Planning an Outdoor Wedding or Reception

Many couples dream of having an outdoor wedding or reception, and the right tent can truly transform any outdoor site into the perfect place for a celebration. With a tent, you can hold your ceremony and reception in any venue you like -- a botanical garden, sandy beach, or your own backyard. And today's options can fit in beautifully with any wedding design.

Here are some things you should consider if you're dreaming of your special day outdoors.

Consider the Weather
Consider the climate conditions of where you live. Is it normally hot and sunny... or do you tend to get quite a bit of rain during the season of your chosen wedding date? How much does it cool down during the evening? If the wedding is in the late afternoon while it's still hot, but the reception goes on late into the night, will guests get cold outdoors? Remember, most of us tend to dress for the weather at the time of the wedding, and often don't consider what the temperature will be like later in the evening.

Understand the Costs
Outdoor tent weddings tend to be more expensive than indoor weddings. You will need to rent everything, and then pay to have it all set up. You will need one or more large tents to help shield people from the hot sun during the day, as well as from any sudden downpours you may unexpectedly receive.

Many tent-rental firms are full-service, providing everything that's needed for a tent wedding and reception: tables, chairs, linens, and place settings, in addition to flooring, lighting, generators, and portable restrooms. In addition, they should provide you with a free estimate that allows you to understand how your budget will be impacted.

Consider the Quality
Not all tent and party supply rental vendors are the same. Quality vendors take extra measures to ensure their tents and chairs stay as pristine as possible, and that no chipped dinnerware or faulty lighting gets delivered.

Book Early
With any sort of outdoor tent wedding, you must be prepared to book everything early... at least 8 to 10 months in advance. However, be sure you book and consult with your caterer first, to determine whether they know how to handle and accommodate an outdoor wedding. Depending on your location's set-up and pick-up requirements you may need to locate a tent vendor who can accommodate after hours, early AM or weekend delivery and pick up.

Arrange for On-Site Consultations
Make sure to have on-site consultations with all your vendors, including the tent rental company, the caterer, the florist, the decorator, the musicians, etc. You will need to give each of them a run-down on how you want the area set up and where items (and people) will be located. You will also need to determine with your vendors how much advanced time they will need to set up.

Create a Floor Plan
You should ask your tent provider to create a preliminary floor plan created, which will provide a blueprint for how the tented facility will be organized, i.e. how the tables will be arranged, where the dance floor, serving stations, band, etc. will be located. This becomes a working product that ultimately will meet your goals.

Stay Organized
Having an outdoor tent wedding can be very romantic and fun, but it does take a lot of advance planning and coordination. Keep a small notebook handy so you can quickly jot down all upcoming appointments, ideas (which often appear at the strangest of times), vendor names and phone numbers, plus anything else that you think is relevant. This will become your "little wedding bible" as your special day draws nearer and you will probably refer to it quite often.

Remember, advanced planning and budgeting will keep everyone happy, healthy and sane.