If I had to name one design element that consistently gets underestimated by couples in the early stages of planning, it would be lighting. Flowers, dresses, cakes and stationery tend to dominate the mood boards, and understandably so, but lighting is what actually determines how a room feels once the sun goes down, and it's often the difference between a wedding that photographs beautifully and one that genuinely feels magical to stand inside.

Good lighting design starts with understanding that different types of light do very different jobs, and the most beautiful weddings tend to layer several of them together rather than relying on one. Ambient lighting, things like festoon lights, chandeliers or fairy lights strung overhead, sets the overall tone of a space and is usually what guests notice first. Task lighting, more practical light over the bar, the band or the dance floor, keeps things functional without looking clinical. And accent lighting, candles on tables, uplighting on architectural features or trees, adds warmth and depth in the way that a single overhead light source never quite can.

Candlelight in particular deserves its own mention, because it does something no other light source really achieves. There's a warmth and flattering quality to candlelight that makes a room feel intimate almost instantly, and it's one of the simplest, most cost-effective ways to elevate an evening reception. I encourage nearly every couple I work with to include real candlelight somewhere in their evening design, even if only on the tables, because the effect is genuinely disproportionate to the cost.

Marquees and at-home weddings benefit enormously from thoughtful lighting design precisely because you're building the atmosphere entirely from scratch, with no existing architecture doing any of the work for you. This is where festoon lighting strung across a marquee ceiling, uplighting on the structure itself, or lanterns lining a pathway to the entrance can completely transform a blank canvas into something that feels considered and beautiful the moment guests walk in.

Timing matters just as much as the lighting itself. One detail I always plan carefully with couples is exactly when the lights should come up, or rather, when the natural light should be allowed to fade before artificial lighting takes over. There's a particular moment, often around dusk, when candlelight and festoon lighting against a darkening sky creates an atmosphere that simply can't be replicated earlier in the day or with brighter lighting. Getting the timeline right so that this moment happens naturally, rather than being rushed or missed, is a small detail that makes a genuinely noticeable difference.

My honest advice is this: don't treat lighting as a final, optional add-on once the bigger decisions are made. Build it into your design from the earlier stages, alongside your venue and your florals, because it has just as much influence over how your wedding feels, and how it photographs, as almost anything else on your list.