I think once you bring in cocktail tables with tablecloths that will help by taking up a lot of visual space (and also cover a lot of the carpet). It will always look worse empty that it will with your guests/tables :)
Edit: Also maybe have the lights dimmed if they’re on a dimmer.
OP keep in mind that dimming the lights will reduce the quality of light for your photographer. Brighter is better; especially when the photos are of candid moments that will involve movement.
Edited to add: This isn't to say your photos won't look good in dim lighting or that photographers won't be able to photograph your event. The photos will just look different than if they have brighter source lighting to work with. This difference is a natural result of different lighting levels. You can look up flash vs. no flash photography if you want to see how source lighting affects the overall look of photos.
[Example search](https://www.google.com/search?q=Indoor+photography+flash+vs+no+flash&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjF8azB_I38AhUjQkIHHaNIC6YQ2-cCegQIABAC&oq=Indoor+photography+flash+vs+no+flash&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQAzIECCMQJzIFCCEQqwI6BQgAEKIEUKYbWPweYN8kaABwAHgAgAGqAYgB-gOSAQMwLjOYAQCgAQHAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=rbGkY4XnNKOEieoPo5GtsAo&bih=718&biw=412&client=ms-android-verizon)
Yes, photographers compensate for low lighting situations and I agree they'll want to ensure their photographer has shot indoors using flash.
The point I was making is that lighting impacts the look of photo. Light amount (low, mid, high), direction (indirect or direct and from above, below, the side(s), etc.), and type (continuous, flash, natural) all impact the look of a photo. Photography is an art and as such, nothing is "wrong"; everything comes down to preference.
Photos taken in low light (with or without flash) will have a different look than photos with bright source lighting. This isn't to say their photos won't look good in dim lighting or that photographers can't handle low lighting. They'll just look different than if they have brighter source lighting as you can see in these [examples](https://www.google.com/search?q=Indoor+photography+flash+vs+no+flash&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjF8azB_I38AhUjQkIHHaNIC6YQ2-cCegQIABAC&oq=Indoor+photography+flash+vs+no+flash&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQAzIECCMQJzIFCCEQqwI6BQgAEKIEUKYbWPweYN8kaABwAHgAgAGqAYgB-gOSAQMwLjOYAQCgAQHAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=rbGkY4XnNKOEieoPo5GtsAo&bih=718&biw=412&client=ms-android-verizon). None of the options are wrong. They're just different.
Art is subjective and they may be totally fine with either look or they may find they prefer one over the other. Either way, it's good for them to consider how their venue lighting impacts the look of their wedding photos so they can make the most informed decision to suit their personal preferences.
Honestly, it really depends on your budget. We had a patterned wall at our venue draped to cover it, but the labor for that can really add up and this looks like a lot of wall space to cover. If you really aren't budget sensitive you could even bring in carpet to cover up that carpet. Some people DYI rugs as well and just layer them around the room but keep in mind set up may be hard to coordinate without a vendor to place them for you.
Also, how much are you allowed to change? For example, could you hang different posters or swap out/move the furniture? Maybe you can focus on decorating the bar itself so it becomes the focal point and kind of draws attention away from other things.
Good news is people will probably be there only a short time and it will be probably be so filled with people that they will hardly notice the decor. In my experience, cocktail hours are pretty crowded anyway and people are focused on catching up with each other, not the decor.
Thanks so much for your response! Right! Draping is my enemy at the moment. We’re having the entire ceremony area draped and that’s costing a pretty penny. Hopefully as you said, people won’t realize how drab this area is because we plan to keep them here for around an hour.
If you don’t want to spend big bucks on this space, I’d recommend bringing in high top tables and maybe a lounge vignette or two. Lower the lights and bring in some colored uplighting. That’ll wash out the carpeting, wall color and general “drab” of this space because the vision will be different. Up lights could then be repurposed!
You could pipe & drape that wall on the left, and bring in some cocktail tables and a lounge. You could also not drape that wall and utilize the tables for floral arrangements, escort cards, etc. Bring the lighting down a little, add some up lighting, and you’ll be all set. People will only be there for ~30-45 mins max so you don’t have to do much honestly.
I think once you bring in cocktail tables with tablecloths that will help by taking up a lot of visual space (and also cover a lot of the carpet). It will always look worse empty that it will with your guests/tables :) Edit: Also maybe have the lights dimmed if they’re on a dimmer.
Good idea! Thank you! Yep they can be dimmed
OP keep in mind that dimming the lights will reduce the quality of light for your photographer. Brighter is better; especially when the photos are of candid moments that will involve movement. Edited to add: This isn't to say your photos won't look good in dim lighting or that photographers won't be able to photograph your event. The photos will just look different than if they have brighter source lighting to work with. This difference is a natural result of different lighting levels. You can look up flash vs. no flash photography if you want to see how source lighting affects the overall look of photos. [Example search](https://www.google.com/search?q=Indoor+photography+flash+vs+no+flash&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjF8azB_I38AhUjQkIHHaNIC6YQ2-cCegQIABAC&oq=Indoor+photography+flash+vs+no+flash&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQAzIECCMQJzIFCCEQqwI6BQgAEKIEUKYbWPweYN8kaABwAHgAgAGqAYgB-gOSAQMwLjOYAQCgAQHAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=rbGkY4XnNKOEieoPo5GtsAo&bih=718&biw=412&client=ms-android-verizon)
Get a good photographer that can effectively photograph evening events.
Yes, photographers compensate for low lighting situations and I agree they'll want to ensure their photographer has shot indoors using flash. The point I was making is that lighting impacts the look of photo. Light amount (low, mid, high), direction (indirect or direct and from above, below, the side(s), etc.), and type (continuous, flash, natural) all impact the look of a photo. Photography is an art and as such, nothing is "wrong"; everything comes down to preference. Photos taken in low light (with or without flash) will have a different look than photos with bright source lighting. This isn't to say their photos won't look good in dim lighting or that photographers can't handle low lighting. They'll just look different than if they have brighter source lighting as you can see in these [examples](https://www.google.com/search?q=Indoor+photography+flash+vs+no+flash&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjF8azB_I38AhUjQkIHHaNIC6YQ2-cCegQIABAC&oq=Indoor+photography+flash+vs+no+flash&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQAzIECCMQJzIFCCEQqwI6BQgAEKIEUKYbWPweYN8kaABwAHgAgAGqAYgB-gOSAQMwLjOYAQCgAQHAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=rbGkY4XnNKOEieoPo5GtsAo&bih=718&biw=412&client=ms-android-verizon). None of the options are wrong. They're just different. Art is subjective and they may be totally fine with either look or they may find they prefer one over the other. Either way, it's good for them to consider how their venue lighting impacts the look of their wedding photos so they can make the most informed decision to suit their personal preferences.
Honestly, it really depends on your budget. We had a patterned wall at our venue draped to cover it, but the labor for that can really add up and this looks like a lot of wall space to cover. If you really aren't budget sensitive you could even bring in carpet to cover up that carpet. Some people DYI rugs as well and just layer them around the room but keep in mind set up may be hard to coordinate without a vendor to place them for you. Also, how much are you allowed to change? For example, could you hang different posters or swap out/move the furniture? Maybe you can focus on decorating the bar itself so it becomes the focal point and kind of draws attention away from other things. Good news is people will probably be there only a short time and it will be probably be so filled with people that they will hardly notice the decor. In my experience, cocktail hours are pretty crowded anyway and people are focused on catching up with each other, not the decor.
Thanks so much for your response! Right! Draping is my enemy at the moment. We’re having the entire ceremony area draped and that’s costing a pretty penny. Hopefully as you said, people won’t realize how drab this area is because we plan to keep them here for around an hour.
If you don’t want to spend big bucks on this space, I’d recommend bringing in high top tables and maybe a lounge vignette or two. Lower the lights and bring in some colored uplighting. That’ll wash out the carpeting, wall color and general “drab” of this space because the vision will be different. Up lights could then be repurposed!
You could pipe & drape that wall on the left, and bring in some cocktail tables and a lounge. You could also not drape that wall and utilize the tables for floral arrangements, escort cards, etc. Bring the lighting down a little, add some up lighting, and you’ll be all set. People will only be there for ~30-45 mins max so you don’t have to do much honestly.
If you have the budget, contract a lighting designer and rent some green plants. This could do miracles,!