Planning Your Christmas Lighting Project: What to Decide Before Installation
A professionally designed Christmas display starts well before the first light goes on the house.
The best results come from making a few decisions early: what you want the home to feel like, which architectural features deserve attention, how much of the property you want to include, and when you want everything installed.
If you’re considering professional Christmas light installation in Philadelphia’s western or northwestern suburbs, these are the questions worth thinking through before your first design conversation.
1. Start with the feeling you want
Before deciding how many lights you need, decide what you want the finished home to feel like.
Some homeowners want a restrained, architectural look built around a warm-white roofline. Others want a more layered presentation with an illuminated entry, trees, greenery, landscape accents or statement pieces.
Neither approach is inherently better. The goal is to create a display that feels appropriate for your home, rather than simply adding more lights.
2. Identify the architecture worth highlighting
A strong lighting design usually works with the house rather than competing with it.
Features that can become natural focal points include:
- Primary rooflines and gables
- Dormers
- Entryways and porticos
- Columns
- Garages
- Mature trees
- Walkways and landscape features
For many homes, a well-executed roofline alone creates a substantial transformation. Larger properties may benefit from layering architectural lighting with entry and landscape treatments.
3. Think in terms of the whole property
It’s easy to focus only on the front roofline, but the approach to the home matters too.
Ask yourself what visitors see when they arrive. A front entry, driveway, walkway, pair of trees or carefully placed statement piece can create depth and make the display feel intentional rather than flat.
The objective is not to illuminate everything. It is to decide where lighting will have the greatest visual impact.
4. Establish a realistic investment level
Professional seasonal lighting is different from purchasing a few retail light strands.
A full-service program can include commercial-grade lighting, custom design, professional installation, in-season service, removal and off-season storage.
At Ardenmark, seasonal displays begin at $2,000, with the final investment depending on the home, design complexity and level of presentation selected.
Establishing an investment range early makes the design process more productive because the display can be developed around both your priorities and your comfort level.
5. Decide when you want the display installed
Installation calendars become increasingly constrained as the holiday season approaches.
If you have a preferred installation window—particularly before Thanksgiving, a holiday gathering or another important date—it is worth beginning the conversation early.
Starting early does not mean you need to have every design decision finalized. It simply gives you more flexibility when selecting an installation date.
6. Understand what happens after installation
A professional installation should not end when the crew leaves.
Ask what happens if a section of lighting needs attention during the season. Also understand who handles removal, what happens to the lighting afterward, and whether you will need to purchase or store materials yourself.
Ardenmark provides the lighting used for its seasonal displays and includes in-season service, removal and off-season storage as part of the experience.
That allows the homeowner to enjoy the display without managing the equipment between seasons.
7. Plan for future seasons
Your first year can become the foundation for future displays.
Perhaps you begin with the architectural roofline and entry this season, then add landscape elements or statement pieces later. Or you may keep essentially the same design year after year.
Because the lighting and decor from an Ardenmark display are stored after removal, the next season can begin with an established design rather than starting from zero.
Begin with a design conversation
You do not need to know exactly what your Christmas display should look like before contacting a professional.
A good design process should help you determine what makes sense for your home, priorities and investment level.
Ardenmark Outdoor Lighting serves Philadelphia’s western and northwestern suburbs with custom Christmas lighting design, professional installation, season-long service, removal and storage.