With all the new and different add-ons and upgrades that have come about in the last several years, lighting still remains one of the most popular and almost like the “old faithful” of wedding add-ons. A lot of the banquet halls we play at have even added some form of lighting to their facility. Some have added uplighting, some added moving heads, and some both. So if you’re getting married at a hall that includes them then this question is kind of a moot point for you. But if your hall does not have lighting, is lighting necessary? Do you need to have lighting? Now in my personal opinion, I love having lighting packages added as they definitely add a little something extra to any event. But…it’s not my wedding or event so it’s not up to me. So my response to that questions is always: Do you want lighting? If yes, then yes you need lighting. If you want some form of lighting then obviously it fits in with your vision for the day. If you are not sure, well then my response would be to help the couple see the different options and how they would enhance their room. At that point then you would either see that lighting would add a little extra pop to your event, or maybe you wouldn’t. And there are those couples that do not want any kind of lighting for their celebration. Now I know some DJs will read this and completely disagree, and I’ve heard couples that have met with other DJs and they’ve been told that they NEED to have lighting. Well what if the couple has chosen a hall specifically based on it’s character or it’s charm and they feel lighting would take away from that? Who are we to tell them they are wrong just to make a few extra bucks? So as with anything with your wedding planning, or any other type of event, when you wonder if you need to have something, first ask your self if you actually want it…and you’ll have your answer.