A colleague of mine recommended Bay Area Brilliant Lighting, so I reached out to them for a quote (which was a quick turnaround!) for my wedding in May 2025. Initially, it was more than I had budgeted for, but was able to get it to a very reasonable amount and get the lighting I wanted. I worked with Lawrence for my event and he was very communicative and knowledgeable. He knew exactly what design would work well for our venue location (outside terrace) both with market lighting for our dinner area and up lighting for the porticos. I was pleasantly surprised to notice that the black lighting stands were covered up in white. Such a small detail but it mattered to me and really kept it cohesive and looking clean. I highly recommend them for lighting especially if you are looking for a low stress and straightforward experience! read more

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First let me say that I found this business on yelp and booked them after having an excellent communication via email with Scott. He was friendly, supportive, and knowledgable in his field. We hird Scott and his team to provide pinpoint lighting only to highlight our beautiful tablescapes for our wedding. The tables were done stunningly, no expense spared and unfortunately the 18 pinspots were not turned on. I sent Scott multiple emails with my frustration and he looked into it and got back to me after speaking to his tech. His tech reported that each light was focused on the center of the table and tested prior to leaving; the remote was handed to my coordinator (see reviw for Arenlace Events- DO NOT RECOMMEND) and she was instructed what to do- which was turn on the light at sunset via remote. Coordinator confirmed she was told the lights are working and put the remote in her purse... at no point in the evening did she notice the pinspot lights were not on! The ambiance I enviosioned depended on these lights highlighting the centerpieces and our guests beautiful faces, but as the sun went down the room went dark and the only light was the purple wall lights my DJ set up. This completely ruined my photos which truly saddens me after spending so much time and effort putting this wedding together; it was an effort of love and now all my pictures are just purple and there's NOTHING we can do about it. At the end of the day, both parties are responsible. Scotts team did their job but no where in their contract does it indicate tht (1) lights need to be turned on and (2) someone at the wedding needs to do it; I also learned that battery powered lights only last 6-8 hrs which is much shorter than most events {(ours was 4-11 pm with a sunset at 6 pm). Had the information about turning the lights on via remote been shared with me prior to the wedding/in the contract, we wouldn't be here today. Also, had my coordinator not been so incompetent that she literally forgot to turn on the lights, we wouldn't be here today. But here we are. I don't think Scott's business should suffer. He takes responsibility and is even looking at revising his contract to communicate the aforementioned points that were unknown to me. As a first time bride and a many time host of large parties, I truly didn't know and it saddens me deeply that his mistake occured on the most beautiful day of our lives thus far. read more

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Could not recommend Brilliant Event Lighting more! I appreciate Scott and his team so much, my wedding looked fabulous with the market lighting they provided. read more

Brilliant Event Lighting - Party Equipment Rentals Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Brilliant Event Lighting was great! I had dreams of including white drapery at my wedding and they absolutely nailed the execution of this dream! The team was very responsive and flexible throughout the process. When we first created the design and got it approved by the venue, the drapes were meant to start at the top of the rafters and drape down. A few months into the decision on the final design, our venue decided to change their minds and tell us that what we wanted to do wouldn't be allowed. Brilliant Event Lighting was extremely flexible and helpful in changing the design to still accomplish my vision, but to also have it work with what the venue would allow. When the venue changed their minds, I wasn't sure if we would still be able to do the drapery, but the team assured me the vision would still come to life. Overall, I highly recommend this team to help make your party even better. The drapery turned out beautiful and I could not have been happier. They were on time to set up and take down the drapery, and I also felt like their services were all fairly priced. Definitely book this team! read more

Brilliant Event Lighting - Party Equipment Rentals Near Me - Encinitas, California

We hired Brilliant Event Lightning to help decorate our wedding reception room! Just by adding up lights and the cold sparklers, we were able to create an amazing atmosphere! Scott and his team were really straight forward, kind, reliable and easy to work with. Just what you need for a big day! We highly recommend them for all of your lighting needs as it will really elevate your event! read more

Brilliant Event Lighting - Uplights throughout the room - Party Equipment Rentals Near Me - Encinitas, California

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We didn't have a huge budget for lighting but knew that we wanted to transform the outdoor area at Bali Hai to make it look a little more festive for our NYE Wedding and Brilliant was absolutely perfect. Scott is super responsive and helpful and walked us through all of the different options that were available. The team needed nothing from us to go set-up before our event and to take everything down the next day - it was like they were ghosts moving quickly and silently in the background. Ultimately, the additional of lighting 100% made our wedding look absolutely stunning and we couldn't have asked for a better vendor to work with. read more

Brilliant Event Lighting - Party Equipment Rentals Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Scott & Brilliant Event Lighting were such a pleasure to work with and I can't recommend them enough! We hired them to provide cold sparkler boxes (which I highly recommend because they add such an amazing, magical feeling to the event & make the photos and videos look SO much better!!!) as well as adding drapes and market lights to our reception space. Everything looked beautiful and the entire experience was excellent! They came recommended by our venue and we're so glad!  From the start, the communication was prompt and professional.  Their pricing is reasonable and they even exceeded our expectations! read more

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Many thanks to Scott and his team at Brilliant Lighting for providing the market lights for our wedding reception space. His work behind the scenes made for an amazing ambience and added the perfect mood for our reception dinner. His team was fast and efficient and the setup and teardown was completely worry-free. Aside from the amazing service, one of the other reasons we went with them was because they have extensive experience in working with our wedding venue (Bali Hai), so we had a lot of comfort in knowing that the setup would be a smooth process. Thank you again Scott for your help in making our special day amazing! read more

We commissioned Scott for my daughter's April wedding. Well, you know what happened...postponed because of the pandemic. We contacted Scott right away and let him know. He told us not to worry about it, he will work with us and our new date regardless when it was-no changes to our contract-no additional charges. As a business owner myself, it's so comforting to know that customer relationships are the number one priority and it isn't always about money being the bottom line. We look forward to meeting Scott and his brilliant lighting once we secure the date. Thank you again Scott--your kindness is comforting during these difficult times. read more

Hiring Brilliant Event Lighting for our wedding day was one of the best decisions we made! Scott was extremely flexible with us as we were figuring out our schedule and reception layout. They were punctual and absolutely nailed the mood we were trying to set for the dinner. They also provided colored up-lights for our indoor after party! We're so thankful for Scott and his team for making our wedding look so beautiful. read more

Brilliant Event Lighting - Party Equipment Rentals Near Me - Encinitas, California

Scott and his team did an amazing job at our T & J wedding back in March at Bali Hai Restaurant. This review is so long overdue and we are so grateful for his work. It was just beautiful. Thank you for making our day so memorable. read more

Although this review is late in coming, it doesn't foreshadow the quality, professionalism and personalization that Scott provided for our event. He epitomized the personification of Brilliant Event Lighting. He was brilliant, working with an impossible budget, two wavering, far reaching opinions with champagne tastes and the proverbial beer, no ... soda budget. And when I inadvertently approved a typo in our Gobo. He came flying back in the nick of time to make it right.... at no extra charge! I cannot praise him enough and - sorry Scott - very much look forward to working with him again next year! I promise we'll have a bigger budget though. At least a little bigger! Thank you so much Scott! read more

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Brilliant Event Lighting was fantastic and helped transform our wedding venue into something truly magical. Great to work with - thoughtful and responsive. Highly recommend! read more

The market lights for our party came out beautifully! So much so that I wish we could have them up all the time. Scott was easy to work with. He came up with a design for the lights using Google Maps and made the install and takedown process easy. I would highly recommend them for your next party! read more

Impeccable Professional, timely, exceeded our expectations and I am PICKY! Thank you! read more

My first review was for the booking process. This review is for the actual lighting work they did for our wedding. Scott and his team did an unbelievable job. They put up market lighting and uplights at the Darlington House. The outcome was more than we ever imagined. I felt I was in a fairytale and the reception lighting certainly set the tone. We will definitely hire Brilliant Event Lighting for any future events. I also want to add that Scott was also punctual in his responses, very professional and extremely easy to work with during the planning process. read more

Brilliant Event Lighting - Market Lighting and uplights at the Darlington House for our wedding reception. - Party Equipment Rentals Near Me - Encinitas, California

Scott is great! I booked them for my wedding in October and everything went well. I used a parking lot for the reception and I didn't exactly have an idea in mind of how I wanted the set up to be, all I knew is that I didn't want it to look like a regular parking lot. Scott knew what I wanted before I even thought it! Alas, everything went great and I got so many compliments on how the reception and the lights came together! It definitely was a memorable night for my guests! I highly recommend him! read more

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We used Brilliant Event Lighting for our wedding last month in Temecula and it turned out just beautifully! Scott was very attentive and helpful from day one. As wedding planning goes, I had indecisive moments and Scott was so willing to work with all the changes. I simply sent him pictures of what I liked on Pinterest and in magazines and he helped me envision what would look great. He was also very creative with installations as the venue had some rules about hooks in the ceilings and walls, etc. Wedding day was a flurry! He knew to arrive at the venue nice and early and got everything set up beautifully. I was in love with the final look. Our guests loved it Check out the pictures. I give Scott and Brilliant Event a wholehearted thank you for making my day enchanting with the atmosphere created. I highly recommend them for any event and definitely for weddings. read more

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The lighting that Brilliant Event Lighting set up for our wedding reception really made it special. The market lights and white paper lanterns definitely enhanced the outdoor pavilion (Hawaiian Village at Bali Hai Restaurant), and made it look festive and gorgeous. Guests remarked on how nice they thought it looked. After looking at the photos from the wedding, we were glad we had the lighting added because it really showed up well in the photographs. Scott was great to work with, and the lighting was installed well before the wedding, so there were no worries. I'm so pleased that we decided to go with Brilliant Event Lighting to help make our wedding reception very beautiful! Here are a couple of pictures of the lighting that was set up for our wedding: https://www.truephotographyweddings.com/event/lisa-andy#51 https://www.truephotographyweddings.com/event/lisa-andy#62 read more

Scott with Brilliant Event Lighting brought our August COVID wedding to life. We had to make some last minute changes and move the entire reception outside, so lighting became a must just a few short weeks before our wedding day. Even on such short notice, Scott was able to provide the most beautiful market lighting for our outdoor wedding reception. He is professional and has great communication. We received a quote right away, and he worked with our budget. I would definitely recommend him for any lighting needs. read more

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I recently got married in September and we used Scott and his team to set up market lights and draping at our venue, the Bali Hai. The Bali Hai referred them to us and I am so thankful because Scott was so easy to work with! Also because they work so much with the Bali Hai they were able to coordinate set up and take down late at night and in the morning without having to charge us extra time at the venue which was a huge plus! Scott was also very helpful in helping me coordinate with the bride the night before. We both wanted draping so he suggested we work together to help share the cost, which was so nice. We were able to save over $500 by doing that. The draping and lighting turned out beautiful and it was just enough to dress up the event space. It really added to our photos and ambiance. I would definitely recommend Scott and his team for any event. You won't regret it! read more

Scott and his team did a fantastic job! My wife and I got married on May 11th, 2019 in San Marcos at Green Gables Wedding Estate. There's a gazebo that the bride and groom usually stand in front of during the Ceremony, and we'd seen pictures of the interior of the gazebo draped in a very specific way. Our DJ was already providing lighting, so all we wanted was to have the gazebo draped exactly how we'd seen it in photos. Brilliant Event Lighting had worked at the venue before, knew exaclty what we were looking for, and were able to recreate it perfectly. They were also done setting up before the wedding party even arrived at the venue, and took it down while we were all celebrating during the Reception. We highly recommend them! read more

Brilliant Event Lighting - Party Equipment Rentals Near Me - Encinitas, California

I just got married in a large barn and needed some great lighting to create the mood. I requested quotes from three people and decided to go with Brilliant Event Lighting. From the moment I contacted Scott he was very responsive to my lighting needs and took the time to understand my vision. I had an idea of what I wanted, showed a few pictures to Scott, and he jumped right in explaining how he would make it come to life. We had limited power available and he was able to answer all my power questions including providing back up options if we needed more power. He was able to provide cost effective options for creating functional lighting in areas where visibility was important. Throughout the whole process he was quick to respond listening to all my concerns with lighting and providing solutions. On the setup day his team was quick and efficient. When they were finished I was blown away with how gorgeous it was and how perfectly it matched what I wanted. I received so many compliments on how beautiful my wedding was. Thank you so much Brilliant Event Lighting for your part in making my wedding flawless! read more

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Brilliant Event Lighting came through for us in a pinch. We were having a nighttime event and the uplighting we thought we had, fell through. Brilliant Event Lighting was able to provide the lighting we needed. Lawrence and Tyler were both great, they answered all my questions, were reasonably priced, and were genuinely nice guys. Their lights were easy to use and worked as expected. Brilliant Event Lighting will do the delivery and setup for you, but we were looking to save a few dollars, so they allowed us to do it on own. I highly recommend working with Brilliant Event Lighting. read more

Scott was incredible for our wedding. I had spoken to other lighting and draping vendors based on recommendations from other vendors and our day-of coordinator, but no one was hitting the mark. Finally, I did my own search and stumbled upon Brilliant Event Lighting and I knew this was going to be our lighting vendor from the first email. He was incredibly accommodating, insightful, and responsive from the quoting process through our event. He just made this part of the wedding so easy to manage and that's what we needed. I highly recommend him for lighting and draping! read more

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I recently got married on July 4th at Tom Hams Lighthouse. A few months prior to the wedding we had attended a wedding vendor event at Tom Hams. This event allowed customers to see the venue set up & also get connected with vendors (Flowers, DJs, Lighting, Desserts). I had met Scott from Brilliant Event Lighting at this event and booked him right on the spot. He made that venue come to life! He was the only vendor that stood out to me that night. Scott did a fabulous job at our wedding. He provided market lights on the patio which gave such a romantic ambience. He also provided up lighting inside the venue. Scott was such a pleasure to work with. He made things so easy for me (and as a Bride that was much needed). He maintained great communication throughout the upcoming weeks to the wedding and he definitely knew his stuff! The morning of the wedding I drove by the venue and saw Scotts work trucked parked outside, so I pulled in and went inside. It was 10am and the wedding didn't start until 6pm. I walked in and Scott and his team were nearly finishing up setting up all their lighting equipment! He coordinated with the venue to arrive early and it was such a relief! He went above and beyond and really made our wedding so special. His services are worth it! I would highly recommend him for any event! read more

I can't recommend Brilliant Event Lighting enough! I got married in September on the Naval Base in Coronado. I was referred to Brilliant Event Lighting from my wedding planner of Sweet Blossom Weddings and couldn't be happier with the outcome! Scott was incredibly easy to work with and made the process so smooth and stress-free! His responses were quick and he is clearly passionate about his company! He was extremely helpful in deciding what lighting would work for our venue. Scott had worked with my venue before, so he had a design prepared that was exactly what I was looking for! We used market lights, which looked SO beautiful at night and helped make our reception space perfect! We also had limited time for set-up but Scott assured me that it could be done and there were absolutely no issues the day of!! Thank you Scott and Brilliant Event Lighting! I will absolutely be referring you to family and friends! Jen and Scott Timpani read more

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I worked with Scott, the owner of the company, after meeting a few different lighting companies. The reason I went with Brilliant Event Lighting is that Scott made the effort to come out and meet me, even with my tight schedule and he was so passionate about the event and the lighting. He made me even more excited for the event (my 30th birthday). He really included me and wanted to hear what I had to say, rather than coming in and just throwing things up. He did everything with care. His crew was so helpful, they even helped move a stage at my party even though it had absolutely nothing to do with their company or lighting. Overall, an amazing experience working with Brilliant Event Lighting and I would HIGHLY reccomend. read more

We used Brilliant Event Lighting for our wedding. They were recommended to us by our venue who they have worked with multiple times in the past. We got married on a military base, which included a lot of paperwork. Scott was very professional and organized, which made this so much easier! Although we didn't interact too much, they were very efficient in getting in to set up on time and coming back to take everything down in a timely manner. We highly recommend them, they changed the whole ambiance of our entire wedding venue! read more

Another 5 star review for Scott and B.E.L.! Scott was very quick in his response and he was always available for any and every question I had. He made planning a DIY wedding a little less stressful. My wedding was a backyard wedding to be held on a Saturday. Because we were getting all of our wedding furniture set up on Friday, I figured it was probably best for them to come before then (we had the property rental beginning on Wednesday). Without a fuss he accommodated our needs. The property owners, well they were a hot mess. They are fairly new to renting their property out for weddings. Initially, they recommended buying sticks and borrowing umbrella stands. I didn't want to deal with wondering who I was going to borrow umbrella stands from and who was gonna rig this potentially dangerous get up so I called Scott. My initial order was slightly more expensive because the property needed to set up stands to string the market lights. Deal done. On my final visit to San Diego (from Chicago), I saw that there were guide wires for lights which the property owners failed to communicate with me. I called Scott right away and informed him of this. To be honest I was worried he would not take on the job because the quote was much less. He was very understanding and actually said it was a good thing because it made his job easier. When we arrived to the property, the owners already had existing market lights up. A pretty shotty job if you ask me. We asked them to take it down as we had paid B.E.L. to set up our lights. The following day, when B.E.L. was meant to arrive, the market lights were still up. Thankfully I arrived from running errands in time because unbeknownst to us, the crazy property owners tried to "get our money back". Insane. I'm really glad Scott asked to talk to me on the phone because I did not approve the decision made by the property owners. I was very please with the patience of Scott and his staff. I digress. Really, the whole point of the story was that B.E.L. was very professional in dealing with the owners. I even walked up at one point and overheard the property owner distracting the workers and telling them what they should do and how they should do it. I had to interject and say "They do this for a living, let them be." Honestly, it didn't help much. You can't tame crazy. I'm so impressed with B.E.L. They were quick, professional, and extremely patient. And the lights were so beautifully strung. It made my day so magical. Thank you. Will post photos when I get them! read more

I recently photographed an engagement party in a large loft in downtown San Diego for a favorite client, and Brilliant Event Lighting was there to help create the right atmosphere, and did they ever! Even before night came and the space got dark, I could tell how great their blue lighting effects were going to look on camera. With the windows dark at nighttime, the loft became aglow throughout with a beautiful blue hue. But what was really great were the columns of blue lighting that projected up the concrete and wood walls onto the open beam ceiling. The lighting really accented the space and this helped me in creating the kinds of shots that I like my clients to have, which are full of mood, feeling, and energy. I look forward to being able to photograph the next event where Brilliant Event Lighting is helping create the atmosphere. read more

Brilliant Event Lighting - Columns of blue lighting creating the right atmosphere for this loft space engagement party which I shot. - Party Equipment Rentals Near Me - Encinitas, California

This company is INCREDIBLE! We just had this company come and put up beautiful market lights. As the sun these lights made all the difference as the reception transitioned into night. They have an amazing staff and really know what they are doing. We are so glad we decided to add these lights to the wedding! We will recommend this company to anyone planning to add awesome lighting design at their event. read more

Brilliant Event Lighting - Party Equipment Rentals Near Me - Encinitas, California

Scott was amazing! I reached out via the website just days before my event and he was able to work my wedding in even though his team had events scheduled the same day. Scott was knowledgeable and extremely thorough. He was flexible with the options that we had at the venue and was able to share his no pressure suggestions for the setup in two different areas of the park. The day of the event it became apparent that the venue had some challenges but Scott is an excellent problem solver. He came to me with options for a resolution and made it SO simple to determine the best option together. It would have been easier for him to just tell me there was a problem and let me figure it out alone, but he truly went the extra mile to be sure that I could make an informed decision and that it was stress free for me. He clearly takes pride in his work. My family and friends were wowed by the ambiance that he was able to create with the lighting. I received so many compliments! Scott promised that the evening would be magical and he delivered above and beyond my expectations. I can't wait to plan my next outdoor event so that I can use Brilliant Event Lighting again. Thank you Scott & Team!! read more

Scott was awesome and so easy to work with! He created a beautiful light set up for our wedding and was very flexible and easy to coordinate with. Highly recommend Brilliant Event Lighting! read more

I had a big birthday party at my house for my husband who didn't want balloons or flowers so I wanted to add some lights to make it feel more festive. Scott came by and with in a few minutes knew exactly what to do to get the ambiance I was looking for. He strung market lights in the backyard, added a gobo light in the pool that said happy birthday, and put up lights in the courtyard in a very cool blue color. Without any other decorations it was amazing how just lighting created the whole mood for the party. Scott and his crew were very professional and the installation and removal was super quick. Even though my job was a small one compared to the large events that they do Scott spent a lot of time with me over tiny details. I highly recommend this company for any event lighting job big or small. read more

I found Brilliant Event Lighting through Yelp and was sold by the countless 5-star reviews. As soon as I started working with Scott I was in vendor heaven! He is very kind, incredibly easy to communicate with, and provides amazing service! He provided market lights for the deck at my reception (at Tom Ham's Lighthouse) and it made a HUGE difference to the whole feel of the wedding. All of my guests thought the lights came with the property! Adding lighting to the deck created a certain ambiance of coziness and comfort, so those who preferred to skip dancing or simply needed a place to cool off or chat had an amazing spot to go. I am so glad I went with Scott! He is great and his service is as good as it gets! read more

Brilliant Event Lighting - The market lights added enough light for people to see each other, but didn't hinder the stunning view of the downtown skyline. - Party Equipment Rentals Near Me - Encinitas, California

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I hired Scott McBride to do the lighting at my daughter's wedding in Fallbrook at the Grand Tradition Estate and Gardens. He was wonderful to work with and created a lighting design that was perfect for our wedding reception. Scott didn't look to sell you on anything that wasn't needed or what you wanted. He was very helpful, honest and did a wonderful job. Our lighting was the perfect color for our evening reception and created the warm atmosphere we wanted to achieve. Scott is very professional and I highly recommend him for any event lighting you need. read more

BIG thanks to Scott and his team at brilliant event lighting. They did an AMAZING job with the lighting at our wedding :) Great services and great price read more

Brilliant Event Lighting came recommended by Ponte because they have worked in the barrel room before. They worked within my budget while completely transforming the room. They were extremely reasonably priced and it was well worth it to see how big of a difference their lighting choices made in complimenting the room and decor. Communication was always quick and easy! I never even actually saw them that day, and never met the people who did the work but thank you! read more

I found Scott and Brilliant Event Lighting through my florist. I now highly recommend them to you! They were very fast to respond and came right out to the venue to understand what we were looking for. Scott was so nice and helped problem solve a few things to make sure the venue looked amazing. The quote came back quickly and it was clear they had the highest quality for a great price. We had them do all the draping for our wedding. They were on time, had everything they needed, and it was set up and ready to go exactly when they said it would be. I was so impressed and it looked stunning! Thank you guys! read more