What Your Vendors Want You to Know About Planning a Tent Wedding
There are a lot of amazing vendors that LOVE tent weddings, but also know that they’re not easy. They come with their own challenges and a whole different way to go about planning a wedding.
We talked to our vendor friends and many of them have a lot to say about how to planning and things to consider when planning a tent wedding.
Brittany Mahood Photography
“Frogs and spiders will get in your purse (truth)” – Melissa, Sugar & Soul Photography
She was short and sweet about it but yes, it’s true, the bugs and critters live there; you’re just visiting, so be sure to be prepared for that (bug spray, closed bins and boxes, put desserts and food out right before serving).
Brittany Mahood Photography
“From the design perspective, one of the best ways you can create a beautiful tent space is by using coloured, floor-length table linens rather than plain white — linens take up the most visual real estate in any space. Between the green grass and the white tent, white linens can make the whole space very boring. Opt for a soft tone in your palette to bring your space some visual interest and texture, and then add life with fresh flowers.
A specific floral tip would be:
Choose 1 or 2 design focal points to put a lot of your floral budget towards. A tent is a tent is a tent, so you need to create a few spotlight moments where your guests will linger — an amazing floral installation at the tent entrance or for the seating display, an oversized arrangement at the bar, or something hanging above the head table are all great ideas. Then you can keep it simple elsewhere, while still creating a major design focal point!” – Lauren, Stone House Creative
Sugar & Soul Photography
“Take the season into account and prepare accordingly. The hottest and coldest weddings that I’ve ever been at were both tent weddings.” – Lauran, Lauren Cox Photography
I’ll add hiring out heaters or AC options are a MUST. This is Manitoba and the weather can really go either way and at any given moment. If you’re prepared you’ll never have to think about it again. It will just be a matter of using the units or not.
Izabela Rachwal Photography
“Get chairs with sledge/bar bottoms & not 4 stick legs! Have seen many a guest topple over because it had recently rained & the ground was soft. Also, don’t put the wedding cake on your (bouncy) plywood dance floor unless you plan for that to be part of the evening’s entertainment…” – Gwenda Greenaway Serino
Victoria Anne Photography
“I learned the hard way not to leave video gear along the inside edges of the tent when it’s raining. Water will seep In and soak your gear! Try to keep gear by your vendor table if possible.” – Jeff, JAG Videos
YES, the tent walls will move, there will be wind, likely rain at some point, or at the very least condensation or dew. Don’t lean or put anything precious too close to the walls. If you have any paper products (think candy bags or late night take away boxes) keep them tucked under a linen-ed table in a sealed Rubbermaid. Your planner (aka us!) will put them out right before they’re needed.
Casey Nolin Photography
“Tent weddings are fun and can have fewer rules than a venue. Though it isn’t required to have professional bartenders on private property it is a good idea. You want your friends and family to be able to enjoy your wedding, not have to work it. So let bartenders ease your stress as well as make sure everyone is enjoying the night safely.” – Char, On Tap Bartending
Reanne Berard Photography
“The comfort of your guests is paramount. Realizing that things like heat and airflow are very important for tent weddings and need to be considered.
As well as lighting. You need to light the way to bathrooms, the “stage” or place speeches are taken place, and overall common areas. For the safety and comfort of your guests.
Also, you need to check with your RM or the City of Winnipeg to know the rules or permits needed to put up a tent.
The reasons a lot of these rules exist is for the safety of your guests and for fire service purposes. If an emergency occurred they need to know what they are walking into. If you don’t communicate they will not expect (or be staffed and prepared) to be answering a call of a 100+ person wedding.
Also, if there is a noise complaint they will know “Oh, there’s a wedding” and will likely give a bit more grace.
On that note, be considerate of your neighbours. Give them a heads up, even bring over a wine and cheese basket and thank them for giving you a night of celebration” – Leanne, Prairie Sky Events
An added note:
You can not just park anywhere in rural areas. You need to talk to the RM and get permission to parking along gravel roads or fields.
If you are going to do field parking please have a backup plan. If it rains or gets wet people will get stuck.
Izabela Rachwal Photography
“Tent weddings in late summer and early fall will usually involve more than the invited guests…wasps love enclosures like tents. Don’t swat at them as stings can be painful.” – Wayne, Let’s Tie The Knot
Yes! Stay calm, move away from them, and also consider minimum foods or drinks open that can attract them.
Izabela Rachwal Photography
“Shonah from Pinnacle Event Rentals here, just wanting to provide some advice for your post on what we wish our couples knew from a tent company 🙂
- You have to add 5′ to all sides of the tent when determining whether or not it will fit in your space (a 40’x100′ tent will need a 50’x110′ space). This is to account for the stakes.
- You can’t set up a tent larger than 900sq’ within the city limits of Winnipeg without a special events permit from the city.
- They are the most customizable venue out there!
- You can set up a tent on grass, gravel or pavement.
- A tent wedding has to be decorated on the day of the wedding, not the night before. If you do decorate the day before, linens can become damp from the moisture in the air and draping can become twisted from the wind.”
Ariana Tennyson
“Having been a construction electrician, Far too often, I see people struggle with getting enough electricity to a remote location to provide power to a tent. Electricity can be confusing as it is often measured in 2 ways, Watts and Amperes. A standard household outlet can provide 15 Amperes or 1800 watts of electricity.
There are three options, each has its pros and cons:
Lots of extension cords
If you a setting up a tent close to a building, within 50 meters, this might be your best bet. You will need at least 4 separate 15 Amperes circuits for most tent weddings. That is 7200 Watts total. All extension cords should be a three-prong type, in good condition. A wire size of 14 gauge is good. 12 gauge is better. The con is all those extension cords can provide a tripping hazard for you and your guests. Great care must be taken in how the cords are laid out to minimize the hazard.
Have an electrician install a 60 Ampere (min) temporary distribution panel.
This is good for 50 to 300 meters. This will bring electricity from a building or power pole to your tent. Typically, the panel plugs into a welder/stove/dryer outlet and power is supplied to the tent in one large cable. Extension cords are used to distribute the power around the tent. Cons, tripping hazard as above.
Generators!
If your tent is more than 300 meters from the closet power outlet, generators should be used. Generators are rated in Watts. You should have a generator with a least 10,000 Watts of power or more. I recommend have 2 generators of at least 5000 Watts each. Just in case one fails during the event. The generators should be rated to supply electronic equipment. Unrated generators can cause a lot of electrical noise in a Dj sound system. Be sure to have a supply of fuel on hand as you may need to refill the generators at some point during your event. Cons, tripping hazard as above, Can be noisy.
A battery power “camping” inverter can be used to supply a small sound system for a short period of time. IE. for a ceremony.” – Ron, Topps Music Services
Monique Pantel Photography
We hope you grabbed a lot of great tips and knowledge on all things planning a tent wedding. As you can tell there’s a lot to it. There’s so much to know and consider and a lot of additional planning goes into a tent wedding than a ballroom wedding BUT we really feel it’s worth it. It’s so wonderful to get to be outside, in nature, have your furry family members with you and, maybe even have the wedding on your own property. There are just so many personal wonderful things that can go into a tent wedding.
