30 Outdoor Wedding Reception Lights Ideas

outdoor wedding reception lights ideas cover

The outdoor wedding season is in full swing, and many of you are puzzling how to pull off wedding décor, lights, keep all the guests comfortable and so on. Today I’m going to help you with some ideas and inspire you with outdoor lighting ideas for your reception. Why lights? Because this is an indispensable part of wedding decor, which creates an ambience and makes every venue more inviting.

Industrial Bulbs

Industrial décor is great and edgy and can be used not only for industrial nuptials and receptions, you can mix it with boho, vintage and other wedding styles. Industrial bulbs are amazing for hanging them over your reception and they will light up the space intensively, which guarantees amazing pics taken! They can be with gopper or gold or just dark metal accents and you can hang them on some tubing for a cooler look.

a frame with industrial bulbs hanging over the reception

a frame with industrial bulbs hanging over the reception

some industrial lights over the boho reception

some industrial lights over the boho reception

industrial bulbs hanging here and there will make your reception look edgy

industrial bulbs hanging here and there will make your reception look edgy

industrial bulbs hanging all over the reception for a trendy feel

industrial bulbs hanging all over the reception for a trendy feel

cool industrial bulbs with gold touches are amazing

cool industrial bulbs with gold touches are amazing

bulbs hanging on strings over the reception are a basic and popular solution

bulbs hanging on strings over the reception are a basic and popular solution

String Lights

String lights are the most popular option for lighting up any space, they are very comfy to use and can be attached over the whole reception in rows or even create a beautiful illuminating canopy. Wrap the tree trunks and branches with string lights to make them sparkle and enjoy the effect created! If your reception is covered with branches and bushes, you can wrap them with lights totally and the atmosphere will be magical. This is also a very budget-savvy idea, which won’t break the budget, so consider it for sure.

hang string lights as a canopy over the reception

hang string lights as a canopy over the reception

cover the trees with light strings all around and you'll get a gorgeously lit reception

cover the trees with light strings all around and you'll get a gorgeously lit reception

vertical strings with bulbs create beautiful clusters

vertical strings with bulbs create beautiful clusters

vertical light clusters and chandeliers over the reception

vertical light clusters and chandeliers over the reception

use the branches of the trees and bushes throughout the venue to attach string lights

use the branches of the trees and bushes throughout the venue to attach string lights

string lights attached over the reception as a tent look chic

string lights attached over the reception as a tent look chic

string lights attached to the branches over the reception and hanging crystals to reflect the light

string lights attached to the branches over the reception and hanging crystals to reflect the light

illuminate your reception with candles and string lights over it for a romantic feel

illuminate your reception with candles and string lights over it for a romantic feel

fabric stripes and light strings over the reception create a tent shape

fabric stripes and light strings over the reception create a tent shape

a whole canopy of lights will make your reception more inviting even in the daytime

a whole canopy of lights will make your reception more inviting even in the daytime

light strings hanging over the tables are attached to the trees

light strings hanging over the tables are attached to the trees

hang string lights and add some chandeliers made with string lights, too

hang string lights and add some chandeliers made with string lights, too

bride and groom, new orleans, race and religious wedding venue

bride and groom, new orleans, race and religious wedding venue

some light strings over the reception here and there

some light strings over the reception here and there

Lanterns

Lanterns may be candle or paper ones, the first type is to be used with string lights or glam chandeliers to make the reception more lit up but using only candle lanterns and candles on the tables is also ok, you will create a magic atmosphere, which is especially necessary for fairy tale, Halloween and secret garden weddings. Paper lanterns are a budget-savvy and cool solution, they can easily fit a lot of styles, so try them!

candle lanterns and large bulbs hanging from the branches create a mood

candle lanterns and large bulbs hanging from the branches create a mood

bulbs and cool faceted lanterns over the reception look chic

bulbs and cool faceted lanterns over the reception look chic

candle lanterns in spheric and drop shapes and lights over the reception

candle lanterns in spheric and drop shapes and lights over the reception

Tables and Lanterns at French Wedding Reception | Photo by CHRIS+LYNN Photographers

Tables and Lanterns at French Wedding Reception | Photo by CHRIS+LYNN Photographers

paper lanterns over the reception and dance floor are a budget-savvy solution

paper lanterns over the reception and dance floor are a budget-savvy solution

string lights and candle lanterns hanging from the vines

string lights and candle lanterns hanging from the vines

candle lanterns attached to the trees themselves

candle lanterns attached to the trees themselves

Other Ideas

You can also go for cool glam chandeliers, they will add a romantic and chic touch to the space. Better use them together with candle lanterns or just string lights to illuminate the reception as chandeliers are mostly decorative ones, they won’t give much light. There’s one more creative idea: illuminate the tables from the inside and cover them with long tablecloths to hide the lights, looks super cool!

bulbs and glam chandeliers for a romantic beachside reception

bulbs and glam chandeliers for a romantic beachside reception

chandeliers over the tables will create a chic glam look

chandeliers over the tables will create a chic glam look

light up the tables from the inside and cover them with long tablecloths

light up the tables from the inside and cover them with long tablecloths