80th birthday party event - Would you keep it simple?

This is a surprise 80th birthday party at a restaurant (function room, I believe), where the client wants candids and some posed shots of family members. I'm trying to decide what to do about the lighting. It's during the daytime, but from the website, I don't see much natural lighting in the room, but it does look pretty well lit. I'd like to do better than what others will capture with their point-and-shoots, and I can do that with no flash and shallow DOF. I'm thinking about doing the candids that way and use the flash for posed shots...and am wondering if it's even worth trying to bring a strobe and small softbox to something like this. I kept it simple when I shot my dad's 80th, but I'm curious what others would do here. Thanks.

Yes, I would keep it simple since the restaurant is well lit. Light stand and softbox could be tough to work in a restaurant environment if there isn't much space around tables. If possible I'd just bounce speedlite to wall/ceiling. Bring your fast lens, long lens (candid), UWA lens and get creative with composition, DOF, angle to WOW your Client and beat P/S . 2 cents from a Newbie.

sdipirro wrote in post #14972778
It's during the daytime, but from the website, I don't see much natural lighting in the room, but it does look pretty well lit.

Is there any EXIF data in the web images to get a better idea about the light levels? And the time to see when they were shot?

Tigerkn wrote in post #14973015
... 2 cents from a Newbie.

Oh really Kevin!

emdzey01 wrote in post #14973825
Oh really Kevin!

Yes MJ. The more I read and practice the newer I feel I am as a Newbie

I have a similar event this weekend - a 50th wedding anniversary at a restaurant. After visiting the restaurant to get a feel for what I wanted to do, I decided to go with on-camera bounce. (not sure if you'll be able to do that) It's going to be tight and the tables are all over the place. There's no way I want to be constrained by having to worry about moving a light stand around. I also don't want to overwhelm the guests.

This is pretty much confirming what I was thinking. If I get the chance, I might visit the restaurant to check out the space and lighting for myself. The images on their website are part of a flash sequence with no EXIF data that I could find. The function room has a white dropped ceiling, which is good, but weird yellow walls...not so good! I'll try to find out the type of lighting they have in there if I need to gel the flash.

Here is a 50th anniversary. AB400 and a speedlight. My wife shot on camera flash. I think you can pick out which ones she took.

http://steelcityphotog​raphy.zenfolio.com/may​andlarry

Thanks...Yeah, looks very similar to the last wedding I did, where we had shots at the reception with strobes and some with speedlites on camera.