Go behind the scenes in four outdoor events. Discover the details, logistics, and hours involved in putting together these magical weddings. RED LETTER EVENT PLANNINGCoeur d’Alene, IdahoDate: July 18, 2015Guest count: 182Budget: $70,000Vendors: Fleurtations Floral, Event Rents, Nu Jack City (music), Zach Mathers Photography, Killer Creations Video, Hayden Lake Country Club, and Lake City CakesLabor: The year-and-a-half planning for this wedding was done via 12 meetings using Skype and email while working with an 11-hour time difference. The bride was originally from Chicago and the groom from Coeur d’Alene, but both now live in Dubai and wanted their wedding lakeside where the groom grew up. This was a true destination wedding not just for the couple but for most of the family and friends. The hotel rooms were blocked during one of busiest weekends of the year, and we had to coordinate shuttle bus transportation for the ceremony and reception. It took a four-person crew five hours to set up the tent. This does not include hours of time ahead of delivery cleaning and inspecting all equipment required, countless checks and double-checks, and many hours of training per crew member. Rentals: One 40’ x 100’ frame tent with fabric treatment liner, leg drapes, and one solid wall along the 100’ side of the tent facing the parking lot.Challenges: The biggest challenge was long-distance planning. While Skype is great, it was still absolutely necessary to do have one weekend in person to knock out the details. The in-person weekend was intense, three days of meetings back-to-back but completely productive. As for the site, the dance floor had been installed for an event prior to the wedding, so Red Letter Event Planning had to ensure it stayed in position. Other challenges included that it was a high-volume weekend for the rental companies, with several large events requiring a large crew.Logistics: Outdoor tent set up can be challenging and include: ease of access to delivery site, ground conditions, weather conditions, other events to work around, etc. The tent rental company inspected the locations well ahead of the installation to try to circumvent any problems. This included a thorough site inspection of all new locations, several months ahead, where the crew tested the soil conditions for stake-ability, checked for overhead obstructions, etc. The size of the tent was changed halfway through the process because the guest count increased, and the client wanted the dance floor under the tent due to the expected hot summer. The change in tent size required a new schematic.Aribella EventsExton, Pa.Date: Sept. 27, 2014 Guest count: 122 Budget: $75,000+Vendors: Gary Nevitt Photography, Stables at Fox Crossing (venue), Provence Catering, Total Table (linens), Something Different and Forget Me Not Vintage Rentals, Eventions (lighting), 3 West (entertainment), Tommy Guns Band, EventQuip (tent), Secrets Limousine Logistics: There were at least eight site visits prior to the wedding—two for the clients, one for the caterer, two for the tenting/lighting companies, and three for decor/design. As with any tented event, the tentative weather call was made five days prior, and the decision was made four days prior to install as scheduled. Sailcloth tents are beautiful but are more for shade than rain, so our rain plan included the possibility of bringing the sailcloth tent into the horse-training arena.Outdoor details: We had pre-ceremony cocktails (including manned horses with which guests could interact). The ceremony was held in the barn. Guests walked a luminary-lit path to the field for the reception in a sailcloth tent. The custom-stained floor complemented the rustic charm, creating a defined space while reflecting the natural elements. There was also a catering tent, just behind the main tent, between a small stable for power and water access and generators as well as a portable luxury restroom trailer.Labor: There were 22 hours for the set-up for the planning and design team. During the course of two, 10-hour days, a six-person EventQuip crew installed a 3,000-square-foot sailcloth tent with a custom-stained wood floor throughout. Rentals: Everything was rented, including the tent, generators, lighting, fans (delivered at the last minute due to a spike in temperature), farmhouse tables, mismatched vintage wooden chairs, chandeliers in the barn, Irish lace runners, linen napkins, mismatched china glassware, flatware, bar set-ups, dance floor, and staging, etc.  Challenges: This was the first wedding on this property. As a working equestrian farm with a history dating back to the 1800s, the challenges were nearly endless. Not only were there standard weather concerns, but the team had to ensure the wedding production did not interfere with the day-to-day operations of the farm or be overly disruptive to the horses. Although the farm is a beautiful, 30-plus-acre farm, there were only two to three options for the reception tent to be kept in close proximity to the ceremony location. Door County Event PlannersSister Bay, Wis.Date: August 7, 2015Guest count: 225Budget: PrivateVendors: Door County Event Planners, The McCartneys Photography, T&K Sports Fields, Sperry Tent, Baylake Electric, One Fine Day Productions (video), Flora Flowers Shop, Thyme Catering, Horseshoe Bay Farms (venue), 136 (cake), Door County Ice Cream Factory (ice cream station), Sonny’s Pizza (late-night food), Door County Trolley, Dynasty from ACA Entertainment (band), Chris Miller Photo BoothLabor: Many people worked together to make this event a perfect success. There were more than 400 hours put in prior to the wedding.and more than 70 staff people involved—from those who delivered the rental equipment to the wait staff. On the wedding day, there were 35 staff people on site.Rentals: There were two tents—one 60' x 120' Sperry tent for the reception and the other a basic white tent for the kitchen. We brought in wood farm tables mixed with tables with linens. There were chiavari chairs, china, glass wear, etc. The barn venues were not used. Instead, they set the atmosphere. Challenges: The largest challenge was the storm that hit the week prior to the event. It took out more than 10 trees at the ceremony location. Landscaping had to be done, and trees had to be removed without using any heavy equipment on the lawn where the ceremony was to take place. The lawn needed to be in perfect condition.Logistics: The event planning started in fall 2015. At this time, H&K Sports Fields did the leveling of the lawn.  In spring 2016, the process of laying the sod, cutting back trees, and laying stone quarry wash for walkways began. On August 1, the lights were hung on the barns to outline their structure. On August 5, the Sperry Tent was set up.  Baylake Electric brought in two power panels. On August 6, the rental equipment from Arena arrived and the bathroom trailer was delivered and leveled. Then, on August 7, signs were placed on the property to direct guests.Waterlily WeddingsBray, IrelandDate: August 19, 2015Guest count: 62Budget: €83,000 (approximately $93,330 USD)Vendors: Peter Gordon Big Day Out Weddings (photography); Dromoland Castle (venue); Carrig Coaches (transportation); Bishop Pat Buckley (celebrant); Co-ordination Made Easy (ceremony seating); Carouse (music); The Flower Den; Big Day Films (videography); Cakes by ElmaDetails: Outdoor seating was needed for the ceremony as was a trainer for the horse and hounds guest welcome after the ceremony. Rentals: There were 62 white resin foldable chairs for ceremony seating, rustic stands for floral, and 24 votive candle holders for the tables. Two horses and 30 hounds were also rented for a post-ceremony bridal procession.Labor: Planning began in July 2014, 13-months prior to the date. There were 40 planning hours and six set-up hours as well as two hours involving the horse and hounds on the day.Challenges: As the weather in Ireland is so changeable, making a call on whether ceremonies are indoor or outdoor always occurs at the eleventh hour. So, at 9:30 a.m. on the day of the wedding, it was all systems go for the outdoor set up. The ceremony was at the furthest point away from the entrance to the Walled Gardens in Dromoland Castle. Logistics: The biggest logistical challenge was ensuring the perfect timing for the arrival of the horse and hounds—all 20 of them—and keeping them quiet during the ceremony. Thankfully, the horseman was skilled. The horses and hounds arrived during the ceremony, and the horseman got them into position. The animals met the bride and groom, plus other guests, at the end of a long tunnel entrance to the outdoor terrace garden where the ceremony had occurred. The design of the outdoor space and control of the dogs by the horseman facilitated this whole piece, which came together perfectly.