Neon Signs and Retro String Lights: How to Combine Them at a Wedding, Café or Photo Zone

A neon sign and retro string lights with warm bulbs make a great pair. Neon carries the main message: a name, a word, a logo. String lights add soft warm light around it and make the space feel cosy. Here is where to combine them and how to keep one light from overpowering the other.

Where neon and string lights work together

A wedding arch or the couple's photo zone. "Mr & Mrs", "Better Together" or the couple's names become the centre of the frame, while string lights frame the arch or a fabric backdrop. Guests take their photos right here, and your sign is in every one of them.

A café terrace. A neon sign with the café's name on the wall or above the bar, and retro string lights with Edison bulbs over the tables. In the evening the terrace glows warmly and is easy to spot from the street. For an open terrace, choose the outdoor IP67 version of the neon.

A party or corporate photo zone. A short sign ("Cheers", "Let's party", the event name) against string lights hung in vertical strands. For a one-off event it is easiest to rent everything: the neon sign from us and the bulbs through retro string light rental.

A shop window. Neon with the name or a slogan in the centre, string lights along the edges of the window. Such a window stands out by day and by night.

How not to drown the neon in bulbs

The main rule: neon leads, string lights are the background.

• Distance. Keep the bulbs at least 30–50 cm from the sign so their reflections do not fall on the letters.
• Brightness. Our signs come with a dimmer and a remote: if the string lights are bright, dim the neon a little, or turn it up so the words stay readable.
• Colour. Warm white neon blends naturally with warm bulbs. Hot pink, blue or purple neon against warm light gives contrast — great for photo zones, while calmer shades suit a café better.
• Size. The sign must be big enough not to get lost among the bulbs. Choose a width from 30 to 200 cm in the calculator, which also shows the letter height.

Three ready-made setups

1. "The couple's arch". The couple's names or "Mr & Mrs", 80–100 cm wide, in warm white; string lights around the arch and a few strands hanging vertically behind it. Neon at medium brightness.

2. "The terrace". The café name on the wall, string lights zigzagging over the tables. Outdoor neon, and bulbs hung high enough not to dazzle the guests.

3. "New Year photo zone". A short sign ("Happy New Year", "Ho Ho Ho") and a dense curtain of bulbs. Ideas for such a set are in the article on a New Year photo zone with retro string lights.

How to order

Design the neon sign for your setup in the calculator: you see the price right away, and we send you the mockup for approval. Examples of our work are in the portfolio.