Tackling Tented ⛺️
Written By: Summer Snyder, Owner of Orange Door Weddings
If you’re considering hosting a ground-up tented soiree for your wedding, this is for you! Tented weddings are a favorite of ours and we’re here to help with the primary tips to make it successful.
Benefits
Meaningful Locations – Many of our clients chose their tented location to reflect on a meaningful space to them. There’s nothing more special than saying your vows in a location you’ve already built a host of memories in!
Clean Slate – With a tented event, the options are open ended - you can really make the space your own. From aesthetic to guest count, you won’t be constricted to what a venue will hold or trying to work a design or furniture into a specific venue feel.
Flexibility – Similar to aesthetic, you’ll have more freedom to be able to source all the vendors you really connect with, with an often more flexible load-in timeframe than in a venue space.
Understanding the Ground-Up Scope
Choosing the right vendors – Tented events are not a rinse & repeat type of scope and it’s crucial to hire the right team that is comfortable and experienced to execute this well. Hiring a full-service planner, full-service catering/bar team, and rentals/production team is crucial.
Types of Tenting – from simple white pole tents to leveled flooring clear structures, the types of tenting range wildly depending on size, cost parameters and needs. Understanding and scoping your overall budget needs at the beginning of the process will help lead you to the types of tenting that match your event needs best.
Scoping – A ground up event requires much more behind the scenes work since you’re creating a temporary venue space! Here’s a short version of some of the discussion points for an initial walkthrough –
maximum spacing, ground leveling, and road entry and exits
electrical needs, bathrooms, parking, garbage/disposal needs
weather considerations, sun location timing, and guest movement flow
lighting needs, staff prep areas, climate control needs, and potential permits
Cost – Since you’re creating a temporary venue space, everything needs to be brought in! Creating a full-scope budget with your planner before securing vendors will help lay out the functional needs versus the options you’ll have for the design pieces, like types of tents, furniture, and décor.
Though not a turnkey, easy or DIY option, tented weddings provide an experience your guests will never forget and a day that reflects YOU in a unique way. With the right team you can make it a magical and unparalleled experience, regardless of your budget parameters.
