Though it’s not thought of as central to a wedding the way that an officiant, or the cake, or the dress often are, lighting plays a major role in any event. Without it, or with improper lighting at the forefront, an event loses its luster. Attention will wane, guests will lose focus, and the overall experience may be less than the couple had in mind. Warmth, vibrancy, composition, layers, theme, and color – all of these characteristics are so evidently intertwined with different lighting solutions. When it comes to a wedding, there is always a particular ambiance that fits best with what a couple desires, and a proper lighting company can help make that dream a reality.

Regardless of the effect you’re going for, good lighting is the key to making any space shine. Planning the lighting in advance, with the support of professionals, ensures that a couple can achieve the right ambiance to support them on their special day.

If the wedding calls for romantic and sultry themes aimed toward elegance, neon-colored lighting won’t help achieve the desired effect. On the other hand, those aiming for a light and fun atmosphere might want those vibrant colors or other splashy lighting treatments to add a pop of fun. The possibilities are endless, and luckily lighting can be flexible enough to work with anyone’s wedding plans.

Greenlight Creative is, without a doubt, one of the top lighting experts in the Northwest. Headed by Dwayne Thomas, a lighting expert with 41 years of experience, Greenlight Creative is dedicated to making any event shine, especially weddings. Based in Oregon, this Northwest company is founded on select values, being passionate, results-driven, expert, and creative.

Greenlight Creative has received many accolades throughout its existence, including Couple’s Choice for Wedding Wire, Best of Bride Magazine, and Best Lighting Provider from Northwest Meetings and Events Magazine, to name a few. They have also served many notable corporate clients, including Adidas, Freightliner, Tiffany and Company, and Knowledge Universe. Anyone who wants to make sure their event stands out knows that Greenlight Creative can get the job done.

We had the opportunity to chat with Greenlight Creative leader Dwayne Thomas and gather more information on the company’s services.

Can you tell us a bit more about how you got started?

The company originally began operations in 2009 and recently turned 12, though I have been in the lighting business far longer than that. Along with my team, we bring unique insight, perspectives, and vision to the wedding industry, helping to make each wedding special and memorable. Since starting the company, the number of weddings we light has grown from 20-30 to 80-100 per year.

What areas do you serve?

Our home base is in Portland, Oregon, but the Greenlight Creative team is available across the Pacific Northwest and available to travel across the country.

What draws you to the wedding industry on a personal level?

I get to be a part of what makes a couple’s event so memorable. One of my favorite moments is when guests walk into the event, and they’re floored with how beautiful the space is, thanks in large part to our lighting, which brings out the best in every event. The moment of, “Wow, look at this place” is part of what propels the business forward and keeps us working hard toward making each couple’s and each event’s dreams come true.

Is a third-party lighting service necessary for every wedding? What if a DJ or venue offers lighting services?

While other wedding vendors may overlap their services with lighting, there is nothing as truly unique as Greenlight Creative’s approach to lighting your event, because this is all we do. The business is 100% committed to providing every event with beautiful, rich lighting as its sole offering. This gives the business room to cater to guests and make it something that shines without being a secondary concept.

For example, some DJs may provide lighting with their services, but music is still their number one priority, and the lighting may not be given as much attention as it deserves. No one would hire the caterer to also be the limo driver, and that sentiment translates to lighting solutions as well. Hiring a dedicated lighting team means that it is their number one priority, avoiding subpar lighting due to limited resources and time. So, when the question of whether a dedicated lighting company is necessary, it’s important to consider how important ambiance is for your event. Our lighting company lives to make a room look amazing, and we uniquely live, eat, and breathe lighting.

In order to effectively plan, we encourage couples to share photos and ideas with us that they would like to see at their wedding. Most often, a phone chat or visit to the venue to talk about options is recommended also. From there, we can compare against the venue and budget to create the best solution for the couple’s lighting. So regardless of if you have no idea of what you need, or a long list of what you want, we will work with you, asking plenty of questions and helping to guide what can be a reality for your event.

How can a couple choose the lighting that works best for their wedding?

The Greenlight Creative website has a function that allows couples to imagine their event in a tangible way, titled “envision.” There, couples can run through multiple scenarios and photos to help piece together what they would like for their wedding. This tool is especially useful for couples who know they want lighting services but are unsure what “feel” is best for their big day.

Couples can curate their own custom gallery of photos to piece together a makeshift dream board that can then be used as inspiration to build their perfect day. Also, customers can find a list of venues that we commonly work with to help get an idea of the space and what works.