Six Things To Consider If You’re Having An Outdoor Wedding

These days, tents can be used for just about anything: camping, graduations, company picnics, and weddings. If you’re really looking for something special for your big wedding day, the perfect tent rentals can really take it over the top and make it extra memorable.


These days, there are any number of vendors you go through that offer perfect tent rentals as well as rentals for tables, linens, décor, cutlery and just about everything else you need. Simply put: a wedding and wedding reception under a tent can give the happy couple the feeling of a perfect outdoor event while being protected from the elements.


But another truth is that perfect tent rentals come with some unique challenges. While there may be some incredible deals out there, here are several things you need to consider before you rent tents for the big day:

• The weather: Before you rent any kind of tent, the No. 1 consideration to keep in mind is the weather. It’s true that it’s hard to predict what the weather is going to be on a given day, but the time of year you’re getting married can help you decide which direction to go. For instance, if you’re getting married in the summer, you might have to factor air conditioning or fans into your tent rental budget. Likewise, if you’re getting married under a tent in the winter time, you’re likely going need to invest in a heating source to heat the tent.
• Budget: Tents of any size are essentially a blank canvas for a couple to make its perfect wedding vision a reality. For some couples that can be an absolutely wonderful thing, but for others it can make them wary of costs. With tent rentals, everything that goes inside the tent—linens, décor, wedding tables, liners, lighting, a stage—has to be rented. All these rentals can add up quickly and that’s saying nothing of the cost to set all those pieces up. Make no mistake: it’s all going to look wonderful when it’s all put together, but it can get costly.
• Logistics: Perfect tent rentals can make a wedding day fantastic, but there are a lot of logistics to consider, especially with regard to wedding guests. For instance, if the actual wedding ceremony is taking place somewhere other than the tent, you’re likely going to want the tent or tents set up in a spot that’s not too far of a walk. You’re also going to have to take factors like bathrooms and the weather into consideration as well.
• Décor: These days couples can window shop for hours trying to plan the perfect wedding and they can thumb through pages and pages of idea for every kind of wedding, including those with tents. Whatever décor you’re wanting for a tent wedding reception can likely be made possible. Depending on the type of material the tent is made out of, you can use that to enhance your vision of what your wedding should look like. You can also get a tent that goes along with a color them if you have one.
• Utilities: It’s true that a tent is supposed to help give a couple the feel of an outdoor wedding, but it’s a good bet that the couple and their guests are going to want some indoor conveniences as well. Electricity is probably the biggest of these conveniences, so you’ll likely have to factor a generator into the wedding budget. You’re likely going to need a space for outdoor catering as well.
• Location rules: Before you sign your name to any rental contract, it’s best to get familiar with a particular venue’s rules and regulations. Find out if the tent and everything inside it can be set up in advance and whether there any rules concerning music volume and when everyone might have to vacate the venue.