Uplighting (Belle Mer's Island House)

talia.gursky

Hi all!I just got back from my first wedding planning trip in RI, and saw our venue (Belle Mer's Island house!) for the first time! We also booked our photographer (Cregg Annarino). So here's my next question - what do you ladies know about uplighting (since I know nothing!)? Looking at pictures, it looks like uplighting really transforms the space. Do you have any vendor recommendations? Is anyone not using uplighting in that space?Thanks!Talia

RoyalOrient

Congrats on booking your photographer! Cregg is a really talented.I believe uplighting can really transform a room. It creates a reflective and diffused ambiance. It's important to consider your uplighting options too. I would hire someone who uses high quality LED lighting. Poor lighting fixtures can't get the color saturation right. Here are some vendors I found that used high quality lighting like color kinetics.Boston Uplights - moderately pricedRC Uplighting - most reasonably priced Tony Ormonde - pricey I know there are DJs and florist who do uplights around R.I but I would thoroughly do some research on their lighting systems first before committing. You want a pro to be on site all night and you don't want loose wires/cords everywhere.

*beachbride13*

Congrats on booking Cregg...he does some amazing work ! I am actually in the middle of trying to finalize my uplighting for the Island House- I agree with the pp regarding the vendors she mentioned. I have received quotes from $800-$3,000 from multiple vendors in the lighting industry. Golden Gate was the less expensive but had wired lights and was unable to change the color which I needed, and Ormonde being the most outrageously expensive for wireless LED lights. I want to mention that I contacted a few vendors with wireless LED lights and the same quantity that Ormonde quoted me for and these other vendors were FAR less expensive than Ormonde. As much as I wanted to work with Ormonde, there is no way we can bring ourselves to pay that much for uplighting when I can get the exact same quantity and quality lights from someone else for much less. In the quotes I received, the less expensive lights are wired LED lights and the more expensive being wireless. I am looking for wireless since I want to change the colors in the room after dinner and with wireless this can all be done by remote from the tech, and also looks wise, there are not wires running one the floor. I have been assured by Belle Mer that they have seen the wired LEDs being used, and the wires are not a problem ( looks wise ), so its really just a personal preferrence. Also, the wireless LEDs seem to be more vibrant as well.HTH !!

*beachbride13*

RC Uplighting all the way !!  http://rcuplighting.com/blog/ FYI- They do charge a travel fee to Newport.GL !!

SummerBoston10

I am also getting married at the Island House at Belle Mer.Tony Ormonde was $2,000We booked Boston Uplights.  The cost for us is $1400.  Boston Uplights also has an "accents" package for $995.  I think that the accents package would be good (the are wireless mini-LED lights) but I decided to go for the lights that were a little bigger so that they would have a bigger impact.  They are still wireless.  Paul at Boston Uplights is awesome.  He has a real lighting background and knows a lot about lighting and how to create the look you are going for.  He explained to me that there will be a technician there the whole night and they will adjust the light as the outside light changes from sunlight to complete darkness.  I think that having a tech there the whole time is very important.  They can also do other lighting, like lighting on the seawall, etc.  I definitely would go for wireless but I guess it is personal preference. 

RoyalOrient

I also second RC Uplighting, partial owner is also a former Knottie on the Boston board so if you want more reviews/feedback just ask on the Boston Board. btw they quoted me 14 lights for $650 (their minimum) and 20 lights for $850. I really want their confetti bomb for an additional $100. Travel fee, not sure of that.

KB_RI

Looks like you have some good options here. Jason Citrone from Music Mixers DJ also does lighting - he told us his degree from URI is in theater lighting and he works at one of the CT casinos doing this by day. I read from another Knottie that his event minimum is $1,000 (we were considering him for DJ so it was just an add-on.) Here's his site: http://www.musicmixersdj.com/lighting.html

*beachbride13*

BostonBecky- how many wireless LED lights are you getting with Boston Uplights ? Are you having them change color or stay the same all night ?

*beachbride13*

BostonBecky- also, is there a travel fee to Newport ?TIA!

hollygb22

We used Moondance Productions for uplighting. (they're the DJ's as well) We weren't sure about uplighting but heard so much about it adding to the room etc. We didn't want a crazy color and chose gold since the ballroom at the Biltmore had a lot of rich colors in the room. It added so much..especially once the sun went down and it was dark out. I loved it and am so glad we asked about it and went with it!

eacosta1120

I contacted a ton of places. Here are my quotes, but remember that I'm doing a weekday wedding so these are all very much discounted, but it'll give you an idea. I think Wedding Stories has the best combo of pricing and wireless color changing lights, but we're not totally sure about lighting yet. (Oh when I wrote both rooms, I mean the ballroom and veranda at Astors') RC Lighting14 light package: $650.00  20 light package: $850.00  with on-site tech Music Mixers/Music Shop$1000 for both rooms wired LEDs Ormonde$1900 for both rooms for wireless LEDs with on-site tech Select Sound$450 for wired LED panels (20 lights) Wedding Stories$1000 for both rooms (or $600 for ballroom) for wireless LEDs (20 lights or more if needed) with on-site tech All for You$200 for 10 wired LEDs MoonDance$25/light $500 for both rooms wired LEDs not color changing

SummerBoston10

There is no travel fee, the $1400 is inclusive of everything.  I don't know if I will have the lights change colors of not but the tech CAN change the colors of the lights and there is no extra charge for this.  They told me that we would only need 16 lights for the room so that is what the $1400 quote is for.  Give them a call and talk to Paul.  He is so knowledgeable.  I talked with several vendors, including RC Uplighting and I felt that Paul was just far superior to anyone else and I booked them on the spot.  As a note, I believe that RC does not have wireless lights.