LED Lighting in the Event Industry

I recently did a guest blog for My Sweet Wedding Company. The original post for this can be viewed at http://mysweetwedding.wordpress.com/page/2/ LED lighting in the decor industry has been a long time coming and it is most definitely here! Lighting used to be that you had to carry around large cans for backdrops, string lighting for tables and finding the best way to conceal lengthy cords. The other issues with the lighting of the "dark ages" is you had to worry about the high heat that the lights were emitting, there is always the fear of fire especially when using with linens. Placement of the under table lighting could be uncomfortable for your guests just from the heat they put off alone. Have you ever tried to work with net lighting? I did once for my Christmas tree and let me tell you, once up they only lasted the one-year because I was so frustrated with trying to get them untangled. What a mess! Many Event Decorators sing those same sentiments. While yes, the light looks pretty once up, it is a nightmare to work with sometimes consuming up to an hour of your time just for the lights. Decorators need to be in and out when setting up/taking down for an event without the hassle of untangling and it doesn't matter how well you pack them, you will always be faced with a tangled mess that will prolong your setup.

Moving forward many banquet facilities and churches are saying no to open flames, as it is a liability, one innocent accident can lead to a disaster. Today we have a large variety of battery operated novelty lighting to choose from. Don't let the "novelty" scare you, because when it comes to centerpieces or accent lighting these novelty lights are the way to go. From a planners perspective they are affordable items to bring into your inventory and can be reused over and over. For do-it-yourself brides they are affordable without the high costs of rentals and can be doubled as gifts given away during the wedding or even taken home and recycled into fun displays when hosting dinner parties. After working closely with event decorators I find that the Floraytes are the most fun to play with. The submersible line can be used in water applications, which can help to create stunning centerpieces that can be set up a day in advance so as to alleviate the stress of a big setup on the day of. The batteries that come with these lights help keep them illuminated for a full 48hrs before noticing a dim. I personally kept a light on to see how long it would last and it was over a week! Now mind you the brightness of the light dimmed over the course of those 7 days but impressive...YES! Submersible Floralytes can be submersed in water applications such as vases, water beads, ice sculptures and anything else you can imagine. While the Floralytes I & II can be placed in bouquets, strung from trees put in lanterns and are small enough to fit down the narrow neck of an eiffel tower vase. The other fantastic thing about these lights is the range of colours you have access to. You also get a truer glow as opposed to working with spotlighting. When I say "truer" this means when you work with a spotlight the light seems to focus on the spot it is aimed and doesn't do much to fill out, but when working with the LED Floras it emits a constant glow circling around the light and spreads out to create a softer fuller glow. You can transform any event with the right lighting and having access to 10 colours makes it easy. Floras are fun, but they are not the only wireless lighting to help illuminate an event. Play with mini spotlights to accent trees, plants, and larger centerpieces. Kismet carries a fantastic little spotlight that comes on a pivotal stand and can be aimed and locked into place, again this item comes with its own set of batteries and it is sure to last the duration of your event. Eluminators are also a fun way to light your centerpiece; they come in 4", 6" and 8" with upto as many as 31 bright LED's some even come with an RGB mode. Perfect for adding a bit of height and some light by infusing it from the bottom up! Wireless LED wall washers are fantastic to light backdrops of head tables or anywhere you need a punch of light, they even work well under tables and because of the pivotal head they are easy to aim and lock into position. Coloured gels are currently in production to be placed over the white lights to create whichever colour that works best with the décor you are trying to achieve. This is another option that makes these lights versatile and a great investment if working within the décor industry.

Flameless Candles are another safe way to light your event. Once seen as a tacky novelty item, Flameless Candles have evolved into a desirable décor light. They are fantastic for adorning paths, windows, tables or stairs. The timers make it a great light to add to those hard to reach areas as they will come on and go off at the same time you set it to each night. They make a great addition to any table setting whether it is a special event or simply adorning the dining table of your home or favourite restaurant; they give the illusion of an authentic candle from being hand dipped in wax to the realistic flicker of the light that mimics the dance of a real flame. Most importantly they are safe, release zero heat or toxic emissions and they continue to give light some as long as 350hrs per set of batteries. You never have to worry about the kids running around, the wag of a pets tail or going out and forgetting to turn them off. The piece of mind alone makes these candles a fabulous investment.

The costs involved with weddings and galas can be exuberant so if you don’t have a lot of money to spend on table linens and chair covers you can still achieve a stunning ambiance from the lighting alone. LED Novelty lighting is affordable, reusable, versatile and so much fun for the user. You do not have to be a professional to use them and you are only limited by your imagination!

Cindy Meghu owner of Kismet Candles

LED Halloween and more!

Well Halloween has come and went. This year my trick or treaters only lasted an hour as it was pretty cold out there. Then they came home to get in on the scare action of unsuspecting treaters. A few years ago I found this awesome site called www.zombiepumpkins.com that had pumpkin carvings and I now faithfully sign up for their services annually. I am crazy about carvings. I chose a few this year....Jaws for the husband, Hello Kitty for my daughter, Bloody Mary for my son and then I challenged myself with "Eddie (Iron Maiden)" pattern. He is by far my favourite! Once cleaned and carved I now had to decide what light would work best for him. I love my floras as anyone who reads this blog knows. However the regular floras didn't seem to do him justice. I chose the Sub-9 with it's 3" Diameter and 9 brilliant white LED's he was beaming! I chose the RGB Floras for the rest of them. I also scattered various size pillars and even battery operated tea-lights around my front porch area. The best idea I had though which worked out amazing was using the floralyte III and putting one light (sold in 10pk) in my windows. The beauty of the Flora III was the option of the 3 settings. So to create a spooky haunted house style I took the brilliant white light and placed it in each of my windows, and put them all on the pulse setting. It created a strobe light effect. It was fantastic and much cheaper option to lighting then going out and buying an actual strobe light. The batteries last for a full 48hrs so I didn't have to worry about them going out on me throughout the evening and still have plenty of battery time left over before I need to replace them. Now I can recycle them into my Christmas Lighting Decor. Here are a few photo's....



Next up was a show I did at Adore Restaurant in Whitby. The owner Ali offered me his establishment for a show night. I adorned the entire restaurant top to bottom with various size Flameless pillars and floras as well as bringing in my own spot lighting to add a kick to the front and draw attention to the restaurant. I set up a massive display of Flameless Candles for retail and waited patiently for customers. It was not as successful as I would have liked but the event itself was good promotion and it gave me experience on a retail end rather then hiding behind my website. Snap Whitby was there to cover the event and is doing a follow up on Kismet Candles in December which I will post then.









The following evening Kismet Candles was a donator for The Relay For Life Masquerade Gala. I contributed to the swag bags for the event and was an attendee myself. It was a great night for a first time event in which there was several thousand dollars raised to benefit cancer research. I am sure next year will be even bigger and better for this group of young ladies and once again I will look forward to contributing to the cause. The following photo is of Tamara Kaye 0f In-Style Weddings and Events who also donated to the cause and myself at the Gala.









Heading into the holiday season I look forward to decorating my home with various forms of products. I have decided to stray from the outdoor lighting and instead am choosing the Flameless Candles to put in each of my windows. Once set to the timer mode I will not have to worry about turning them off/on or the life of my batteries. I look forward to sharing some photos near the end of the season.

Till next time, take a look at the following vendors I have had the pleasure of meeting.

Tamara Inkpen from My Sweet Wedding - Her blog is always informative with great ideas for entertaining and decorating with a budget in mind. I find that her ideas can be used for more than just a wedding and would be just as fabulous applying to your own home parties especially now that the entertaining season is upon us. Check out her Mixology Series!

Laurel Munro from Laurel Munro Floral Designs - I had the honor of working with this extremely talented designer a few months ago when I helped her achieve the lighting she needed to illuminate a floral centerpiece she created to resemble a lamp. It was absolutely stunning! Let her help design your Christmas centerpieces!


Your Captured Moments - I have had the pleasure of meeting Allison and Andrew on several different occasions. Most recently they did a location photo shoot for my Family Christmas Photos. The location was perfect. The team made us feel comfortable and able to act natural yet goofy to capture some candid photos.

Catching Up

It has been a busy several months for Kismet. I was able to get my feet wet with my first show compliments of In Style Weddings grand opening, it was both nerve racking and exciting. Then just recently I was a vendor in the Perfect Dream Bridal Show which was a huge success. I am definitely realizing the time crunch when it comes to running your own business. Trying to keep up with your duties as a wife and mother and then wearing all the hats pertaining to business. There is definitely no time to be bored! Over these last several months I have met some fantastic people in the Event Planning Industry. Tamara Kaye is the owner of In Style Weddings located in Oshawa. Tamara is a truly talented decorator with an eye for detail, she recognizes that your wedding is more than a date on a calendar, it is a memory that will be cherished forever. Tamara has aligned herself with a core group of vendors who hold their own area of expertise to assist in making your day one that won't be forgotten. If you are a bride on a budget Tamara will help you to achieve the wedding you always wanted. So if your planning a wedding or a special event of any kind please be sure to check out her website @ http://www.instyleweddings.ca

Halloween is only 7 weeks away and dare I say it....then Christmas follows. This year for Halloween I plan on doing an outdoor display of pumpkins using floralytes. These little LED lights come in several different colours, there are 10 in a package, which is great for you serial pumpkin carvers! You don't have to be a designer to create an eerie and fun effect to your displays. Floralytes make it fun, easy and affordable. I also plan on using several different sizes of Flameless Candles to help add to the effect I am trying to create. I must say this is my favourite time of year and I can't wait to get creative using these. I will post photos next month!

Keep in mind Christmas is coming, the decor candles make a fantastic gift..they are mildly scented vanilla. They would be great to use for your dining table and buffet displays. The Flameless line come in various sizes and shapes that can be added to virtually any arrangement! Be sure to check out Kismet Candles for wholesale pricing on all your lighting needs.

Till next time!

Decorate with LED for your summer parties!

Just 4 days ago I was snow tubing with my family and watching my daughter snowboard down the slopes of a local ski resort. Later we followed it up with a family snowball fight and hot chocolate by the fire and all the while it snowed, beautiful fluffy flakes, what a great day. Fast forward to today March 3rd. The temperature was 2 degrees. I was bouncing between meetings without a coat and short sleeves at that. On a day like today it is hard not to think about summer! It is so close I can almost feel the soft grass between my toes and the smell of new blooms. Summer is the best time to entertain your friends and family. There is nothing better than having a group of your closest friends and family hanging out, catching up over some good food and watching the kids all play together. For me a big part of entertaining is setting the right mood and creating the right atmosphere. Prior to starting my own lighting business I would hit the local wal-mart and pick up some citronella candles and rely on them to light my evening. What was I thinking??? There is a whole world of fun and unique ways that are inexpensive to light the night, why should the stars get all the credit?. LED is on the fast track to becoming the lighting of choice for both professional and home users. LED is inexpensive, and reusable. You don't have to worry about the dog or one of the kids knocking them over. There is nothing to fear from a flameless candle. LED comes in all kinds of different unique ways to light your life. Try placing some LED floating flowers in your pool, hot tub or pond. You could set some pillar flameless candles in various sizes along your stairs and deck rails and how about a hurricane flameless candles for your patio table. There are so many uses for LED lighting and so many options. You can transform your backyard party into a delight for the eyes that will keep your guests talking about your decorating skills for many more parties to come! Find everything you need at www.kismet-candles.com

Why buy Flameless?

I had originally posted a generic rant about why you should buy flameless. However, I didn't own a flameless candle. I sell them sure, but that is really just connecting the client to the product, I do not hold stock. With that said, who makes me the expert on flameless candles? I decided to purchase some for my home for over the Christmas Holidays. I already knew they would be the safer way to go but what did they look like and how did they feel? The answer, AWESOME! The candles are made with real wax and when you look down the resin instead of seeing an LED Bulb (which most candles are) You will see a blackened wick which is unique to these candles. They also mimic a real flame so instead of just glowing they actually look like there is a real flame inside. I was so impressed by these candles and so were my guests. A friend of mine who burns candles on a regular basis asked if he could purchase a case because he couldn't believe how realistic they were and he was even more impressed with the amount of money he would save by switching to an LED. He also went on to say another impressive feature about owning these candles is you didn't have to worry about the smoke and the soot that real candles emit. I can proove this statement easily. In my bathroom I have a soaker tub which I placed 6 candles around and light them every night that I decide I could use a hot bubble bath and a good book, slip a glass of red wine in and its heavenly! I noticed (not right away) after a couple weeks that there were black streaks above where my candles were lit. Had I have been using flameless I wouldn't have that problem. Needless to say I cannot wait to outfit my bathtub in various sizes of the flameless candles. They are extremely easy to work and some even come with timers that can be set to go on and off at the same time every day which is handy for those hard to reach places like high shelves or windows. Like most, I love to shop but what is really nice about these candles is that I am exited and giddy about them as a consumer, I would purchase these candles even if I didn't sell them. The nice part about selling these candles is I believe in them and that I am giddy and excited to be able to share them with all of you!