The Great Tent Debate
Truth be told, Tyler and I only looked at one venue for our wedding. The house was recommended to us by a friend and the price was perfect for our budget. When we went to check it out, I really believed that this would be just the first of many trips we take venue hunting because there was no way we would find THE PLACE the first time. Right?
I could not have been more wrong. I absolutely fell in love with it. The view was breathtaking and it was everything I had pictured in my head for our day. The house sits on 8 acres of lush green land and has tons of open space for all of our wedding events.
Once we signed the contract, I was overloaded with ideas and so incredibly excited to get the planning started. However, my perfect plan came to a screeching halt when reality hit me that we are having an outdoor wedding. In the summer. In the south.
I’m not sure if any of you have ever been to the south during the summer months, but there are a few things you need to know. 1. Don’t bother curling your hair — it will be flat within two minutes of walking outside. 2. If you have naturally curly hair, be prepared to experience a Monica Geller-esq fro. 3. Always (and I mean always) have bug repellent in your purse.
In my typical irrational, freak-out fashion, I immediately tell Tyler we have to change our venue (the date was a non-negotiable because it has significant meaning — more to come on that later). I rattled off a list of all the things that could go wrong — I mean, come on, what bride wants mosquitoes crashing her wedding? Definitely not this one.
Since there was no way of us getting our $2,500 deposit back, we brainstormed through ideas of what to do and the idea of a tent came back up. We had talked about that early in the wedding planning process because it is always a good idea to have as a back-up plan in case of weather issues during the wedding. I mean, yeah, the practical thing to do would be get a tent. But, being “practical” has never really been my style. And not that I have anything against tents. Some of the most beautiful weddings I have been to have had tents. It just didn’t go with my vision. Plus, those things can get pricy.
So, here we are, six months away and still have yet to decide if we are going to tent-it-up. We did find out that the temps are a bit cooler at the lake (the owner of the venue said it should be in the 70′s that weekend — thank goodness) and they are going to mosquito-bomb the place (there is something I never thought I would write) before the wedding. We’ve found other solutions to combat the humidity and pesky creatures, but we’re still not sold on a tent.
I found some pictures of tents I really liked, but does the openness of them defeat the purpose of even having it? What are your thoughts on tents? I am in desperate need of guidance. In exchange for any tips you can give, I’ll be happy to send you a travel-size OFF from my stockpile. :)
What are your thoughts on tents? I am in desperate need of guidance. In exchange for any tips you can give, I’ll be happy to send you a travel-size OFF from my stockpile. :)
December 19, 2011 at 11:55 am, Paula said:
Hi,
This is coming from someone that her fiance does not want a tent wedding and I do. I’m in love with the idea of a blank space where anything I want goes. The feel of a tent is very romantic and I don’t know what you’re going for but the tent just makes the room feel elegant. Having the space outdoors is very helpful because you have unlimited room on how big or small you’d like your tent. You can also personalize your lamps or any fixtures you’d like to hang in the tent. The can lights respond better on a tent than on a wall which will help accent your wedding with whatever you want your colors to be. having a tent also allows for the sound to stay within the space: for example, speeches are easier to hear and the DJ music is much more pronounced as opposed to an open space. You can also have natural mosquite repellants such as vanilla extract and lavander, lemon, eucalyptus oil or peppermint oil on an oil scent sticks this way it serves as decor as well. Hopefull this helps =)
December 24, 2011 at 11:19 am, Danielle Fletcher said:
I’m not sure if you realize, but you’ve already answered your own question. The fact that the only tents you found that you think are pretty are totally open, thus defeating the purpose of thwarting mosquitos proves that you want your day to be as you envisioned it. Unless you’re possibly on board with the idea of a mosquito-net tent situation, I’d say do what you feel you want to do. It’s a wedding… it’s a once in a lifetime event and if people get a few bug bites then oh well. Worse things have happened and if you’re going to an outdoor ANYTHING in the south, you know what you’re in for. Try to find a way to conceal those little ‘off’ fan things and put them at every table (maybe under chairs?), research essential oils that they hate and put them on EVERYTHING and then just relax! If you are still too stressed, maybe rent a tent and find out what the absolute last day to cancel it is so that you will have the option. And lastly, remember… little annoyances are part of life, we can’t eradicate them no matter how hard we try. So focus on the good, focus on the love and you’ll be amazing. :)
January 11, 2012 at 9:59 pm, Drew said:
Funny, my wife said something about one of her friends facebooking her about a friend getting married on the lake and here I come across your blog while working on my SEO! Of course I’m a bit bias on the tent but I’m happy to show you some options. We’re doing tents there at the Casa Banana in March and another in May so far. You picked a pretty busy wedding weekend so I wouldn’t wait too long on the planning! We got married this past Sept and I’m in the business so we know ALL the vendors in the area. Let me know if I can help anyway. PS…We live a few miles south of there on the lake and never really have problems with the mosquitos. Especially in a nice groomed yard like your venue has. Drew – Goodwin Event Rentals