Blog – Page 5 – AVConnections SC

Charleston outdoor theater AV rental by AV Connections: Recreating the American drive-in

January 27, 2015

In a career of Charleston outdoor theater AV rental requests, this might be a favorite. Once a year a client of ours calls on us at the holidays to turn their business parking lot into an old fashioned drive-in movie theater. We just unabashedly love this idea and this job, and every year the kids seem to love it all the more as well.

Each December, the Chick Fil A in North Mt. Pleasant, SC selects a family movie to be shown high above their parking lot on our huge fast fold projection screens and we project the move from across the lot for the guests. They come with blankets, chairs, old cars, and heavy sweaters and we all set to watching a classic movie outdoors in what is usually a beautiful South Carolina night. There are few events which make us happier and feel more like the holiday season has truly arrived.

We were so pleased to see the people of Mt. Pleasant out again this year and we consider it one of our great gifts of the season to recreate the American drive-in once a year for tons of children thrilled to see such a thing. We can’t help but wish there were more of them still, but we are happy to step in to fill the shoes of the great drive-in’s temporarily each year. It is a source of magical happiness not strictly reserved for the children in attendance. What a great and generous event.
Unusual wedding lighting rentals Charleston SC: AV Connections is Charleston’s first choice for weddings and events

January 22, 2015

Every wedding should have it’s own stamp and we agree with our brides when they say it is getting harder to create something new with the proliferation of Pinterest images, but one sure way to make your wedding stand out is with unusual wedding lighting rentals Charleston SC from AV Connections. While we are proud offer the largest inventory of event lighting and chandelier rentals in Charleston, SC, it is what one does with all those lights that counts. When we’re approached about creating a wedding lighting design the likes of which no one has seen before or will again, there is no substitute for our experience in all of Charleston’s historic wedding venues. But that doesn’t mean the ever do it this time like we did it last time and this amazing, dreamy wedding is a perfect example.

The venue the couple selected was the magnificent Lowndes Grove estate on the banks of the Ashley River and the idea was to have both the ceremony and the reception on the grounds. Some of the lighting would serve both purposes. We salute creativity, after all, it is that which brought all of us to this line of work, so when a bride or a wedding planner looks up into a clear blue sky with no trees above and says thy would like to see a chandelier hanging from the moon, we are game. It’s often you hang a chandelier from the moon, so you’ve got to be careful, nimble, and clandestine. Otherwise you’ll ruin the effect and the magic will be lost.

Guests don’t need to understand how the chandelier hangs from nowhere, they only need to know it was a twinkling and beautiful experience and the mystery of how we hang chandeliers like this is better off a mystery. But, as you can see from these daylight peeks into the installation, there is a lot more to it than just figuring out where the nearest sturdy tree it located.

It is this level of artistic event lighting rental work that AV Connections is known for in the Charleston event community and the reason we are the vendor of choice for unusual wedding lighting rentals Charleston SC. When Charleston’s best wedding and event planners need unusual lighting rentals in Charleston, SC, we are their first call. We support a massive inventory of lighting rental choices and have an experience professional team of lighting professionals to make the event both beautiful and cleanly installed. Magic is always best when the magicians hands are sure.

Photos courtesy of Taylor Rae Photography.
Lighting rental Charleston SC by AV Connections

January 15, 2015

We are constantly honored to be the lighting rental Charleston SC vendor of choice for the historic preservation charities in Charleston, of which there are several. Charleston, SC is a town known for having saved itself from the brink of allowing the city to crumble into the peninsula. In the 1950’s a herculean historic effort commenced here in our fair city to save her historic structures. This effort has been so successful that Charleston, SC has become a model for cities around the world both in fundraising and in supporting schools and institutions which save our buildings.

One of the leading organizations and certainly the oldest is the notable Historic Foundation of Charleston. The Foundation supports seemingly endless and massive projects and undertakings throughout Charleston: Supports multiple historic homes, runs the archives, preservation projects, museums, and the Festival of Homes. Among the supporting donor groups for these efforts is the event you see above, Women of Impact. This is the second annual event of its kind, the first time Charleston SC’s Historic Rice Mill on the Ashley River downtown. AV Connections is a regular provider of AV and lightign rentals at Rice Mill, and we are always game to jump in and help on behalf of a charity.

We provided all of the specialty event lighting rentals you see here, the uplighting effects, and all of the presentation audio visual equipment. It was a successful night for the charity and Rice mill put on a beautiful party as always. Another great evening for Charleston, we were honored to be the lighting rental Charleston SC vendor of choice once again for the Historic Charleston Foundation.
Audio Visual Rentals Myrtle Beach SC: AV Connections at the National Junior Cross Country Championships

January 9, 2015

Our South Carolina brand was honored to be selected to be the audio visual rentals Myrtle Beach SC vendor to run the conference audio visual and lighting at Myrtle Beach Convention Center for the National Junior Cross Country Championships. It was a huge event, bringing young people from all over the nation to compete against one another in an inspiring and exhausting few days of running. We completed the staging, set up lighting and podiums, and created all of this low and high audio visual for presentations and addresses.

The event had great turn out and perfect weather. We were so pleased the city was able to show off a little for the national visitors and that AV Connections was the Audio Visual Rentals Myrtle Beach SC vendor selected to provide the conference audio visual rentals.

If you are planning a conference on the east coast of the United States, be sure to consider Myrtle Beach, SC. We, as many, are partial to Myrtle Beach because it is a a city made for conferences alongside fun in the sun. With thousands of hotel rooms all bordering SC’s beautiful beaches and incredible golf courses, the world-class Myrtle Beach Convention Center, agreeable weather, and dozens of the most amazing seafood restaurants you’ll ever encounter, Myrtle Beach should be at the top of your list of destinations to review and visit. And, as the wide world has already heard, the finest restaurant in the United States for 2015 was not in New York or Los Angeles but in our North Myrtle Beach, SC: Sea Blue.

Not that we have time to eat at Sea Blue, but we want you to enjoy your visit. We are, after all, known for our hospitality in this part of the world. another reason you should be in SC right now.

Moving on: Audio Visual Rentals Myrtle Beach SC. It was a great weekend for us which included set up and breakdown days to get these massive constructs up and down at Myrtle beach Convention Center, we were manned by crews from both our North and South Carolina branches to make it happen flawlessly. We came away with thousands of psyched kids who had a great and empowering weekend and a thrilled client. Went off without a hitch, the way we demand it from ourselves.
Chandelier rental magic by AV Connections: Lighting from nowhere to light everywhere

January 2, 2015

When Charleston and Lowcountry weddings call for absolute chandelier rental magic, AV Connections gets the call. Today we are sharing on our blog a wedding at Lowndes Grove Plantation in downtown Charleston, SC which called for a little special ingenuity. Our event lighting team, led by our VP, Jared Luckhart was challenged by this beautiful bride to hang lit chandeliers from the clear blue sky. And, as day turned to night, have them look as if the twinkling chandeliers sat motionless in the dark night.

Now, Lowndes Grove is magical without our help in the pitch dark with the lights off. To create something lovely here, you really could just turn on a uplight. But here two things were important: Lowndes Groves’ rental lighting by AV Connections needed to seem an ambient gift from the elegant heavens and it needed to show off the historic mansion. Tall order?

For most chandelier rental companies it would be. But, we have an experienced technical design team and the largest inventory of lighting around so, we can rise to the challenges with the greatest of ease. And we did. While we would like to give you chapter and verse on how this fairy tale lighting was designed and installed, it is, alas, a trade secret. And it is the reason the most discerning brides and wedding planners in Charleston use AV Connections. Our custom built event lighting designs have no equal in Charleston. We are blessed to be able to call on our national teams to assist in getting the largest and most inventive wedding lighting designs completed. Our lighting design teams have many years of experience and are full time employees dedicated to nothing other than event perfection.

AV Connections is the most selected Charleston wedding lighting rental vendor because we are consummate, affordable professionals. We are on time and out of the way. You can rely on AV Connections to be on site and completely prepared with tested equipment reliably. Our teams are smart and polished. And we run a clean, neat, fully conceived job site: No exposed wire, no guests tripping over equipment and wires. We think. We consider. We have thiry years of experience in special events, we know how to create beauty and safety in a wedding or gala. We should be your first call, and one we work for you, we will be your vendor for life.

Photos featured here are the work of the incredibly talented Taylor Rae Photography of Charleston, CS and published with expressed permission. Visit Taylor’s site by clicking here.
AV Connections celebrates 30 years in AV rentals and event lighting

December 29, 2014

AV Connections national AV rentals and event lighting is thirty this year, our history and culture of excellence prevails. We have been blessed with great customers and business communities. We’ve loved every exciting moment of founding and expanding AV Connections’ AV rentals and event lighting businesses in North and South Carolina.

We were founded in 1984 by Brad and Margie Luckhart in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to serve the hotel conference industry there with AV rentals and presentation services. In growing our business over these thirty years, we have expanded to serve more conference and event markets nationally with branch offices. We’ve added employees who became long term contributors to our success and grew to see our Charleston, SC branch headed up by our son, and now Vice President, Jared Luckhart.

We have continued to serve the AV conference technology rental market by broadening our inventories of AV rentals and event lighting selections in each branch. We continue to increase our market shares through dogged pursuit of excellence and challenging ourselves to provide the next great piece of technology to our clients along with the customer service excellence which is the cornerstone of our business philosophy.

Over the years, we have seen many competitors come and go. Our dedication and constant attention to detail in every area of our business has kept us nimble and prepared. Some tiny part of thirty years as a most successful AV rentals and event lighting company owes to luck, but it is the tiniest part of our business. It is hard work that brought us this far, and we know we can count on it, attention to detail, and reliability to see us ahead for many more generations. An easy road, it never is, a worthwhile one which we love, it has been at every moment.

AV Connections thanks thirty years of dedicated customers for their business and looks forward to each day ahead with same energy of that first day in 1984.
Event lighting in Charleston: Where to begin

December 16, 2014

You are perplexed about where and how to approach event lighting in Charleston SC. We understand. There are a lot of photos on Pinterest for all of Charleston’s venues, every one prettier than the next. If you are an event planner or arranging your own wedding, it is a like a sea of questions and insecurity. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed (we feel the same way about decorating and chemistry). That is is where we come in. AV Connections of Charleston SC has handled thousands of weddings, events, galas, and banquets. We have worked on every event property, and we are pleased to note, in many, many of Charlestons private residences for parties too.

When it comes to event lighting in Charleston, we are here to walk you through the options, review the photos of the site and other inspiration you like, and to keep an eye on your budget. We are more than vendors, we are truly partners in creating a fantastic event or wedding. There are no stupid questions: Just ask us. We love creativity and original designs for weddings and events. We are certainly not set in stone event when it comes to a venue we have lit hundreds of times. There are always new options at Lowndes Grove and William Aiken House. If you dream it, we will light it magically. Give us your ideas and let our team turn over the options.

Maximize your lighting budget by talking with our event lighting technicians about your curiosities. AV Connections prides itself on customer service and excellence. We want to make you happy. And we want you to feel secure that your event or wedding lighting will go on without a hitch. We have decades of brides and grooms to provide references for great event lighting in Charleston. Let us add you to the list!
Charleston uplighting rentals by AV Connections: Change a space to create a great atmospher

December 8, 2014

If you are planning a special event and considering Charleston uplighting rentals, there are many options to consider and our event rental lighting teams can help you find the best options for your space or venue and your budget.

Fist you may be wondering how Charleston uplighting rentals can change your party, gala, or wedding space for the better. If you fall on the side of this lighting being a frivolous event expense, we can assure you it is money well spent for a great and safe party. Charleston uplighting rentals can define the exterior space of tents, terrace, and patios so that guests know not to venture beyond into dark outdoor spaces.

Charleston uplighting rentals set the tone for indoor parties turning the everyday room the guests might be used to into a festive party space. When combined with your band or DJ even the most nondescript space takes on a glittering and fun side. AV Connections Charleston uplighting rentals have lit hundreds of event spaces throughout Charleston, SC and the Lowcountry of SC, GA and Florida’s north coast. We have been blessed to be at every great party in an amazing section of the world!

From historic venues and to private homes being lit for weddings and parties, Charleston uplighting rentals set the scene: Guest see an exciting focal point entrance when they arrive and join a hip, exciting party when they get inside. And, if the party is intended to be on the grounds of a venue or at your home, uplighting will help to create romantic, safe lighting all over the property. If you choose to combine the uplighting with cafe bulb strands hung in specially designed manner to take advantage of your event space, you will create a beautiful outdoor party room.

Another smart use of Charleston uplighting rentals is to illuminate pathways from one part of an event to another or to encourage guests to stroll the grounds. This creates an appealing and safe way for party guests to see properties by night. If a few trees are lit along the way in creates an unforgettable nighttime experience for your attendees.

AV Connections of Charleston is always pleased to join you on a site visit. Our event special lighting rentals team will make suggestions and keep the lighting within budget. We will set up and tear down reliably and the work will be perfect. No messy exposed cords, no lateness, no nonsense. We will take all the stress out of dealing with lighting. We will work to keep you return to AV Connections of Charleston over and over again. Get in touch and let us work with you on an unforgettable party.
Wedding lighting for Ocean Course Kiawah by AV Connections of Charleston

December 2, 2014

You’re planning a destination wedding and you don’t know where to begin with wedding lighting for Ocean Course Kiawah. Rest easy, AV Connections has many years of wedding lighting experience at all the Kiawah Island event locations including both clubhouses: Ocean Course and Turtle Point at Kiawah, as well as Mingo Point, Kiawah Island Club and all manner of private residences on Kiawah.

AV Connections work with both Kiawah’s on-site event planners and individual wedding planners and brides and grooms to create a wedding lighting design singular to your wedding. We understand that no wedding should look like any other, and we are committed to beginning from scratch to create an incredible party atmosphere for each wedding. Kiawah offers endless venue options and each needs to be treated as the spectacular destination wedding gem that it is. You went to a great deal of trouble to select your venue, we want to show it off with the most incredible and affordable wedding lighting available.

If you are wondering where to look for the closest wedding vendors to Kiawah, generally, Kiawah can provide most of what you need right on the island. Although wedding lighting rentals, florals, and photographers come from Charleston which is eighteen miles east of Kiawah and an easy commute. For that reason, Charleston’s wedding vendors have become the most experienced in providing great wedding work on Kiawah.

Wedding lighting for Ocean Course Kiawah is best achieved through outdoor and indoor or porch design schemes considered individually. Whether you have a tent or not, we can highlight the wedding area with carefully considered blub strands and chandeliers which seeming come from nowhere. Wedding lighting for Ocean Course Kiawah should be as studding as your venue and AV Connections strives to show off that beautiful green grassy water frontage and wide porch. AV Connection will make your wedding lighting for Ocean Course Kiawah both extraordinary and budget-sensitive.