Your lighting at receptions will make the difference between good wedding photos and incredible wedding photos. And who wants to deliver anything less than incredible? Here is everything you need to know to properly set up your lighting equipment for a wedding reception.

Light stands

Buy tall light stands! I recommend at least 10 feet tall. The taller the light stand, the more reach your Speedlights will have so that the light can spread out over the entire venue. On Amazon, you can buy the 13 ft. stands that I use for every wedding!
Spread the legs of the stand far enough apart that the connecting bars are horizontal. That’ll make the base of your light stand as wide and sturdy as possible. Don’t try to gain a few inches on your light stand by contracting the legs - the base of your stand will be less wide and more likely to knock over!
Never fully extend the sections of your light stand. They are less sturdy when fully extended! Extend each section 2-3 inches less than its full capacity so your light stand is more steady.
If you’re photographing outside or in a heavily trafficked area, place weighted sandbags on your stands to help ground them. They’ll be less likely to knock over if there’s extra weight on the base of the stand.

Connectors

Look for something sturdy! Many connectors only have one spot for a Speedlight to connect, but I like this flash connector on amazon because there’s space for three flashes. That way, I can use two lights or have space for my second shooter if they are also using an off-camera flash.
Most importantly, always check that your Speedlight has been tightened enough, both on the flash unit itself and on the connector. Give it a little shake after setting up to ensure nothing is loose.

Umbrellas

Point your Speedlight directly at the umbrella and attach it to the connector roughly 2/3rds up the rod. If your umbrella is too close to your flash, you won't be taking advantage of its full size!

Never use an umbrella outside unless you're using sandbags and additional mechanisms to keep it standing. Even the slightest breeze can topple a light stand with an umbrella and you don’t want your gear to break or worse, for it to crash into a wedding guest.
Have a small and large umbrella in your equipment stash so you’re ready for any reception size. My favorite is my 60-inch translucent umbrella, but some reception venues are small enough that I only need to use this 33-inch umbrella.

Be sure to evaluate your venue beforehand so that you know what equipment to bring in and where to set up. Outdoor receptions are beautiful, but do pose their challenges when it comes to lighting! With these tips, however, you can bring wedding photos to life in any location. You can take your reception photos to the next level with the proper lighting!