Event & Wedding Lighting Cost on Long Island (2026 Guide)
Event and wedding lighting on Long Island is priced by design, venue size, power access, and which lighting types you choose, so there is no single sticker price. Published market ranges run from a few dollars per linear foot for bistro string to hundreds per gobo and into four figures for a fully installed uplighting package. Yule Love Lights quotes every event custom. Call 631-517-0186.
What Event and Wedding Lighting Costs on Long Island in 2026
There is no flat price for event or wedding lighting, and any honest answer starts with โit depends.โ The cost is set by how big your venue is, how many fixtures it takes to light it, where the power is, how intricate the design is, and whether you are paying for equipment only or a turnkey install with takedown. Yule Love Lights is a family-owned, CLIPA-certified, fully insured lighting installer based in Amityville, serving all of Nassau and Suffolk since September 2022, with a 5.0-star rating across 176 Google reviews. We are an installer, not a drop-off rental firm, so our quotes are all-inclusive and built per event.
Below are the published market ranges our research returned for the most common event lighting types, clearly attributed and marked unverified. None of these are Yule Love Lightsโ quoted prices. YLLโs own event and wedding pricing is set by quote because every venue and design is different. For a number tailored to your event, request a free quote or call 631-517-0186.
What Drives the Price
Five factors move every event lighting quote, whether it is a backyard wedding or a corporate gala.
Venue size and layout
The square footage you need to cover is the single biggest driver. A small garden ceremony needs a fraction of the fixtures of a large ballroom or a full tented reception. Published cost guides put a fully lit large ballroom in the $600 to $2,000 range precisely because room size dictates fixture count.
Fixture count
Uplighting, pin spots, and wash fixtures are priced per unit, so the more of them a room or perimeter needs, the higher the total. A handful of accent uplights is inexpensive; ringing a large reception space in even, color-matched wash light takes many fixtures.
Power access
Where the power is matters. Venues with convenient outlets are simple; remote lawns, vineyard rows, beaches, and tented sites can require generators, long cable runs, and battery-powered wireless fixtures, all of which add to a professional job.
Design complexity
A single monogram gobo over a dance floor is one thing; a layered design combining bistro canopy, perimeter uplighting, pin-spotted centerpieces, and a color wash is another. More lighting types and more custom programming mean more design time, more equipment, and more labor.
Install, takedown, and insurance
Equipment-only rental prices cover bare fixtures. A professional install adds on-site design, delivery, rigging, technicians, and teardown. Cost guides cite roughly $400 to $800 in labor per job, plus about $50 to $250 delivery and around $600 for a lift above 15 feet. As a fully insured installer, YLL can also provide certificates of insurance, which many Long Island venues require.
Cost by Lighting Type (Reported Market Ranges)
The table below uses only the published market figures our research returned, attributed to their sources and marked unverified. These are industry, national, or NY-served rental rates, not Long Island-quoted prices and not Yule Love Lightsโ prices. Where research returned no figure, the item is by quote.
| Lighting type | Reported market range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Uplighting (per fixture, DIY rental, NY-served) | $17 to $24 each (wired around $17 to $19; wireless around $24; premium models up to $57) | Equipment-only rental rates from national operators that ship to NY (Pro Lighting Rental; RentMyWedding). You set up and return the fixtures; no on-site labor included. |
| Uplighting (total for a large ballroom, installed) | $600 to $2,000 | National wedding-industry cost guides (Zola $600 to $2,000; The Wedding Lighting Company $700 to $2,000). Varies with room size and fixture count. |
| Bistro / string / cafe lighting (per linear foot) | $3 to $5 per linear foot | Consistently published industry rate (Zola; The Wedding Lighting Company). A Long Island equipment-only set (Suffolk Tent & Party Rentals) lists a 50-foot string at $50 (~$1/ft), DIY, not installed. |
| Gobo / monogram projection (per unit, per event) | $150 to $300 professional; $99 DIY mail-rental package | Professional range from cost guides (Zola $150 to $300; The Wedding Lighting Company $200 to $300). A NY-served DIY package (RentMyWedding) runs $99 including design, disc, projector, cord, and shipping. |
| Tent / canopy wash (per foot) | $0.50 to $0.75 per foot mini-light; $3 to $5 per linear foot of drape | Lowest-confidence figures, from a single national source (The Wedding Lighting Company). No Long Island-specific number found; treat as indicative only. |
| Color wash, pin spots, star-field / canopy design, full event package | By quote | Research returned no published standalone range for these. Priced per event by design, venue, and scope. Call 631-517-0186. |
Sources for the ranges above: Zola and The Wedding Lighting Company cost guides (national industry figures), Pro Lighting Rental and RentMyWedding (NY-served rental operators), and Suffolk Tent & Party Rentals (Long Island equipment set), verified on 2026-06-27. They are market reference points to set expectations, not Yule Love Lightsโ quoted prices.
Rent the Equipment or Hire an Installer?
The single biggest swing in your cost is whether you rent bare fixtures and do it yourself or hire a professional installer for a turnkey job. They are not the same product.
DIY rental is the lower upfront number. You pay per fixture or per set, around $17 to $24 per uplight or $99 for a gobo kit, the gear ships to you, and you handle layout, placement, power, programming, and the return. There is no on-site labor, no design, and no one to call if a fixture fails an hour before the first dance.
Professional installation costs more upfront because it includes more: on-site design, delivery, rigging, trained technicians, and full teardown. Cost guides attribute the difference to roughly $400 to $800 in labor per job, plus delivery and any lift rental, which is why an installed package runs into four figures rather than per-fixture dollars. With Yule Love Lights you also get a fully insured crew, certificates of insurance for your venue, and our Stay-Lit Guarantee: if a light goes dark, we fix it fast, within 48 hours, at no extra charge. For a venue-critical event, turnkey is usually worth it.
How to Get an Accurate Quote
Because the price depends on so many variables, the fastest way to a real number is a short conversation about your event. Have these details ready and we can scope it quickly:
Your venue and its town (North Fork vineyard, waterfront catering venue or country club, tented private estate, or backyard); your date and guest count; the lighting types you are picturing (bistro string, uplighting, gobo monogram, canopy or star-field, color wash, tent or marquee wash); rough dimensions or a venue floor plan if you have one; and where power is available on site. From there we design to your space and budget and give you one all-inclusive price covering design, install, and takedown.
Yule Love Lights designs, installs, and removes lighting for weddings, corporate galas, fundraisers, milestone parties, and cultural festivals across all of Long Island, the North Fork, the Hamptons, the Gold Coast, and the South Shore. To get started, see our event lighting and wedding lighting pages, request a free quote, or call 631-517-0186.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does wedding lighting cost on Long Island?
There is no single price; it depends on venue size, fixture count, power access, and design. Published market figures put bistro string at $3 to $5 per linear foot and a fully lit large ballroom at $600 to $2,000. Yule Love Lights quotes each event custom. Call 631-517-0186.
Is it cheaper to rent or hire an installer?
Renting bare fixtures is the lower upfront number, around $17 to $24 per uplight, but you set up, power, program, and return everything yourself. Hiring an installer costs more because it adds design, delivery, technicians, and teardown, plus insurance and a service guarantee. For a venue-critical event, turnkey is usually worth it.
What does uplighting cost?
DIY rental uplights run about $17 to $24 each, with premium wireless models up to $57, from operators that ship to New York. A fully installed large ballroom in uplighting is published at $600 to $2,000. Those are market figures, not YLL prices; we quote your event by design and venue. Call 631-517-0186.
What does a monogram or gobo projection cost?
Published professional gobo and monogram projection runs about $150 to $300 per unit per event, while a NY-served DIY mail-rental package is listed at $99 including design, disc, projector, cord, and shipping. Yule Love Lights includes gobo projection in custom event designs and prices it within your overall package.
How far ahead should I book event lighting?
Book as early as you can. Outdoor event and wedding lighting on Long Island peaks in May and June and again in September and October, so popular dates fill quickly. Reaching out months ahead protects your date, gives time for a site visit and design, and lets us coordinate with your venue. Call 631-517-0186.
Does Yule Love Lights handle setup and takedown?
Yes. Yule Love Lights is a full-service installer, not a drop-off rental firm. Every event package is all-inclusive: on-site design, professional installation by our fully insured CLIPA-certified crew, and complete takedown afterward. We can also provide certificates of insurance, which many Long Island venues require, and our Stay-Lit Guarantee covers any light that goes dark.
Related Long Island Lighting Pages
Event Lighting ยท Wedding Lighting ยท Christmas Lights ยท Permanent App-Controlled LED ยท Get a Free Quote
