Uplighting Rental Cost in the Bay Area: 4 Lighting Packages
A San Jose add-on with 10 to 12 uplights is $500.00 fixed price; UV, moving heads and a Novato sound and lighting rig run $495.00 to $1750.00 fixed price.
TL;DR
Uplighting rental in the Bay Area costs $500.00 fixed price for the one dedicated uplight package in this guide, a San Jose reception add-on with 10 to 12 LED uplights for 10 to 600 guests. Dance floor effects run $495.00 fixed price (UV) and $600.00 fixed price (two moving heads), and a full Novato sound and lighting rig is $1750.00 fixed price, so the 4 fixed-price packages below range from $495.00 to $1750.00.
- Color on the walls: the San Jose add-on, 10 to 12 LED uplights at $500.00 fixed price, for 10 to 600 guests, flexible duration, bookable without a DJ package.
- Glow for a late-night dance set: black UV lights from Dublin at $495.00 fixed price, for 20 to 300 guests, 4 hours.
- Club-style movement: two moving heads on totems with a gobo selection from Dublin at $600.00 fixed price, for 50 to 300 guests, 4 hours.
- No house sound: the Novato sound system plus dance floor lighting and uplighting at $1750.00 fixed price, for 1 to 500 guests, 2 to 8 hours (ask for the uplight count).
- Prices checked against each live listing on October 14, 2026.
Last updated: October 2026
Every package in this guide is a current Events in Minutes listing.
How much does uplighting cost in the Bay Area?
A dedicated uplighting package on EIM costs $500.00 fixed price: the San Jose reception add-on with 10 to 12 LED uplights, listed for 10 to 600 guests with a flexible duration. It is the only package in this guide sold as uplighting alone, so treat it as one listed data point, not a market average.
The other three listings price different lighting jobs: $495.00 fixed price for a UV blacklight setup, $600.00 fixed price for a pair of moving heads, and $1750.00 fixed price for a Novato rig that bundles a sound system with dance floor lighting and uplighting. Across all 4 fixed-price packages, the range is $495.00 to $1750.00. All prices are flat fees; sales tax, any checkout fee and gratuity come on top.
Location changes the bill too. The San Jose add-on includes travel within a one-hour drive, and the two Dublin listings include travel within a standard East Bay radius but ask Peninsula and San Francisco events to inquire for adjusted pricing.
How many uplights do you need for 100 guests?
For a 100-guest event, count the surfaces you want lit rather than the guests: walk the room and add up each column, each stretch of plain wall behind the head table, the bar and the entry. That number is a starting fixture count (a long plain wall may need two), and it depends on the room, not on whether 60 or 160 people fill it.
The only listed data point here is the San Jose add-on, which includes 10 to 12 uplights depending on the room size and layout and is listed for 10 to 600 guests. If your walk-through comes to 12 or fewer surfaces, it may cover the room; if it comes to more, ask the vendor what additional fixtures would cost before you book. The Novato rig includes uplighting too, but the listing text we checked does not give an uplight count, so ask for it in writing.
What does a $500.00 uplighting package include?
The San Jose uplighting add-on includes 10 to 12 LED uplights, color customization, professional setup and breakdown, and a planning consultation on placement and color, all for $500.00 fixed price. Its listing adds the details that decide whether it fits your room:
- Fixture count: 10 to 12, depending on the room size and layout discussed during planning.
- Color: one locked hue or a program that shifts across the night, from amber dinner tones to brighter dance-floor sweeps, with separate color zones possible for the head table, dance floor and bar.
- Power: the uplights run on AC power from venue outlets; battery options can be discussed for venues with limited power.
- Timing: load-in happens before guests arrive, and breakdown is completed so the venue closes on schedule.
- Travel: travel within a one-hour drive is included from the vendor's San Jose base; longer distances are quoted with travel.
- Booking on its own: the listing says it can be booked without a DJ package, for hosts who already have entertainment.
What is the difference between uplights, moving heads and UV?
Uplights are fixed fixtures on the floor that wash a wall or column in color; moving heads are motorized fixtures that sweep beams and patterns; UV blacklight makes white and fluorescent items glow. They do different jobs, and the listings price them separately.
Uplights set the look of the whole room from dinner onward. Moving heads and UV only matter once the dancing starts: the Dublin moving heads package adds a gobo selection (a stencil that projects a pattern), and the Dublin UV setup is sized to your dance floor. A common plan is uplights for the room plus one dance floor effect, not all three.
Bay Area event lighting packages, from uplights to a full rig
The uplight add-on comes first, followed by the two dance floor effects and the sound and lighting combo.
Reception Uplighting Add-On with 10 to 12 LED Color Lights
Ten to 12 LED uplights placed around the room's perimeter to wash walls, columns and architectural features in your palette, with setup, breakdown and a planning consultation on placement and color. Best for a reception of 10 to 600 guests that only needs color on the walls. Watch-out: it is written as an add-on to a wedding entertainment setup, though its FAQ says it can be booked without a DJ package; it draws power from venue outlets, and travel beyond a one-hour drive is quoted separately.
Book nowBlack UV Lights Setup for Reception, Bay Area Dance Floor Pop
Blacklight UV fixtures sized to your dance floor and room, which make white shirts, glow accessories and fluorescent props stand out. Setup, breakdown and placement coordination with the venue and DJ are included. Best for a late-night dance set, 20 to 300 guests. Watch-out: uplighting and fog or haze are separate add-ons quoted on inquiry, and the listing says larger rooms need more fixtures, so confirm the $495.00 covers your room.
Book nowIntelligent Moving Heads Pair on Totems With Gobo Selection
Two intelligent moving head lights on totem stands at the corners or sides of the dance floor, programmed to sweep, pulse and rotate, with a gobo pattern selection. An operator runs them on the night, and a gobo can carry a monogram or a brand mark for a corporate event. Best for a 50 to 300 guest reception that wants club-style movement. Watch-out: two fixtures light the dance floor, not the walls, so pair them with uplights for room color; extra fixtures are priced as upgrades.
Book nowDance Floor Lighting and Wedding DJ Sound System Package
A full reception rig from Novato: a sound system set up as a line array or portable PA depending on the room, plus dance floor lighting, uplighting and turntables, with wireless handheld microphones, teardown and technicians listed. Best for a venue up to 500 guests with no house sound. Watch-out: the listing text we checked does not give an uplight count, so ask for it in writing.
Book nowCompare lighting prices, group sizes and durations
All 4 packages are fixed prices, so they compare directly; check the duration column before you assume the same hours.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Activity | Location | Duration | Group | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reception Uplighting Add-On with 10 to 12 LED Color Lights | Travels to You | Flexible | 10–600 guests | $500.00 fixed price |
| Black UV Lights Setup for Reception, Bay Area Dance Floor Pop | Travels to You | 4 hours | 20–300 guests | $495.00 fixed price |
| Intelligent Moving Heads Pair on Totems With Gobo Selection | Travels to You | 4 hours | 50–300 guests | $600.00 fixed price |
| Dance Floor Lighting and Wedding DJ Sound System Package | Travels to You | 2–8 hours | 1–500 guests | $1750.00 fixed price |
Is a DJ with uplighting cheaper than renting lights separately?
A DJ and lighting package costs more up front than an uplight add-on but covers more: the San Jose uplighting add-on is $500.00 fixed price for 10 to 12 uplights with a flexible duration, while the Novato bundle is $1750.00 fixed price for a sound system, dance floor lighting, uplighting and turntables, booked for 2 to 8 hours for 1 to 500 guests.
The two are not like for like. The San Jose listing is designed for hosts who already have a DJ or band booked, so it assumes you already have music covered. The Novato listing text we checked does not give an uplight count, so you cannot compare the lighting alone. The bundle makes sense for a venue with no house sound; if your DJ already brings speakers, you would be paying for audio twice. For what a DJ alone costs, see our guide to wedding DJ cost in the Bay Area, or compare DJ packages in San Jose, where the uplight add-on is based.
Does the venue allow uplighting and rigging?
Venue rules on uplighting and rigging vary, so ask your venue coordinator about power, cords, haze and outdoor lighting before you book. Uplights are normally set around the room pointing up at the walls (the San Jose listing describes placing them around the perimeter), and the Dublin moving heads come on totem stands, so neither usually needs ceiling rigging. Questions to send your venue coordinator:
- Can vendors place fixtures along the walls, and is there a load-in window?
- Are fog or haze effects allowed? Both Dublin listings offer fog and haze as an add-on, and some venues restrict it because of smoke detectors.
- For garden or patio dinners, can lights stay on outdoor paths after dark?
- Does the venue require a certificate of insurance from each vendor?
- Where are the outlets? The San Jose uplights run on venue outlets, the Dublin listings require parking, a doorway of 36 inches or more and a table or power within 25 feet, and the Novato listing asks for power within reach of the DJ position and the uplighting positions.
Our venue hidden fees checklist covers other charges worth asking about, such as vendor load-in or power fees.
Which lighting package fits which event?
Wedding reception with a DJ already booked
The San Jose add-on ($500.00 fixed price) puts 10 to 12 uplights on the walls in your palette, for 10 to 600 guests.
Late-night dance floor
Moving heads ($600.00 fixed price, 50 to 300 guests) add movement and UV ($495.00 fixed price, 20 to 300 guests) adds glow; both are 4-hour bookings listed from Dublin.
Company party or venue with no house sound
The Novato rig ($1750.00 fixed price) covers speakers, dance floor lighting and uplighting in one booking for up to 500 guests, with teardown and technicians listed.
Example lighting budgets
These are example estimates before tax, fees and gratuity, built only from the fixed prices shown on the cards:
- Wall color only: San Jose add-on at $500.00 fixed price = $500.00.
- Wall color plus glow: San Jose add-on ($500.00) + UV setup ($495.00) = $995.00.
- Wall color plus movement: San Jose add-on ($500.00) + moving heads pair ($600.00) = $1100.00.
- Sound and lighting in one booking: Novato rig at $1750.00 fixed price = $1750.00.
Combining packages from different vendors means two load-ins, so share each vendor's placement plan with the other and with the venue.
How we chose these lighting packages
We kept 4 Events in Minutes listings that travel to Bay Area venues and sell lighting on its own or as half of a sound and lighting rig: one uplight add-on, two dance floor effects and one sound and lighting combo. The cards run from the dedicated uplight package to the dance floor effects and the full rig. Prices, group sizes, durations and the included items described here come from each listing page, checked against each live listing on October 14, 2026. All 4 are fixed prices, and the range above covers all 4. These are EIM listings, not a survey of every lighting company in the region.
Uplighting planning tips
- Book lighting after your venue and guest count are firm, because the cancellation policy on all 4 listings is Strict.
- Request busy dates such as fall Saturdays and December company parties as early as you can, because every listing here needs vendor confirmation.
- Check the booking length: a 4-hour package covers a reception, not a full day from ceremony to send-off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pick the colors for my uplighting?
Yes. The San Jose add-on lists color customization to match your wedding palette and a planning consultation on placement and color before the event. Send the vendor a photo of your venue and your palette with the request, and say which walls or columns matter most, so the 10 to 12 lights go where guests will see them.
What happens if I cancel a lighting booking?
All 4 listings in this guide show a Strict cancellation policy, listed as up to 30 days before the event, and all 4 are request to book, meaning the vendor confirms your request first. Read the full policy on the listing before you pay, and book once your venue and guest count are settled.
Do these lighting vendors carry insurance?
All 4 listings name general liability insurance on the listing page, and the Novato sound and lighting rig also lists workers' compensation and equipment insurance. Many venues ask for a certificate of insurance before load-in, so request it early and forward it to your venue coordinator.
Can I add uplights to the UV or moving heads package?
Yes, as a quote. Both Dublin listings show uplighting and fog or haze effects as add-ons marked Inquire, so the price is not listed. Ask for the uplight add-on in the same request so one vendor handles the room color and the dance floor, and confirm the haze with your venue first.
Is uplighting worth it for a corporate event?
Uplighting is worth it when the room's own light is flat or harsh, such as an open-plan office or a plain hotel ballroom, because colored walls change the room without adding decor. For a company party with no house sound, the Novato rig covers speakers and lighting in one booking for up to 500 guests.