Five Planning Tips for a Tented Wedding
We love doing tented weddings! Here’s some quick and easy advice if you’re thinking about planning a tented affair!
Tented weddings seem to be really popular. We do them a lot. Like all the time. So, we decided to put together five tips to help you understand the complexities of planning a tented affair.
1. Lighting
So many of our clients don’t think about lighting. That’s okay - that’s what we’re here for. But remember, a tent is a temporary structure - lighting can be really pretty - but it's also really important from a functional point of view. We need to light the tent to ensure we’re not hosting a pitch black reception…could make for a very dangerous party!
2. Flooring
Flooring can be a major expense. Some of our clients opt for full floors, others opt for no floors - but either way, we insist there’s at least a dance floor. You don’t want dancing on the grass - that’d make for a very uncomfortable dance party - and patios often have crevices and uneven surfaces…so go for a dance floor, if not a full floor. We can do dance floors in different colors, custom patterns or a simple black, white or wood finish. A full floor is lovely but we realize it is not for everyone, so have fun with the dance floor!
3. Weather
A tent alone does not protect you from heat waves, cold fronts, rain, etc. We ALSO need to plan for each possible weather plan. In rain, we may need sides down or, we might even go with a bigger tent than needed to leave a larger perimeter (sideways rain is real). In cold weather, we may want to budget for sides and temporary heat - hello May & October couples - very unpredictable months! In heat waves, we may be fine with fans, but we may also want to consider sides down with temporary air conditioning. Additionally, in rain, we often build out custom marquee tents (aka hallways) from the bathrooms, or from the kitchen tent or from cocktail hour. Sometimes we find ourselves with multiple weather contingency plans (example, rain plan, cold weather plan, windy rain plan)…guess that’s why they call us planners.
4. Kitchen access
Often we need to build out a kitchen tent too. Another added tenting cost that often is overlooked until we’re on board…the kitchen doesn’t need a fancy tent, but they need coverage not only in case of weather, but to give the catering team a proper setup and to hide all the boxes/crates that come from party rental. Some venues have a “back of house” space we can use elsewhere, but others do not. For example, often in private homes, we will use the client’s kitchen and garage for the catering team. But other times, if that’s too far from the guest tent, then we’ll build out an auxiliary kitchen tent right next to the reception tent.
5. Tent selection
Choose your tent carefully. You cannot have a clear top tent in the thick of summer - it acts like a greenhouse and it is brutal for the staff, the guests and particularly the setup crew…plus it’ll kill your flowers pretty quickly. If you want a sailcloth tent, we need to plan accordingly with the floorplan to make sure we’re accounting for the poles in the center of the tent. Once we’ve chosen a tent (and floor) then we can have fun with design (a fun entrance, ceiling installation, pole decor, draping on the ceiling or along the perimeter…etc). We’ll save tent design tips for another day :)
Tenting can be really production heavy and complicated. I have to say - I love planning tented affairs. It really feels like building a house - starting from nothing - to something. If you’re considering a tented wedding – especially at a non-traditional venue (like your home) that’s never been tented, contact us to chat.
Photography by:
Karen Obrist Photography // Roey Yohai Studios // Unique Lapin
Top 10 First Look Spots on Martha’s Vineyard
Martha’s Vineyard is an amazing destination wedding location because of how beautiful it is. Here I’m listing my favorite Martha’s Vineyard first look spots.
One of the best parts of hosting your wedding on the vineyard is the countless spots for photos. Whether your wedding is at a venue, your backyard, or a hotel, here’s a list of spots covering the span of each town, with vastly very different vibes.
We all know that the island is so photogenic, it’s hard to choose just ten, so here’s my current favorites.
PS: Most of the photos below are taken from my iPhone! No editing - just real time nature’s beauty. Some are thanks to Michael Blanchard, someone who really knows how to capture Martha’s Vineyard in its prime beauty.
1. Menemsha Harbor
An old fishing harbor up island, Menemsha is one of the most beautiful spots for a first look. There’s so many photo-friendly nooks here - small docks with views of antiquated fishing boats, old school ice cream parlors and lobster roll stands, rock walkways out into the ocean. You can even take photos with your classic vineyard jeep wrangler parked at the beach, or barefoot on the beach. Options are endless here!
2. Black Dog Dock
If the Black Dog Dock in Vineyard Haven doesn’t scream MV Wedding, I don’t know what does. This is the quintessential spot on the island - I always go when I am waiting for the ferry for one last breath of ocean air. It is a wharf dating back to 1964, where you can watch the ferry come in and the boats dock. It feels like classic Martha’s Vineyard, and the dock is long enough to create photos from all different angles - allowing for a private first look, while still having your photographer just down the dock.
Photo Credit: Michael Blanchard
It’s places like the Katama Air Field that make Martha’s Vineyard so cool. The airport dates back to 1924 and its still got much of the original infrastructure - biplanes, grass runways and an original (and very cute) diner. Its just on the other side of South Beach, so you can do your first look in front of the airport next to the vintage biplanes and then head towards the beach for portraits. Plus, couples never eat enough, so you can grab a quick bite at the diner (try the grilled cheese) before heading onto your next destination.
Lambert’s Cove is irrefutably one of the prettiest spots on the island. When you walk up the wooded trail from the parking lot, there is a little hill before you get to the beach. When you get to the top of the hill, which is pretty high for such a flat island, there’s this moment where I always do a 360 and look all around - because there’s a pond behind you, a beach in front of you, and cascading cliffs in the distance. Its always my first spot when I get to the island from NYC because I get to the top off the hill, and it feels like I can breath. This spot is so stunning and magical - you’ll have all the feelings.
There’s something about wedding photos and farm animals. I’m not sure what it is, but we love it. Island alpaca is one of my favorite spots on the vineyard, mainly because alpacas are hilarious, kind and sensitive animals. A little fun fact: island alpaca does sell alpacas, but only in sets of two because companionship is so important to this breed. I just love this, symbolically, for your first look.
Right off of Lambert’s Cove Road, Blackwater Pond offers tons of trails, and parts of it are so majestic, just like a Monet painting. If you walk for a few minutes, you’ll get to the pond, which is covered in lily pads, and there’s these gorgeous wooden pathways - it feels like it was made for wedding photography. In the dead of summer, the trees are so thick they almost create a canopy over the wooded path. In the fall, the colorful trees add so much drama to the backdrop.
Photo Credit: Vineyard Trust
There’s nothing quite like Alley’s. It is the island’s oldest retail business and they sort of have it all. It is actually quite comical how they have everything - from games to candy / snacks, to toiletries, hardwares, etc. The store is so stocked - it feels like you’ve walked into a time machine with offerings covering every table and surface possible. The front porch brings you back in time - with their rocking chairs - it feels like a meeting place before cell phones ever existed. Take photos on the front porch, or almost ironically inside the store in between beach games and candy. It’ll make for wonderful photos.
I find when people ask me for recommendations on Martha’s Vineyard, 95% are food focused. Morning Glory is always top of the list. In summer, they have this incredible display of sunflowers and wildflowers out front. Plus they have cute photo props - farm stands, benches, tin cans filled with freshly picked flowers, making it perfectly romantic for a first look setting, and even better for keepsake photos.
9. Inkwell Beach
Photo Credit: Michael Blanchard
There is so much history here. One of the first beaches to openly welcome the Black community with open arms, it is now seen as a place welcoming everyone and anyone. Unlike other beaches on the island which are restricted to their own town’s residents, there are no restrictions here. Plus the history is so powerful - a place where African Americans from all over the east coast would vacation because they were not welcome elsewhere. From the beach, you can see the ferry coming in, and there’s an authentically vintage-feeling lifeguard chair I love to use as a backdrop to the first look. Plus, in the crowded summer months, the background of colorful beach umbrellas make for pretty great photos.
10. Mytoi Japanese Garden
Photo Credit: Michael Blanchard
Mytoi is not only absolutely stunning, but you get to take the oh-so-cute Chappy ferry. You get your first look in the gardens among the exotic plants, ponds and wood bridges, then get to take portraits all around the garden and back on the ferry back to the mainland. So you get the traditional and gorgeous gardens and the fun photos on the ferry. Its sort of the best of both worlds - and you still get those classic vineyard photo moments.
Whether you’re planning your first look or you’re looking for fun portrait locations, there’s no shortage of options on Martha’s Vineyard. There’s so many great wedding venues on island, and even more locations for photos! Just remember that there is a high season on the vineyard and places can be super crowded June - August. Plan accordingly, or contact emlan events to plan with our expert Martha’s Vineyard wedding planners!