For a wedding, size by the photograph, not the wall. A sign behind a couple needs to be around 80 to 120 cm wide to read in a wide shot.
Keep the wording to three or four words. Anything longer either gets too small to read or too wide to fit behind a table.
Decide where it goes first
The right size follows the position, and weddings have four common ones.
| Position | Typical width | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Behind the top table | 100 to 150 cm | Competing with a long table and people |
| Photo backdrop or flower wall | 80 to 120 cm | Has to read in a wide shot |
| Ceremony backdrop | 90 to 120 cm | Seen from the back row |
| Bar, cake table, entrance | 50 to 80 cm | Read close up, should not dominate |
Wording that works
Short wins. The signs that photograph best say very little.
- ✓ Two names and an ampersand. The most reused option afterwards, because it goes on a wall at home.
- ✓ A short phrase, three or four words. Better Together, Happily Ever After, Love Wins.
- ✓ A surname with the date beneath in a smaller font.
- ✗ A full sentence or a quotation. At readable letter height it becomes enormous, and at a sensible width the letters drop below what can be bent.
Color, and why almost everyone lands on the same one
Warm White. It flatters skin in photographs, it sits with any flower palette, and it does not date. White reads slightly cooler and cleaner, and Light Pink is popular but is much softer than it looks on screen, so it needs a dark backdrop to carry.
If you want two colors, names in one color and an ampersand in another costs nothing extra.
Order earlier than feels necessary
Your sign is made and delivered in 7 to 12 days with express shipping, or 18 to 25 days with free shipping after you approve the drawing. The clock starts at approval, not at order, so allow at least 35 days before the date to be comfortable. Under 21 days, talk to us before ordering rather than after.
Buy the sign you will want on a wall in five years, not the one that suits the venue for one day. Names or a short phrase in Warm White, around a meter wide, is the version that gets kept. Signs with the date built into them look wonderful on the day and end up in a loft.
Send your wording and your date and we will draw it to scale before you pay anything.
Frequently asked questions
What size neon sign is best for a wedding?
Around 80 to 120 cm wide for a photo backdrop or ceremony position, and 100 to 150 cm behind a top table where it has to compete with a long table and guests. Bar and entrance signs work at 50 to 80 cm because they are read close up.
What should a wedding neon sign say?
Two names with an ampersand, or a short phrase of three or four words. Longer wording forces the letters below the 5 cm minimum height we can bend, or forces the sign to be impractically wide. Names are also what people keep on a wall afterwards.
What color neon sign suits a wedding?
Warm White, by a wide margin. It flatters skin in photographs, works with any flower palette and does not date. Light Pink is popular but reads much softer in person than on screen, so it needs a dark backdrop behind it.
How far in advance should I order a wedding neon sign?
At least 35 days before the date. Your sign is made and delivered in 7 to 12 days with express shipping, or 18 to 25 days with free shipping counted from when you approve the drawing, not from when you order, so the approval step is where most lost time goes. Under 21 days, ask us first.
Can I hang a neon sign at a venue that does not allow drilling?
Yes. A free standing sign on a stand needs no wall fixing at all, and hanging from a chain or a picture rail is another option. Check the venue rules before you order, because it changes what we supply with the sign.
Can the sign use our wedding colors?
Yes, and using more than one color in the same sign costs nothing extra. Send us the palette with your quote request and we will tell you honestly which of the eighteen tube colors is closest, since screen colors and tube colors are not the same thing.
We have made neon since 1998, and we still make it ourselves. If something here does not answer your question, ask us.
