It’s often said that the devil is in the details, and it’s the attention to each part of your big day that can turn a nice wedding into a truly phenomenal affair. Sure, everyone knows to hire a photographer, florist, and band, but we’ve found that the traditional checklist of wedding essentials has evolved to include some pretty fabulous touches that are truly worthy of a fairytale ending.

To help make sense of all of these eye-raising and budget-breaking trends, we’ve consulted with some of New Jersey’s top wedding planners on where to start and what’s really important. “While all weddings are all about the details, pick some specific major focal points and draw guests’ attention there,” suggests Mark Kingsdorf of The Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants (267-251-7786; qohweddings.com). And even if you choose to incorporate only one of these new “must haves,” your wedding will surely stand out and be truly unique.

Lighting: If you thought that all you had to do was walk into a ballroom and flip a light switch, think again. There’s a whole world of lighting out there, and it goes far beyond votives, candelabras, and chandeliers. “I always recommend that a client invest in lighting,” says Kingsdorf. “It’s one of the most cost-efficient ways to transform a room, achieve a mood, and draw guests’ eyes where you want them.”

Event planner Kristin Rockhill of Details of I Do in Princeton Junction (609-799-7168; detailsofido.com) agrees that lighting is quickly becoming a wedding staple. “It’s just as important to the aesthetics of the room as floral arrangements,” she says. Pin spotting is one of the most popular effects, in which a beam of light highlights each centerpiece. “This brings the tabletop design to a new level,” Rockhill adds.

“Lighting is extremely important,” agrees Samantha Goldberg of Gold Events in Chester (908-450-9766; goldeventsplanning.com). “It can actually make a $50 centerpiece look like $100 just with a pin spot of light centered on the arrangement.” Gobo projections are another popular lighting effect. “Gobos are very trendy right now,” says Goldberg. “They can make an outdoor affair look like a forest by adding branches and leaves using a special revolving light with a pattern on the lens.”

Rockhill adds that the most popular gobo effect she sees being done is the couple’s monogram projected onto the wall or onto the dance floor. “But we don’t just pop initials up there,” she says. “We actually design a projection to match the couple’s custom-designed stationery.” She also suggests uplighting the walls in a color to help warm up a large ballroom and make it feel more intimate, or bringing in unique chandeliers to hang from the ceilings of tents. Other lighting effects include projecting patterns and designs on tent tops and walls, uplighting to highlight architectural elements, and pin spotting to showcase your cake.