Whitney Diane Photography
The 5 keys to a successful tent wedding
Outdoor weddings can be beautiful but, like every wedding, they come with their own challenges. There are 5 keys to a successful tent wedding.
There are SO many other things to consider but we wanted to break it down with 5 main areas for you to consider and make sure you incorporate into your planning.
Tent Size vs. Guest Count
It’s important to know what size of tent will best suit your needs. When picking a tent there are a few things that you should think about before booking:
1)How many people are going to be attending?
2)Is the dinner a buffet or served?
3)How big of dance floor do you want?
4)Don’t forget to make room for your band and/or DJ.
5)How do you want the tables to be setup? Is there a certain design you are going for?
All the above should be considered when renting a tent. You want to make sure it’s large enough to fill all your wedding needs.
Some tent companies will have sample floor plans with to scale table/chairs to show you just how big the tent really is. Take it and make sure you work with your planner/coordinator and caterer to make sure you have included everything that’s needed in the tent.
Mother Nature
The weather is, unfortunately, one thing about your day that cannot be planned (But we always have a rain plan and Plan B! That’s something you can plan!).
When having a tent wedding it’s important to be willing to accept the fact that rain happens. Have a backup plan to ensure the weather does not interfere with your happy day. When renting your tent ask about tent sides. These can be put on hold and used if needed on your wedding day. We recommend you have the tent company install them for you and you can take them off or pull them back (depending on the type of tent you rent) as needed – if it’s a really nice day, and you’ve got a great view, pulling them back is a great option.
A/C or Heating?
Spend a few hundred dollars and rent a tent A/C unit and/or heater depending on the time of year you’re getting married. It’s well worth the money to have piece of mind that, if you need it, you have the option to go ahead and simply just turn on the units. Everyone wants a successful tent wedding and the #1 complaint we hear from guests is they were too hot or too cold.
You can’t rent something like this last minute (they’re almost always rented out months ahead of time) so be sure to get on it as soon as you have your tent rented.
Decor tip:
Wind and heat are also something to take into account. Putting your seating chart on something heavy that won’t blow away could help prevent a disaster but still is beautiful. For example, use a heavy mirror, wooden window frames or build your own out of a solid material.
If it is a hot summer day, providing guests with fans is a good way to help them keep cool. Keep your bar out of the sun and have plenty of ice on hand.
Bugs
Bugs are inevitable. No matter where you plan to have your tent wedding we always recommend you have the area fogged (or pick a green option). Be sure to plan this ahead and not wait until last minute to fog. You want your guests to be comfortable and not have to worry about the fog effects if not planned property.
You can also have bug spray on hand in the washrooms or on the guest signing table to help keep those pesky critters away. This will allow guests to focus on having a great time rather than on scratching bug bites.
Power, A/V & Lighting
It is important to know all of your tent needs so that you’re not running around on the day of your wedding looking for power cords or other items that may have been forgotten. If you’ve hired a band or DJ talk to them ahead of time. Work with your Wedding Planner to determine what your vendors power requirements are. How many watts will be needed? Will they be brining in their own extension cords? How many plug-ins will they need?
Vendors that often get over looked are lighting companies and the caterers. You want to make sure you know what their power needs are as well, and that you have enough power for all vendors. You may have to bring in an extra power panel to accommodate your plans.
Installation Tip:
Another item to consider when renting the tent is if the rental price includes setup and take-down. You may have to pay extra to have them setup the tent for you or you may need to setup the tent yourself. Either way it is important to determine this well in advance. We recommend that you ALWAYS have the tent company set up the tent. Tents are large and take skill to set up. Yes, it’s a lot of physical work that may be doable for all the groomsmen but you want to put your guests safely as top priority. Let the pros do their job and set up the tent for you. It’s also something you shouldn’t have to be dealing with days before your wedding. It’s not an area we would suggest cutting costs or trying to DIY.
Hire Professionals
We’ve done A LOT of tent weddings and can tell you that the couples that hire professionals always have their weddings go better then the ones that didn’t.
There are areas where this is a little less important but there are a few key areas where you should never go with a “friendor” or a “Kijiji Vendor”:
Your DJ/Sound Tech
Your Wedding Planner
Your Caterer/Servers
Your Lighting/Power System
These professional vendors do weddings and events day in and day out. They’ve had the chance, experience, skill, and have developed the ability to trouble shoot, plan ahead, and have encounter it all. They will know the challenges you face with a tent wedding and can help you plan ahead, and well, from the beginning.
You can dramatically reduce any day of issues if you simply hire professionals. You don’t want to rely on someone to do your sound, for example, that’s never used the rented equipment you got, if you can simply hire a DJ or sound tech for $500 – $700 and have them taken care of you all night long. They bring all their own equipment, speakers, cables, have back ups, and can trouble shoot if they need to.
When hiring any of these vendors you want to make sure you’ve picked companies that have worked tent weddings or in similar settings in the past. Tent weddings are A LOT more work then ballroom weddings, for example, and you just don’t want to risk it on vendors that don’t have the experience. Your Wedding Planner/Coordinator will be able to steer you to the right sort of vendors to hire and who have the skill and experience for the job.
Whitney Diane Photography
Decorations?
Not one of The 5 Keys to a Successful Tent Wedding but something to think about is of course your decorations.
You have picked the perfect tent – now it’s time to decorate. You can transform an ordinary tent into something spectacular. Draping, mesh netting, candles, greenery, and flowers in your wedding colours, are a great way to personalize your tent. Fairy lights, bistro lights, uplighting, chandeliers, and gobos can all add a touch of magic to your day and once the sun goes down your guests will be in awe.
Light it Up
Lighting is a great way to transform the tent from a plain white canvas to something stunning! Another great way to use lighting is to create a lit pathway to the bathroom and parking. This will not only help your guests see the way but also add charm and a wonderful ambiance to the party!
Chairs are an important part of your décor and can help set the scene. It is important to choose chairs that won’t sink into the ground. Wooden garden chairs would be a great idea for this. However, if you have your heart set on specific chairs (Chiavari Chairs or Cross Back Chairs for example?) that are not grass friendly, it is always possible to rent flooring so the chairs have a solid surface to sit on.
Wondering if you need flooring for your dance floor?
The answer is always yes! Dancing on grass is no fun and if you want a dance party after the reception you need a proper dance floor. Most tent companies also rent different types of floors. Be sure to get one and consult them on what size is right for you and the amount of guests you have.
Follow these 5 guidelines and you will be on your way to a successful tent wedding!
