5 out of 5 stars and 40 reviews
5
(40)Hudson Valley, Capital Region, Upstate New York, Western MA
About this vendor
At BearFly Designs we think outside the box. We believe that every couple deserves a wedding day to remember. Our experience and commitment allows us to create events as unique as each client. We customize each event to your specific taste, style and distinct vision.
Our services include personalized lighting and decor for weddings, parties and events of all kinds. We work within your budget. So if you’re planning to use a tent, barn, warehouse, or local venue, Bearfly Designs has the capability to bring your vision to life.
Whether you have a specific idea in mind, or want to explore endless possibilities, we will be happy to work with you on a single detail or help you create the entire event from start to finish.
Take the first step in making your dreams come true
Details
Decorations & Accents
- Backdrops
- Candles
- Ceremony Accessories
- Design
- Pedestals
- Signs
Invitations & Paper Goods
- Paper Goods
- Signs
Lighting
- Candelabras
- Chandeliers
- Lanterns
- Lighting Design & Setup
- String Lights
- Uplighting
Rentals & Equipment
- Draping
Awards and Affiliations
2-Time 'Best of Weddings'
2025.2024.
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
you make those big decisions with ease.
5
out of 5.040 reviews
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
Barfly was absolutely fantastic to work with. From the very beginning, John put so much thought and care into every detail of the lighting design and truly helped bring our vision ...
to life. He took the time to understand the look and atmosphere we wanted and executed it perfectly — the space felt warm, romantic, and magical. You could tell how much pride he takes in his work, and it really showed in the final result. Beyond his talent, he was an absolute pleasure to collaborate with throughout the entire planning process — communicative, creative, and kind. The lighting completely transformed the space and added such an incredible dimension to the overall ambiance of the day. We couldn’t be happier!
At the beginning of our wedding planning journey, lighting was not top of mind for us. We had an outdoor tented wedding and because the tent came with string lights, we did not fee...
l the need to include additional lighting BUT WOW were we glad we did!
We originally came to John with an ask for a dance floor lighting installation. Not only did he deliver on that ask, but he also added so much value by bringing forward additional ideas for colorful dance floor lights and cake table/bar accent lights, at a price that worked for our budget. Later, when we came to John with more asks (tent draping, additional spotlights, etc.) he offered these additions at a fair and reasonable price, showing true partnership.
On our wedding day, we were lucky to have John as our on the ground lighting tech. John was able to work with all of these elements to create a truly elevated ambiance. The different lighting features allowed him to change the mood between courses, speeches, dancing and everywhere in between. John also caught on that lavender was a featured color in our wedding palette and at one point in the night, the entire tent had a subtle lavender glow - it was truly magical.
We also had a special ask on our wedding day, to cut all the lights (and music) as if the power went out, and then illuminate a specific part of the dance floor to draw attention to a surprise second dance. John worked seamlessly with our other vendors to ensure this was perfectly executed. Our guests loved it!
When we look back on our wedding day, we don't think it would have been the same without John and BearFly. We are so eternally grateful!
Choosing lighting was a number one priority for me, above flowers and really anything else. I wanted the room to look like Hogwarts at Christmas, and every other lighting company w...
e spoke to limited the amount of lighting and offered unreasonable pricing. John was not only excited about the job, but he was eager to offer more ideas to bring our complex vision to life. No idea was too much for John, he really loves his job. BearFly Designs completely exceeded our expectations and we will remember the way we felt in that room for the rest of our lives! From the color of uplighting to the spotlight for our entrance, every choice they made was the perfect one! The compliment we keep getting over and over is how perfect and magical the vibe was in the room, and that's exactly what we wanted. Thank you John and team!
If you are like me, and do not how to make “magic” at an event - let BearFly Designs help. They are amazing. John and Bill do lighting, construction, and all manner of audio and vi...
sual set up. As a groom-to-be, what I did not know was that lighting and sound conspire to make your guests feel a sense of magic at your event. John and Bill are experts in this, and in particular they have a “can-do” attitude and skill set to make your vision come to life. For us, we needed to construct a kind of stage (Mandap) for a Hindu wedding ceremony that we had imagined using natural wood. They worked with our florist to create a vision of white birch logs to create the 4 poles of the ends, and create a mini-deck/stage on which the ceremony could happen in the woods. It was amazing! Furthermore, they added lighting in our main reception hall and onto the lawn outside that created a beautiful ambiance. People used the words “fairy”, “magic”, “ethereal” and “glowing” to describe the mood in the room. Lastly, I would say personally they are a joy to work with. They are friendly, casual, and caring - taking the time to get to know you even though they don’t have to. They worked seamlessly with our other wedding vendors, and in general are an incredibly strong addition to any wedding vendor team! Go forth and hire with confidence!
Bill and his team did a fantastic job with lighting design and operation at our wedding. It was beautiful, cohesive, and absolutely elevated our reception and afterparty. Bill stay...
ed with us as lighting tech throughout the night. He was professional and a pleasure to work with. An incredible value and truly felt like he pushed the event beyond our expectations.
I was blown away when I stepped into my wedding venue and saw how stunning it was. I had asked for a design that had never been done in my venue before, and this team made it happe...
n. They were so responsive, reliable, friendly, and did a seamless job! I would recommend BearFly to anyone I know getting married!
Bearfly Design made our vision come to life….and created a dance floor that was even better than I could have imagined. We wanted an installation of greenery and spinning disco bal...
ls on the ceiling of our tent, with color changing lights to create a fun party vibe. They seriously exceeded our expectation, and we had the best party ever. They communicated well with us every step of the way, and our wedding coordinator loved working with them as well. Highly recommend John and the Bearfly team!
Bearfly was wonderful to work with for our wedding weekend! They were so warm and friendly, listened to what we were thinking/wanted for the wedding, and collaborated with us to co...
me up with the perfect lighting/decor. They strung up string lights outside, did lighting for the band stage, bar, etc, installed the coolest lanterns and moving disco ball over our dance floor, and projected an awesome floral pattern onto a decorative wall, which all helped bring the vibe of the night and the decor together. Highly recommend working with Bearfly!
Our day wouldn’t have been a fraction as good as it was without John and the entire Bearfly team. From the moment we spoke to him to breakdown he put us at ease. And our disco ball...
installation was absolutely PERFECT. John and his team are so knowledgeable and really Jack and Jill’s of all trades. We overlooked ceremony lighting and John was able to get a light on us 10 minutes before the ceremony started. So talented. So kind. Truly our best vendor. I will scream from the mountain top about Bearfly and how perfect they made our day.
We had a fantastic experience working with the BearFly team. They brought our vision to life, and created a beautiful setting for all of the events over the course of our wedding w...
eekend. John was a joy to work with -- he is incredibly professional, thoughtful, and kind. We could not have made a better choice for our wedding, and you should do the same!! Thank you to the entire BearFly team!
We had a fantastic experience working with the BearFly team on lighting and decor for our Hudson Valley wedding. The entire team is responsive, kind and works seamlessly with other...
vendors (tent, florists) to make a vision a reality. John listened to us, offered helpful guidance and he and his team created an atmosphere that perfectly captured — and was even more spectacular — than what we’d envisioned. Absolutely recommend!
We highly recommend Bearfly Events for its lighting and design services for wedding events. The professional team provided excellent services and was a pivotal team player during o...
ur wedding in 2023. They are truly a team of lighting experts and assisted with the extensive cabling required for our event. Bearfly delivered on the big day and was a pleasure to work with.
We had the absolute pleasure of working with Bearfly Designs for our recent wedding, and we couldn't be happier with the incredible experience they provided. From the initial plann...
ing stages to the day of the event, Bearfly Designs, led by the talented owner John, went above and beyond to create an enchanting atmosphere.
John's expertise and creativity shone throughout the planning process. He collaborated closely with us, taking our ideas and preferences into account while providing valuable suggestions that we hadn't even considered. His attention to detail and commitment to understanding our vision were truly remarkable.
On the day of the wedding, the team from Bearfly Designs executed our dreams flawlessly. The lighting setup both inside and outside the reception space was nothing short of magical. The ambiance they created with their lighting design transformed the venue into a fairytale setting, making every moment of our celebration feel like a scene from a storybook.
Not only did Bearfly Designs deliver on their promise, but they exceeded our expectations in every way. The combination of John's artistic vision, his team's dedication, and their impeccable execution made our wedding a truly unforgettable experience for us and our guests.
If you're looking for a company that can turn your wedding into a masterpiece of design and ambiance, look no further than Bearfly Designs. John and his team are passionate, skilled, and a joy to work with. They have our heartfelt gratitude for making our special day a truly magical one. Thank you, Bearfly Designs, for creating memories that will last a lifetime.
John and the team at BearFly brought our vision to life. We wanted a disco themed wedding, and BearFly exceeded our expectations by creating a masterful scene that transformed the ...
space--an antique Dutch barn in the Hudson Valley--and kept the party going all night long. Their lighting design was top notch, as was their professionalism. John even went the extra mile by adding last minute touches at the 25th hour after we noticed a gap in our plan. I cannot recommend BearFly enough. You will not regret hiring them.
John took care of all the lighting for our wedding weekend at Gather Greene, providing bistro lights for the deck area and interior lights for the pavilion. He also ran sound for u...
s and took on various challenges and details so that we didn’t have to worry about them: how to do sound for an outdoor ceremony, hooking up our friend’s music playlist for the welcome party, and coordinating directly with the band to ensure that they had all the necessary equipment. John’s service was friendly and professional, and everything went off without a hitch. Highly recommended.
We were so happy with Bear Fly Designs, and are very glad that we hired them for our wedding!
The highlight of their work was the bistro lights – they were just what we dreamed o...
f, and they truly transformed the space into something out of a fairytale! Furthermore, John and Rita were extremely organized and communicative throughout the wedding planning process. I highly, highly recommend Bear Fly Designs.
We love working with John and his teams for our events! As planners we are always looking for a lighting/rental company that is able to execute our client's vision while keeping bu...
dget in mind! John is always able to figure out how to "marry" those two important details. John is also up with the trends and offer a handful of options for our couples. Bear Fly is the best!
John was very thorough and communicated very well throughout the process. As a venue operator, I very much enjoyed working with him and his team! - Catering Director, Culinary Inst...
itute of America
John Carver and his team at BearFly were wonderful. John went above and beyond to make sure our wedding venue was beautifully lit!
Amazing lighting services. John and his crew were absolutely amazing and professional in every aspect.
I highly recommend them.
Often times hiring a lighting designer and technician is not a consideration, either its overlooked due to the vast amount of details a couple is juggling as they plan their weddi...
ng day or it's simply not in the budget. In my estimation, quality and targeted lighting is essential for events. It will allow your photographer to capture "in focus" images and it will transform a space beyond anything you can envision. You should take the time to explore and consider options and call John. Don't rule it out.
Working with Bear Fly has been a "repeated" and "consistently" positivity and successful experience. As a planner, we hope that each vendor will do their part in the end, and along the way. It's not always the case, but with John and his team, it is. John takes time to understand a client's vision, a planner's needs, venue circumstances and is able to listen and advise for the best outcome. He is flexible, professional, talented, reliable, hardworking, creative and above all a very decent and kind person....a true team player. His team is a reflection of him. I am always excited when our clients decide to contract with Bear Fly for all of these reasons and because I love the opportunity to have time together working seamlessly to a fabulous end and enjoying every step of the way.
We had a wonderful experience working with Bearfly on the lighting for our wedding weekend. John and Rita were very responsive to all of our questions, and they helped keep us on t...
rack with reminders about when payment installments were due. The pricing was very fair and reasonable, especially considering the fantastic quality of their work. We felt like we were in capable hands from start to finish, and we were thrilled with the end result of the lighting for our rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony, and reception areas. We would recommend Bearfly to anyone in a heartbeat!
I don't think I have the words to say how amazing my experience was with Bearfly. They were more than just a vendor in my eyes! John was incredible, he helped create my vision with...
such patience and expertise. At the last minute (3 weeks prior to the wedding date) when my venue unexpectedly changed, John handled things seamlessly and was able to work the changes of the new venue within budget and everything turned out absolutely beautiful. He was also there to reassure me and keep me calm in the time of stress! The day of the wedding, the Bearfly staff was fantastic, they were lovely people and I was so happy to have them at my wedding. I couldn't speak more highly of them!
Exceptional Lighting, Incredible Team
John and BearFly team were our favorite vendor to work with. John literally took the vision in our head and turned it into a reality. The Bea...
rFly team illuminated a massive tent, creating outdoor lighting spaces, overhauled a restroom area with innovative lighting, and decorated a line of massive trees. They did so much and more, we really feel blessed to have met John and the BearFly team.
Wow wow wow BearFly was so great! They hung a million disco balls for us and did it so beautifully. And the uplighting around the trees and just everything was so lovely. They were...
a dream to work with. Thank you, John!
With all the Vendors our wedding planner and my husband and I
coordinated for my son and his new Brides lovely and rustic farm wedding in Rhinebeck, Hudson Valley, I cannot expres...
s the exceptional addition of BearFly Designs lighting Co. Truly, the icing on the cake for beauty and the wow factor for rustic elegance. John Carver ,Rita and his superb team of literally Broadway experienced professional lighting staff took our farm setting and turned it into a 5 star event. Not only was John knowledgeable, easy going, reliable and brilliant to work with, his ideas completely transformed our Barn and large tent into a magical setting. Prices are economical and his organization was perfect , from conception of lighting ideas to execution of the exceptional evening. Three glorious chandeliers in the tent, bistro lighting strung beautifully in tent, Lighting Displayed professionally in our large barn, lantern lighting along the parts to restrooms..not too mention Johns talent to maintain a slide show, via computer , of our bride and groom and family photos , on the silo! Not one worry or concern for me or my spouse, who were hosting the wedding event. You will truly be getting the best there is in lighting venues if you use BearFly Designs. They provided on sight support the entire event, set up several days before, and trouble shooted any electrical questions during caterer set up. I will post pictures very soon.
Thank You,
Julianne Kavoussi
John and the rest of the Bearfly Design crew were so amazing. We met John at our venue in the Hudson Valley and from the beginning of our experience with Bearfly, he was so creativ...
e and generous. Our venue gets very dark once the sun sets and John made the place looking magical once it fell dark with all of his tasteful lighting. He also provided the most stunning center hanging chandelier in the sailcloth tent that people are still talking about. We are so appreciative of all they did for our big day. Your work is beautiful and we can't thank you enough for being part of our wedding!
John and his crew did a great job with our wedding at Gedney Farm. He was experienced at the property and was helpful in creating our vision along with us. We had an outdoor ceremo...
ny at night in a space that was pitch dark at night. John turned the space into an enchanted wonderland that was well lit for our guests to see the ceremony and get back to the reception barn safely. John committed extra time on site to make sure everything ran smoothly. Thank you to the BearFly Designs team!
John and his crew from BearFly deserve 6 stars here!!! From the sound during our ceremony, to the criss cross string lighting in our tent, the amazing uplighting on the exterior of...
our barns, the lit up disco ball and haze machine, the strategic interior lighting, everything was just phenomenal. John was there all day before the wedding, and he worked late into the night on the day of to ensure the lighting and sound was perfect until our last guest left. He truly brought our lighting and sound vision to life for our special day and was such a pleasure to work with throughout the entire process!!!
BearFly Designs is an amazing company. John and Rita create every event they design with love in mind. The best interest of their client, the couple getting married, is their top p...
riority. We came to John with a few designs in mind, but no clear vision, and he helped us get to our dream designs for our wedding and reception. He was supportive in more ways than one, in that he was also our officiant; it was an honor to have him standing there with us as we started our married life together. The attention to detail while still designing with the grounds of the wedding in mind, is what really makes BearFly truly special.
I cannot say enough good things about my experience with BearFly! I worked primarily with John and Rita who were both incredibly kind, creative and professional. John and Rita did ...
a site visit well ahead of my wedding party and came up with so many ideas on the spot that blew me away. When they brought our vision to life on the day of, I was completely in awe! They transformed my in-laws' backyard into a magical oasis. It was truly a joy to work with BearFly! Thank you for making our day absolutely stunning and stress free!
As a wedding planner (Cathy's Elegant Events) I have been working with John for years and have had nothing but 100% positive experiences with him. I truly believe that is primary ...
goal is always to make a couple happy and do everything he can to bring their vision to life while still being contentious of any restrictions they may have. I could not ask for more out of any vendor I work with, I highly recommend him all the time!
Bearfly is awesome! We had an amazing experience working with John to plan and realize the wedding setting of our dreams. Everything looked wonderful. He incorporated all sorts of ...
small details that we hadn't even thought of and looked great. When he was setting up the day before the event, he had a design epiphany to make some changes to tie in more naturally with the setting and some of our other rentals. We loved the idea, and he put in a lot of extra effort to make it happen at no additional cost. He is also a really kind and thoughtful person, and gave me a few words of wisdom while I struggled to write my vows the day before. Definitely book Bearfly before someone else does!
Bearfly was AMAZING to work with. John was so generous with the time he put into making our wedding so perfect. He was always available to chat with me on the phone, meet me at t...
he venue for multiple walk through and answer my emails in a timely manner. He was an excellent listener, totally understood my vision and executed it perfectly. He contributed great ideas as well. I was a little nervous bringing my New York City friends to the Berkshires for the wedding- I wanted to make sure everything was up to my expectations, and wow, Bearfuly totally exceeded them! I really have nothing bad to say about Bearfly. I would HIGHLY recommend working with them.
John and his team did an excellent job with the lighting at my reception. Everything was perfect and the ambiance they created was exactly what we wanted. In addition, John was ver...
y easy to work with and met with us several times before our wedding day.
John and the Bearfly Design folks were AMAZING! Their work produced a truly magical atmosphere. We got married in a tent at my parents' house, which produced some interesting light...
ing challenges that they were able to turn into assets. They were so willing to work with us to fit what we needed into our vision and budget. They went above and beyond to pull it all together. I highly recommend them!
I am so happy we found John! He did a fantastic job at our wedding in the Hudson Valley in September - transforming a barn and tent into an elegant space with bistro lights and mus...
lin drapes across the barn doors. His vision and execution were fantastic and he is also a super nice guy who helped out with all sort of last minute issues. I would highly recommend Bearfly!
John at BearFly is a great guy, very easy to work with. His stage background means he is very professional and he gave us the starry, rustic but classy lighting effect we wanted f...
or our barn wedding.
Specifically he provided both stage lighting for the band and tons of flameless candles and string lights to mimic stars. Yes we could have done it on our own, but it would have taken forever and cost nearly as much. Definitely recommend hiring him.
Adelma & David
We were so incredibly blown away by the work BearFly put into our wedding. Jon, the owner, was enthusiastic, creative, helpful, down to earth and an all around pleasure to work wit...
h. His suggestions and guidance for our lighting made the sometimes overwhelming process feel easy, and the execution was breathtaking. We got so many comments from guests about how the lighting made our tent feel warm, inviting and lively. Thank you BearFly lighting for helping us make our wedding day so magical!!
John Carver not only produced amazing lighting for our wedding, but he also took care of other lighting related power concerns. He was able to offer various suggestions that would ...
all stay within our budget, and even constructed some lamps BY HAND when his supplier was unable to deliver one of our chandeliers in time-- That one was the coolest chandelier by far! I would whole-heartedly recommend Bearfly designs to anyone looking for tent lighting/chandeliers for their wedding.The quality was excellent.
Contact
1549 State Route 20, New Lebanon, NY | Hudson Valley, Capital Region, Upstate New York, Western MA
BearFly Designs