Q&A with Mark Kingsdorf

I recently asked Mark Kingsdorf of The Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants some questions about the use of lighting at weddings - trends he's seeing, suggestions he has, etc. With over 30 years in the event industry and 10 years with The Queen of Hearts, who better to ask?

Becky: If you had to estimate, how many weddings have you worked on?
Mark Kingsdorf: When we did the math – Queen of Hearts has worked with nearly 250 couples on planning Philadelphia weddings (ok a couple in south Jersey and Delaware too).

Becky: What are the emerging trends in terms of lighting for ceremonies and receptions?
MK: In general I think planners and couples finally see lighting as a really cost effective way to transform a room – to change color in a blah catering hall, to add focus to centerpieces or to add interest to the dance floor.

Becky: Do you have any creative suggestions for ceremony lighting?
MK: I don’t like to ‘over dress’ a ceremony … up lighting on architectural elements like columns or a light color wash on the wall behind the couple – especially if it's in a hotel ballroom with flat blah walls ... and some pin spotting on the arch, trellis or chuppah they are getting married in front of or under helps make photos pop.

Becky: Have you seen lighting used in an unusual way that you think more people should consider?
MK: I’m not sure how unusual it is but I ALWAYS urge clients to do some kind of lighting wash on the dance floor. When they don't, you end up with a 'black hole' in the middle of the room. Not only does it look odd in photos but I think photographers and videographers have to use more light to shoot people dancing, ( and then brides wonder why they see these huge flashes all night).

Becky: How about any unique lighting techniques you’ve seen?
MK: I really like when clients work with intelligent lighting and can change the colors of the wall washes part way through the event … it’s fun when people can transition from one space to another in a venue but not every space can accommodate that, so lighting changes the look of the room.

Becky: How has the use of lighting (for décor or conventional reasons) changed over the past few years? Are you seeing more or less of it?
MK: I'm seeing a TON more lighting – when I started some people were using it – mostly up lighting and some cheesy old school disco lights (I'm old), now I see a much wider use. There are more products available and I think people realize how affordable it really is.

Thanks so much Mark for taking the time to answer my questions!