We LOVE a tented wedding. There is something extra magical about building a venue from scratch in a beautiful setting. Our tented weddings are often nestled on a family property that makes it extra special for the couple. But from a planner’s perspective, there are also a lot of logistics that go into a tent wedding. So whether you are one of our clients, or you are going it alone, here are some things you need to consider before committing to a tented wedding.
Pro Tip: If you are planning a tented wedding, you’ll want to budget for at least partial planning with a reputable wedding planner.
We get it – it adds cost, but it’s going to save you a lot of stress. A traditional wedding venue comes with a venue manager or venue owner. That’s a lot of expertise that you won’t have if you are having a wedding in your backyard. So build some sort of professional support into your budget.
Speaking of budgets…. Having a tented wedding isn’t likely to be cheaper than going with a traditional wedding. You need to build the infrastructure (tents, tables, chairs), have a caterer bring in food (read: they are essentially setting up a mobile restaurant), plus all the little details like water and restrooms. So if you are considering a tented wedding to save money, we highly recommend you look into the costs before signing any contracts.
Alright… Let’s get to the list of all the things you need for a tented wedding that you aren’t really thinking about.
Power
Yes, I’m intentionally starting here. If you want to have a good party, you are going to need some power behind it. Here are the general list of power needs for a wedding.
- DJ – One separate circuit.
- Band – Check your contract, but generally wedding bands require at least two 20 amp circuits.
- Tent Lighting – don’t forget to hire someone to hang lights in the tent!! This should be on its own circuit.
- Catering – See the catering section below, but they are going to need lighting and power to plug in hot boxes.
- Restroom Trailer – Again, it’ll need it’s own circuit so the power doesn’t cut!
You’re going to need good extension cords or a generator. Sometimes clients will even have power dug out to the tent area so vendors can plug right in.
Catering Area
If you are bringing in a full service caterer (which you should), they will be bringing essentially a mobile restaurant complete with wait staff, hot boxes, plating equipment and all the dishes needed for a wedding. People often overlook setting their caterer up for success. Please check with your caterer, but we recommend:
- A cleared out garage or 20×20′ tent with side walls to serve as their prep area.
- This should be close to the main tent, but not fully exposed to guests.
- Lighting for the tent/garage – they will likely be there until after dark, so make sure they have a good work area.
- Tables – our clients often are surprised when we recommend at least five 8′ tables for the catering area, but they will need it!
- Power – sometimes caterers bring in hot boxes to keep your food warm. Check and see how much power they will require
Garbage
This isn’t a fun topic, but weddings produce a lot of waste! You will need 5-10 trash cans with lots of extra strong black garbage bags. Plus a small dumpster to put them in.
Pro Tip: Someone needs to be responsible for emptying the garbage cans. Don’t assume this is covered by anyone’s contract. Ask your vendors if they will help and if they won’t, we recommend hiring a host for the event to keep the grounds tidy.
Ice
Yep, another odd topic, but weddings require a lot of ice. We recommend 1.5 pounds of ice per person. That also means you’ll need a place to keep all the ice. Most weddings require a minimum of 5 large coolers to keep beverages cool, but we’ve done weddings with more.
Pro Tip: Assign someone to get ice the morning of the wedding and to get your beverages chilling. We often see groomsmen doing this or if you hire a host service, they can get the ice for you. Some caterers also offer ice service!
Bug Control
This blog is being written from the Northwoods of Minnesota and if you are doing a northern Wisconsin or Northern Minnesota wedding, bugs are going to be a factor. Mary is organic in her day to day life, but when it comes to bug control for a wedding, we highly recommend spraying at least twice before a wedding. Yes, we have seen bugs ruin a party before. Don’t mess around.
It’s also a great idea to get a few different kinds of bug spray for the event. Some people love deet and some people are more organic in their choices. Offering bug spray acknowledges that the bugs might be a factor.
Water
Water is a basic need and your guests are going to drink a lot of it. Hire the caterer to put water glasses at each place setting and have a water station near the bar that the bartenders can refill. Bottled water can also help, but remember – that produces trash that someone will have to haul off.
Tent/Table/Chair Setup
Repeat after me: I will pay someone to setup my tent, tables and chairs. Again, it adds a little cost, but trust us on this one – you won’t want to do it come wedding week. There are a million details that go into a wedding. You absolutely cannot make this your responsibility.
Ceremony Chairs
You really should plan to have separate ceremony and reception chairs. Asking guests to either move their chairs or stand around while vendors move them it’s the vibe most couples want for their wedding day. Make the investment and get a separate set of chairs.
Parking
This one is so easily overlooked and it’s a big one. If you have 100 guests, where are you putting the 50 cars that will come with them? We recommend mowing a field (that has good drainage) or having guests park offsite and bussing them in. Parking down a long driveway causes chaos and it’s the first thing people see.
Your vendors will also need parking, so make sure you save them parking spots very near the tent so they can grab whatever they need throughout the day!
Noise
Check your local noise ordinances. You do not want the police showing up on your wedding night. Have a good old fashioned conversation with your neighbors and maybe even invite them to join the dancing. At the very least, drop them a bottle of their favorite beverage the week of the wedding with a note thanking them for any inconvenience your day might bring.
Rain Plans
No one wants to think about rain on their wedding day, but it’s a reality. You need a rain plan. Always order the tent walls, even if they don’t set them up. Have a backup plan for if it’s raining that allows your ceremony and cocktail hour to take place under the tent. This means you need to make sure your get the correct size tent.
Make sure your tent is not placed in a low area. If it is and it rains the week of your wedding, the tent site might still be very wet and possibly muddy. An ideal tent location is higher than other areas of the property.
Calling the Utility Companies
Pull out your phone and put it on the calendar to call the utility company to have power lines marked the week of the wedding. Tent companies will not put stakes in the ground if the property is not marked.
Restrooms
People are going to need to use the bathroom and you won’t want them in your house doing that. Plan to bring in a restroom trailer or biffies. If you opt for a restroom trailer, be sure to your contract to see their needs. Normally a wedding restroom trailer will require power and a hose hookup.
Pro Tip: Wherever the bathrooms go, make sure the spot is flat and even ground.
That was a lot of information and we promise, we haven’t covered everything. Again, if you are thinking about a tent wedding, take some time to sit down with a wedding planner to talk about the pros and cons of them. In the end, our clients would all agree that it’s worth the extra time to have a wedding in the most magical locations.
A huge shoutout to my friend and fellow planner, Emily, from Lace & Brass Events for her input on this blog and for her continuous support.
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