A Peek Behind the Scenes at Three Fabulous Tented Weddings
By Beth Erickson, Wedding Planner Magazine Editor, La Crosse, Wis.; Jeremy Brech, DJ Jer Events and Lighting Design, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Dora Manuel, Viva Bella Events, Cincinnati, Ohio; Marie Danielle Vil-Young, PBC™, À Votre Service Events, LLC, Franklin Park, N.J.Marie Danielle Vil-Young, PBC™, À Votre Service Events, LLC, Franklin Park, N.J.
photos by Emin Wedding Photojournalist
Date: May 25, 2013Guest count: 162Inspiration: Rustic elegance with touches of tradition from the couple’s South Asian heritage.Budget: $140,000Location: A private farmVendors: Iris Cinematics (videography), BBJ Linen, Eggsotic Events (lighting), A1 Limo, Silver Arrow Band (reception music), Sandeep Aurora Events (barjatri, ceremony, cocktail musicians), We Love Photobooths, Party Rental Ltd., United Rentall, Miller’s Rentals (tent), New Kaya Salon Anita (mehndi), Hopewell Buyrite (liquor), Cinderella Bridez (hair/makeup).Tent: 40' x 80' gable frame tent with clear top; 30' x 60' backup, ceremony gable frame tent.Labor: Gable tent installation, 40' x 80': three hours; gable tent installation, 30' x 60': three hours; floral: 1.5 hours as the flowers were predesigned; mandap set up: two hours to complete from set up—draping, and flowers added; lighting: four hours; general décor: approximately four hours to install drapery on the tent legs, drapery of mandap, table settings, etc.Rentals: Farm wooden tables, chiavari chairs, linen, band stage, heating units, wrought-iron mandap, copper bowls, china, glassware, flatware, chargers, and photobooth. Power from the main building on the property was available. Bathrooms were in the main building. There was a separate cook tent with all stoves and a fryer for dinner service.Challenges: The weather was extremely windy, raining on and off and much cooler than anticipated for the time of year. Set up happened the day before the wedding. The caution was that when the votives with LED candles inside were installed, the LEDs needed to be left on because there wouldn't be time for staff to go back and turn on each LED (there were more than 500 on the tent ceiling). Prior to the event, Marie Danielle Vil-Young, PBC™, of À Votre Service Events, tested a few LEDs to learn exactly how much time was needed from the time of set up before the LED batteries ran out. (She carried a few, lit, in her purse for about 35-40 hours before the battery expired. With this information, she planned how far in advance was a realistic time for this set up. In the future, the company will try to source LED candles with remote controls.Logistics: A few days before the wedding, the sidewalls to the main reception tent were removed to give the tent a more open, airy feel with beautiful fabric on the tent legs. However, due to the windy, rainy conditions, the sidewalls were re-installed and heating units, which were on reserve, were requested. Tented weddings can be tricky. For this reason, À Votre Service Events typically recommends clients not only reserve the main reception tent but a back-up tent for ceremony and cocktail in case of inclement weather. In this case, this recommendation was a key factor to the success. Since a deposit had already been made to reserve the backup tent, they put Plan B into effect and had the tent installed the day before the wedding for the ceremony, which included the mandap stage. While the idea and staging is traditional, a wrought iron structure and frame better suited to the rustic nature of the farm was chosen, sourcing sari material to cover the structure gave authenticity and interest. A beaded runner was added for a touch of elegance and as a nod to the couple’s heritage. Later, guests were invited to the reception tent, which was in a different area of the farm. The couple wanted food served family-style. To preserve space on the tables, courses were served in copper bowls. While this was a practical solution to preserve table space, from a design stand point, the copper bowls worked well with the rustic elegance theme.Above all, lighting was a key element. The couple saw a picture of a clear tent designed for a wedding the previous year and wanted the same. However, À Votre Service Events redesigned it to better suit the rustic environment. In so doing, they designed and created the illusion of stars overhead with a mix of clear glass votives, antique glass mercury votives (large and small), Moroccan glass lanterns, spheres to give to illusions of a planetarium, and so on. The team worked closely with Eggsotic Events to install, and deliver this vision—including washing the tent ceiling, dance floor, and band stage with amber lights. Uplighting on the perimeter of the tent enhanced the look.
Dora Manuel, viva bella events, Cincinnati photos by Michael Bambino & Co.
Date: Sept. 21, 2013
Guest count: 265Inspiration: Eric and Michelle wanted their fall wedding to be unforgettable, so the ceremony was followed by a tented reception embellished with glam elements.Budget: $150,000Location: Greenacres Art CenterVendors: Cakes and Pastries by George, Jeff Thomas Catering, Fireside Pizza Wagon, Dulce Designs (candy bar), Carl Larson (ceremony music), Endless Summer Band, Robin Wood (floral design), Ford Ellington (floral), Poeme (stationery), All Occasions (lighting), La Tavola (linens), Connie Duglan Linens, Michael Bambino & Co. (photobooth), Camargo Rental, All Occasions (rentals), Scott Russell and Third Impression Productions (videography), Ivy Pitzer (wedding stylist).Tent: 82' x 100' structure tent with full draping. The tent is owned by Greenacres Art Center and is permanently in place from spring through fall.Labor: Tent draping and lighting: 16 hours; subfloor/carpeting and dance floor: two hours; dropping tables and bar for reception: six hours; building ceremony platform and dropping chairs: six hours; removing tent sides: eight hours; placing chairs, dressing them, and placing table linens: 36 hours; small setup—escort cards, table numbers, aisle runners, etc.: 35 hours; floral: 48 hours to install and all week to assemble with six people on site for set up; catering: 20-25 service staff who started three hours prior; band: two hours setup; viva bella events: eight people for set up all day.Rentals: 301 white folding garden chairs for ceremony plus 16 for cocktail hour, 36" round table for ceremony for drinks, 12 cocktail tables for cocktail hour, (2) 8' x 30" banquet tables for escort cards and heritage table, 4 bar kits with (2) 12' cocktail bars, (3) 8' x 30" and (4) 8' x 48" banquet tables, 268 gold chiavari chairs, 22 6' rounds, mirage chairs for the hora, 10 cocktail tables in the tent, 8 fruitwood café stools with ivory chair pads for cocktail tables, 18 gold café stools with ivory chair pads for long bar tables, (12) 6' long bar tables, 28 pinspots, dance floor color wash in purple scroll pattern, ceiling wash for top of tent in gold crushed dichroic with soft focus, up lights along wall of house in soft lavender, 20'x 20' high-peak catering tent, tent walls, (12) 6' x 30' banquet tables for catering tent, lighting for catering tent, heater propane, 16' x 28' x 15" stage for band, stairs for stage, 8' x 14' black riser skirting, 4 sofas, 2 coffee tables, (1) 5' round center ottoman in white leather with raised back, (15) chandeliers 24" x 60", 260 gothic gold salad plates, 260 glass/matte gold dinner plates, 260 of each piece of Vanessa flatware and each glassware, linens, and 28' x 32' white dance floor.Challenges: The biggest challenge was in the design. The bride wanted to use different colored neutrals in the ceiling draping, but did not want an identifiable pattern, so four colors of very close shades were chosen and arranged to seem effortlessly put together. It was rental company's first time to drape this type and size of tent in this way and the first time the chandeliers were used in such a large tent by both viva bella events and All Occasions Rentals. An additional challenge was the number of decision makers involved—both the bride and the groom and both mothers—and they had differing design preferences and were strongly opinionated. However, all parties were more than pleased with the result.Logistics: The tent features iron support beams that run across the tent’s ceiling. To create an elegant, refined background for the reception, viva bella events covered the beams with full-cover draping panels. The panels were set up on Wednesday. This helped with logistics for the deliveries that were scheduled on Friday and Saturday. Each vendor arrived at the correct time, creating a domino effect of helping hands. Having the rentals like the dance floor, tables, bars, chairs, and lighting in place before the linens, floral centerpieces, candles, flatware, and glassware all added to the overall vision of the wedding. The viva bella events team being on staff from the time the bride arrived to when the last linen was taken off the tables and placed into the return bags, allowed for the overall logistics to flow smoothly from start to finish.
Jeremy Brech, DJ Jer Events and Lighting Design, Sioux Falls, S.D. photos by Chad Phillips Photography
Date: Sept. 21, 2013Guest count: 300Inspiration: Fall glamourBudget: $140,000Location/catering: Westward Ho Country ClubVendors: Ideal Wedding and Events (tent and hardware), Envision Wedding Studios (detail/décor), Josephine’s Unique Floral Designery, Soukup Videography, Merry Weddings by Peter Merry & Liz Daley (entertainment).Tent: O’Henry tent with window wall, 60' x 90' 8' side height, 26' peak; 20' x 20' Century tent, three 10' x 10' Century tents.Labor: Ideal Wedding and Events: 428 hours; DJ Jer Events and Lighting Design: 203 hours; Envision Wedding Studio: 18 hours; Josephine’s Unique Floral Designery: 19 hours.Rentals: 32' of stage, 300 black chaivari chairs, tables, linens, gold beaded charger plates with Regina china, 24' x 24' oak dance floor, lounge furniture, two 50 kW generators, power distribution, wind banners, hot food cabinets, serving trays and stands, refrigerated trailer, and draping.Challenges: 30-40 mph gusts of wind and rain.Logistics: From the word “go,” there was an unyielding tone set by the timeline in which each vendor had specific parts to play. The flooring was a semi load of lumber, 750 2' x 6' planks, 325 sheets of plywood, and 10 large rolls of carpet. First, the crew constructed almost 6,000 square feet of floor in the eight-to-10-hour timeframe and placed all electrical underneath to accommodate the significant power needs of each pole. The next day came with 30-40 mph gusts of wind and rain. After a quick safety meeting, they set the O'Henry tent along with the 10' x 10' tents to accommodate the photo booth and bars. The goal was to turn over the tents to the lighting crew for perimeter lighting and pin spotting. Next, the crew assembled the stage and marked out table placement according to the CAD drawing to accommodate more than 30 pin spots that would be placed at 24-feet on the mast poles. At this point, all that was left was the lounge and the catering tent. The family only set three rules for catering, lighting, and tents: Hot food must be served hot, cold food must be served cold, and the “wow” factor must be present with design.Other tasks included pin spotting all centerpieces with a warm, white LED from the peaks of the tent and running power throughout the tent and around the perimeter. Setting the lighting created late hours into the night, but it made the tent dramatic. The crew added a warm, rustic color to the fall-themed wedding by using white computerized, battery-powered up-lights and diffusion filters to spread the light accordingly. Textures were added to the inside of the tent to create some interest and bundled tree branches attached to the anchor stakes were lit up with battery-powered up-lights. The couple’s monogram was placed over the entrance of the tent and the tent was washed in red lighting. The beautiful floral arrangements leading into the tent entrance were pin spotted with a warm white to create an elegant approach, and all large trees surrounding the tent were lit up by Chauvet outdoor fixtures. A separate picnic area, away from the tent, was given a sunset-orange lighting to create a calming lounge. The bridge crossing the river to get from the parking lot to the tent was decorated with strands of globe lights for safety and elegance. This was accented with two large, feather banners lit in orange on each side. As guests walked back to their vehicles at the evening’s end, there was a special message lit on the ground that said, "Thank you for celebrating with us on our wedding day!"
