Weddings

Uplighting at Grand Gimeno: What It Looks Like and How to Plan It

October 17, 2026

Grand Gimeno is a historic Spanish Colonial Revival estate in Old Towne Orange. Its Grand Central reception hall has light walls, tall windows and an exposed wood ceiling, so color shows up cleanly on almost every surface. That makes it one of the best rooms we play for uplighting. This post covers what wireless uplighting looks like at Grand Gimeno, how we place it in each space, and what to decide before your planning call.

See it in action

This video shows our dance floor lighting with the uplighting upgrade, lighting the walls and trees around the room. It’s from another event, but it uses the same fixtures and setup we bring to Grand Gimeno.

Synergy Events lighting package with the uplighting upgrade on walls and trees.

The room before color goes in

Here’s Grand Central at Jordann and Kyle’s reception. The walls are light, the windows run high along the room, and the ceiling has warm wood beams. Without uplighting, the room reads bright and neutral during dinner, then goes dark once the sun is down and the dancing starts.

Grand Central reception hall at Grand Gimeno in Orange, full room with guests — Grand Central at Grand Gimeno. Photo: Shelby Reiley Photography

Those light walls are what make uplighting work here. A fixture at the base of each wall section washes color up toward the beams, and the room takes on that color without the space feeling small or dim. Dark walls absorb light. Grand Gimeno’s walls reflect it.

The same room in color

Here’s the same hall after dark at Christina and Steven’s wedding, with our uplighting. DJ Wrex opened the night and provided sound for guest DJ Gareth Emery. Once the walls are washed in one color, the windows and ceiling pick it up too, and the space feels like a different venue from the one you had dinner in.

Grand Central reception hall at Grand Gimeno lit blue after dark, Orange — Synergy Events uplighting in blue at Christina and Steven’s wedding. Photo: Lauren Mihae Photography

Guests dancing in the Grand Central hall at Grand Gimeno under red lighting, Orange — The same uplighting switched to red later in the night. Photo: Lauren Mihae Photography

Where we place uplights at Grand Gimeno

Grand Central walls. Fixtures go along the perimeter between the windows, so the color frames the room instead of sitting in one corner.
Behind the head or sweetheart table. A few lights here give your table a clean backdrop in photos.
Around the dance floor. This ties the uplighting to the dance floor lighting, so the whole room changes together when the dancing starts.
The Olive Grove and courtyard. Uplights on the trees work well for an outdoor ceremony that runs into the evening, or for cocktail hour after sunset.

Our uplights are wireless and battery powered. There are no cables running across walkways, and we can place them where the room needs them rather than where the outlets are.

White floral columns framing the Olive Grove ceremony at Grand Gimeno, Orange — The Olive Grove at Rachel and Aaron’s wedding. Photo: Beba Vowels

Couple's first dance in the Grand Central hall at Grand Gimeno — First dance in Grand Central. Photo: Shelby Reiley Photography

How many lights you need

We offer uplighting in sets of 20, 30 and 40 lights. The right number depends on how much of the room you want covered and whether you’re lighting more than one space.

20 lights covers the main walls of the reception and the area behind your table.
30 lights fills in the perimeter more evenly and adds the dance floor area.
40 lights is for couples who want the full room covered, or who want some lights moved outside for the Olive Grove or courtyard.

We’ll suggest a count once we know your floor plan and guest count.

Overhead view of long and round reception tables in Grand Central at Grand Gimeno, Orange — Rachel and Aaron’s reception layout in Grand Central. Photo: Beba Vowels

Choosing colors

Most couples start with one color that matches their florals or linens. A few things to keep in mind:

Warm tones for dinner. Amber, blush and soft gold flatter skin tones and look natural with the wood ceiling.
Brighter color for dancing. We can switch scenes during the night, so the room can go from warm during dinner to deeper or brighter colors once the dance floor opens.
Movement during the party. During dancing, we can fade and pulse the uplights with the music so the whole room moves, not just the dance floor.
Talk to your photographer. Very saturated colors like deep red or purple can tint faces. Your photographer may have a preference for the dinner portion.

Couple dancing with guests cheering during the reception at Grand Gimeno — Dance floor at Grand Gimeno. Photo: Shelby Reiley Photography

What to decide before your planning call

Which spaces you’re using: Grand Central only, or the Olive Grove and courtyard too
One or two main colors, plus whether you want a change for dancing
Your floor plan from the venue or your coordinator
Any décor going against the walls, such as a backdrop, florals or a dessert table

Uplighting can be added up to one month before your wedding. After that, gear and crew are set.

Planning a wedding at Grand Gimeno?

DJ Wrex has played Grand Gimeno several times and knows the spaces and load-in. That includes Rachel and Aaron’s spring wedding, where he was their DJ and MC, and Christina and Steven’s, where he opened the night, ran sound for Gareth Emery’s set and we handled the uplighting. For more on music, sound and the timeline there, see our Grand Gimeno wedding DJ page. To check your date, send us your details here.