixtures. Always confirm with your venue, but lighting rentals are typically one of the easiest decor elements to get approved.
What happens if something arrives damaged or doesn't work?
Reach out right away and we’ll get a replacement to you before your event. We test every unit before it ships, but if anything goes wrong, fixing it before your wedding day is our priority.
When possible, we recommend having lights arrive 2-3 days prior to your event in order to ensure any issues can be corrected.
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