Photo: Heyn Photography
Whether it be in your own backyard, on a farm or at a location like Sandy Hook, tented weddings give couples a blank canvas to make their own vision come to life. There are so many upsides to a tented wedding and we always love how they turn out. However, there is a lot to consider when planning for one. Things that a venue would normally have in house or do for you, you now need to bring in. So, on today’s blog we are going to take a look at some of the elements that you need to consider for a tented wedding as well as the major benefits and challenges.
The Tent
There are a lot of different types of tents that can be used, but for weddings, the sail cloth pole tents are most often used. They help to create a very classy look. You can also choose to get clear sides for the tent in case of inclement weather. A 46x85 ft tent will seat about 175 guests with a dance floor. A tent of this size in NJ will run you around $3-4k (this is the tent alone, not set up, tax, etc). Keep in mind, you will likely need to rent an additional smaller tent for kitchen prep.
Photo: Sperry Tents; IRIS Photography
Flooring
Another thing to consider is if you would like flooring for just a dance floor or if you want flooring down throughout the tent. Flooring for a dance floor can be anywhere from $600-1200 depending on the size.
Lighting
String lighting, Edison bulbs, chandeliers, lanterns…the list goes on and on! With lighting, you can really create a personalized look to match your wedding style.
Catering
As we mentioned before, you will need to provide a tent for catering if there isn’t a space available elsewhere. Because of this, a buffet style dinner is easiest in a tent environment but often caterers are still willing to do a seated dinner.
You will want to go through your caterer for alcohol too, as they likely carry an alcohol license. Photo: Endless Wave Studios
Power
This is one thought you don’t even have to think about when you are selecting a wedding venue, but if you are going a non-traditional route, the space that you are choosing for your tent may not have access to power, or enough power. If that is the case, you’ll need to look into renting a generator.
Rental Equipment
You will need to work with a rental company to bring in items like tables, chairs, glasses, plates, silverware, napkins, linens, etc. It is best to talk to your caterer as well to get their recommendations on quantities of things you are ordering. Often caterers even have a preferred rental company that they work hand in hand with.
Bathrooms
The location of your choice may already have bathrooms, but if not consider renting a trailer bathroom.
Permits & Other
Be sure to check with your rental location or township about any permits that may be required for you to hold your event at your desired location.
Some other things that you may need…
Valet Parking Service
Flood lights for as people are leaving if it isn’t a well lit area
To sum it up, below are our top 3 Benefits and Challenges of tented weddings! If you are considering a tented wedding, two great options to check out are Sandy Hook and Ocean Place Resort. Sandy Hook is an amazing location with a small venue fee where you will choose most of your items to bring in. Ocean Place Resort offers tented beach weddings, but also has a lot of the existing venue items built into their package already. Photo: Jenelle Kappe Photography at Sandy Hook
Benefits
#1 You can pick the backdrop you’ve always dreamed of whether it be the ocean or a farm!
#2 You can design the space to your liking. You don’t have to worry about loving a venue but hating their ugly carpet. You are selecting EVERYTHING!
#3 It creates the foundation for a beautiful, unique wedding
Challenges
#1 The costs add up quickly as there is a lot to bring in that a venue would normally supply
#2 There is a lot to coordinate and remember and often times things that couples don’t think of
#3 The weather could put a damper on your big day. Even with walls rain can seep in and in the summer a tented event can get very hot.
Shoot us a note if you have any further questions about tented weddings or would like our assistance!
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