Battery-powered white paper lanterns saved our wedding reception. It was held outdoors in a Point Reyes Station garden patio and, being city folk, we hadn't anticipated just how dark it would be after nightfall. The night before the wedding we tested out the existing garden lights and atmospheric table candles and realized that together they would provide just enough light to keep our guests from falling asleep.
A friend of ours brought some backup lights in the form of charming, battery-powered white Chinese lanterns in various sizes. Like X-mas tree ornaments they came with hooks, and we used these to festoon the bushes and trees around the patio's perimeter. At sunset our siblings went around and ritually flicked the switch on each lantern individually. It was a brilliant and lovely-to-behold solution, requiring no power cabling and no stress.
You can also make any 10" or larger paper or nylon lantern you make or buy into a battery-powered light with the help of a $2.35 hanging battery terminal.
If you like to entertain outdoors at night, it's good to have some of these hassle-free illuminators on hand. They typically use 2 AA batteries and a small candelabra bulb with a burn time of 5 - 7 hours per battery set.
(Edited from a post published 06.22.07 - CB)
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Congratulations on getting married, the lights look great! Were you allowed to stay overnight at the station in Point Reyes? What restrictions were imposed/how big is the place? I am supposed to be planning a wedding myself, thus curious. Thanks!
view verasue's profile
Oh man, I wish I had known about these during our wedding. We wanted lights ont he table and the place wouldnt let us light candles near the table cloths.
view gigegy's profile
Ditto the congrats and what a lovely setting that must have been. I love the colorful lanterns in the first pic - I'll have to check around our nearest city (40 miles) as I can pretty well guarantee this town won't have them!
And what a nice way to have kept your families involved in your festivities!
view oceandreamer56's profile
Congrats on your wedding! And a nice solution to share with others- thanks! I face these issues all the time and have an arsenal of tricks for going without power or dealing with environmental contingencies.
FYI, there are solar-powered versions of the Shoji Lantern out there too, and if you knew that the environ was sunny, OR if you were hosting something less stressful than a wedding (weddings - you want to reduce any uncertainty for a wedding!) you could use these for a more environmental sensitive choice. Look at gardeners.com.
view memorablegatherings's profile
Pearl River has a great selection of paper lanterns too.
view jennyd's profile
Let's see a pic of the wedding reception!
view Griffin's profile
I used battery op "tea lights" for my wedding which was outdoors...but mostly it was to keep my childish pyro friend from setting all the centerpieces alight.
view DahliaCactus's profile