The New Indian Bride

There is nothing I love more than a perfectly adorned tent at a Spring and Summer Wedding. I love pristine white tents adorned with paper lanterns and lights. I love tents drapped in exotic fabrics and dripping in crystals. I love tents with side walls of faux windows, lined with flowers or decorated with custom drapes.  I love tents of any size, any shape, any color.  I just love tents!

Loving tents can get you in a lot of trouble. Tents may not be as economical as renting an indoor facility, especially when you consider that the tent is just the ceiling. You have to fill all the space underneath the tent with tables, chairs, a dance floor, silverware, glasses and every other minor detail that would be readily available to you in an indoor facility.

For those brides-to-be whose wedding visions include a tent, here are some important points for you to consider:

Selecting a tent size: You need to determine the number of people you expect to attend your wedding. That will help you decide how large a structure you will need. Accurately sizing your tent is very important since the size will need to accommodate tables, chairs, guests and vendors comfortably, with room to walk around, mingle and dance.

Location of the tent: The tent site should be a completely flat surface, away from any standing water or areas where rainwater typically accumulates. This is key in case you will want to install a dance floor. As a safety precaution you’ll want your tent rental company to conduct a site inspection to survey the area.

Styles of tents: Push-pole Tents are the most popular type of tents for outdoor weddings. These structures are kept in place with center poles and are staked into the ground. Push-pole tents are typically the least expensive tent and work best on grass or other pliable surfaces. Sizes range anywhere between from 10 x 10 feet and up and can be covered with fabric or PVC roofs or toppers.

Frame Tents are best for tight spaces. These structures cost more than the push-pole version, because they don’t use poles to support the structure, but a frame. As a result, they can be positioned on any type of surface. Accommodating all of your wedding decorating needs.

Additional considerations: Sidewalls are a practical tent “accessory” Sidewalls are used to create ventilation or protect guests from rain or wind. Before signing a contract with a company, be sure to specify where and when the tent will need to be erected and dismantled. Typically, most companies will set up a couple of days before the event and removal is the next day (this time frame may vary due to holiday or weekend schedules).

The most important consideration of all is the weather.  Tents do not work if rain is in the forecast.  If  a tent is part of your dream wedding, then be sure to check the Farmer’s Almanac for past weather patterns.  You wouldn’t want your dream wedding to be rained out! 

Hope these quick tops help all the New Indian Brides who are pitching a tent for their wedding festivities this spring and summer. Best of luck!

*These tips brought to you courtesy of The Perfect Wedding Gude.

If you watch TLC, Bravo and the Style Channel you will quickly come to believe that wedding planning requires not only elaborate inspiration boards but also creatively worded themes like Moroccan Bliss or Tuscan Love.  

For me, inspiration came not from cutting out pages of magazines or watching TV shows but rather from a simple feeling I wanted to capture.  It is that feeling of a lazy Sunday afternoon where one sits outside in the sunshine and enjoys a mimosa (or another drink of choice) with the one they love.  If those wedding shows were to give it a name it would be something like Chic, Casual Summertime Love. 

Nothing captured this feeling more than this image from Style Me Pretty. 

I love the simplicity of the lemons in the vases and the sprig like flower that fluttered from the top.  And what could feel more summertime than a wooden sign for lemonade? 

My very talented florist from Cupid’s Arrow took this image and created a version that was perfect for our daytime affair.  Here is what it looked like at our wedding: 

While I was inspired by a mood, the image from one of my favorite wedding websites helped us create a centerpiece that embodied that mood and fit our daytime affair perfectly.  

What inspires you?  Is it books, movies, pictures, fabrics, candles, a poem or another event you attended.  Tell us what you are using as your wedding planning inspiration!