Paper Luminaries

the idea

For evening events, give guests a warm and inviting welcome by lining the route to your entrance with glowing custom paper luminaries personalized with photos or names

custom photo paper luminaries made with old black and white yearbook photos

the how

Choose from plain, patterned, personalized, or photo luminaries
Use with battery operated LED lights, not candles, for safety and to prevent wind extinguishing the flame
Add sand or stones to each bag to prevent them blowing over
Turn on lights just before the event starts to maximize battery length and brightness

paper luminaries lighting a pathway to a house at night

the why

Entrance Decorations

Functional; identifies party location and directs guests to the entrance
Welcoming; a warm welcome subliminally puts guests at ease (versus a bare/cold entrance)
First impressions matter; guests make judgments and form opinions quickly
Attention to detail; many people overlook the importance of having some entrance decorations to greet guests
Anticipation; exterior decorations build anticipation and tease what’s to come

this idea

Special occasions should feel special; generic ‘off the shelf’ decorations are lazy and unimaginative
Personalized; customized decorations are more special and show you made an effort
Custom photo; opportunity to show the guest of honor at different ages ‘through the years’
Entertaining; guests may not have seen funny or embarrassing old photos of the guest of honor
Memorable; guests remember creative, unusual, or unexpected decorations
Dramatic; makes a big and bold first impression to wow guests from the start
Elegant; lends your decorations an elegant and sophisticated touch
Photo-worthy; a great photo-op for guests to share and tag on social media
Inexpensive; a cost-effective party idea that won’t blow your budget

Amanda's 40th birthday custom name paper luminary

Louis' 50th birthday custom name paper luminary

ADVICE FROM A PRO

Matt’s tip

“When arranging the luminaries, don’t leave too much space between each one. These look better when they’re fairly tightly packed together (as seen in the main image above).

If your budget won’t allow you to use all customized luminaries, you can still make these look more special by just sprinkling a few of the custom photo or personalized ones in with a majority of plain ones. Perhaps a couple at the beginning, a couple at the end, and a couple in the middle.”

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paper luminaries lighting a pathway to an event at night

John's 30th Birthday custom paper luminary lantern

where to buy

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