Inspiring Stretch Tent Décor Ideas for Weddings

Stretch tents first came onto the scene in the early 2 000s. Their ability to be set up almost anywhere (like rooftops and jetty’s) and in many different ways made them the preferred alternative to more traditional tents, such as marquees. These uber-versatile structures quickly gained popularity among event organisers and wedding planners, largely because of the relatively small cost required in transforming these temporary structures into one-of-a-kind spaces.

All stretch tents start out as the proverbial blank canvases – their unique curvature and natural lines serving as principal décor feature. Naturally, the choice of additional pieces has to compliment, if not enhance, the style of the occasion. This is often very easily achieved through simple lighting combinations, colour coordination and the use of appropriate furniture.

Décor Ideas for Weddings

Par cans. This is the simplest way to add lighting.

Place LED par cans in the corners of the tent and adjust them to shine up onto the tent’s surface. The light will disperse over the fabric and conjure playful shadows that dance between the dips and curves.

Top tip: The general rule is to use between two and three lights for every 75m² of tent.

The same par cans, or smaller versions thereof, can be clamped onto tent poling for a different effect (do consult the head tent hire rigger regarding positioning).

Different coloured LEDs are available, so you can mix and match these depending on the colour scheme.

Fairy lights. A classic choice, especially for weddings. Place the lights along the natural lines of the edges to create a magical atmosphere. Also place them up and down the guide ropes as a sophisticated way of making the ropes visible to guests.

The lightweight nature of fairy lights makes it possible to criss-cross them inside the tent, using the poles as attachment point.

Lanterns. Hang lanterns from the edges or along the guide ropes of the tent to add extra charm.

Chandeliers. Take your lighting game to the next level with the most romantic light fixture of them all.

Romantic palettes. The most inexpensive way to dress a stretch tent is with the right choice of colour. Play on the the colour of the tent with contrasting hues.

Make an entrance. A dedicated entryway for the bride and groom, like this leafy arch in front of the tent, makes an elegant statement.

Fauna and flora. Bring your wedding to life in the literal sense with plants and greenery. The greens will pair well with a gold and purple colour scheme.

The more the merrier. Instead of using one big tent, link a few different-coloured tents together.

If you would like more information about Tentickle Stretch Tents and their world class tent hire, get in touch with us here. Find out more about our exquisite and affordable tent hire for your next event today!

Article source: https://tentsfromcairotocapetown.weebly.com/blog/inspiring-stretch-tent-decor-ideas-for-weddings

Top 10 DIY Wedding Decorations

Decorating a venue or stretch tents for a wedding is an essential but can be quite costly depending on your theme and set up. We have come up with our top 10 wedding decorations that you can create or make yourself on a budget.

Table Names/ Numbers

Once you have decided whether you are having a name or a number for your tables you can then start creating something to stand out. Mache letters and numbers are a perfect base to add your own design to.

Hobby Craft is a great place to purchase items such as plain wood, mache and fillable letters & numbers. Depending on your style, colours or theme they could be painted or decorated with a variety of flowers, glitter and papers.

Photo Frames are also a great alternative to display a table number, they can be purchased cheaply already decorative or try decorating the edges yourself with pearls, lace or ribbon.

Mache letter decorated in glitter. Photo – etsy

 

Pearl photo frame table number. Photo – want that wedding

Paper Cranes

Paper birds or cranes are great if you have mastered origami. They can be quite time consuming to make but definitely look extremely effective. Try bright colours or patterned card to make them stand out and hand them in lines from some string or see through fishing wire.

A great tutorial to help you have a go at making your own can be found here.

rigami paper cranes – handmade and hung between poles in a traditional marquee.

Pine Cones

These work really well particularity for an autumn or winter wedding. You can pick them up for free and either leave natural or spray them with paint or glitter.

Horse Shoes

Horse shoes are considered lucky and it's usually a tradition to have some at a wedding. They look great painted and hung on on some ribbon or rustic string.

Ribbons

Ribbons as a decoration are easy and still very effective. Match the colour to your theme or go bold and mix and match. Ribbons work great to add a bit of colour to your chairs for a ceremony or around a table.

Candles

Candles are a great DIY wedding decoration and are also really easy to make. There are lots of instructions online and the ingredients can be purchased cheaply. They can be made in a variety of different containers such as vintage Tea Cups, old jam jars, pots and glasses.

Match the colour to your scheme and add scents that will be released when lit.

Hanging Flowers

Once again the ceilings of  beautiful Bedouin-inspired stretch tents lends itself perfectly for hanging decorations. Flowers are a perfect and easy decoration for a wedding. They look really effective and don’t necessarily have to be fresh. Artificial flowers can look just as good and most of all you get to keep them afterwards.

Try hanging them from the roof or draped over poles mixed in with lights and ribbons.

Hanging Flowers from roof.

Hanging Flowers from wooden pole.

Feathers

White or coloured feathers make a great natural decoration.

They can be easily decorated and work particularly well dipped in some glitter for a sparkly effect. Hang them around the room or why not add them to your table place settings as a little extra.

Jars

Glass jars are perfect and affordable to use as a decoration. Save up your old jam and mason jars to reuse. Add fairy lights or candles and suspend them from the ceiling for an effective look. They can also be painted or covered in glitter to match your colour scheme.

Hanging Jam Jars with Tea Light Candles.

Painted Mason Jars. Photo – Etsy.co.uk

Pallets & Signs

Pallets make great accessories and are perfect for making your own signs from the separate pieces of wood.

Use the whole pallet to display your wedding day schedule or split them up to create smaller personalised signs in different shapes. Paint or use stencils to create a bespoke look to suit your own theme and style.

Painted Pallet Wedding Day Schedule.

Heart Sign made from an old pallet. Photo – Rustic Wedding Chic

For more ideas, inspiration and information about Bedouin inspired stretch tents - visit Tentickle Tents online. 

Article source: http://www.abbasmarquees.co.uk/diy-wedding-decorations/

16 Tips to Plan a Successful Outdoor Event

Outdoor events have a host of problems unique to themselves, from permits to being prepared for bad weather. With proper planning you can ensure your event succeeds satisfying not only your client but your attendees as well.

Imagine RIT is an annual spring festival that showcases innovative and creative work of students, faculty, and staff. The campus-wide festival attracts over 30,000 people in one day. May 7, 2011.

As warm weather comes around, more outdoor events are planned. These can be lovely, but be forewarned — outdoor events are sometimes much more difficult to organize than indoor events.

Here are some tips on how to plan an outdoor event and to minimize stress:

1. Get a permit

Do this as soon as you’ve finalized where and when you'll have your outdoor event. Do this first. The fastest way to shut down an event is to hold it without a permit.

2. Check up on all ordinances

What are the noise ordinances? Every town has them. Is noise prohibited after a certain time? You should also look into fire and safety codes. The latter may have restrictions on overselling tickets, advertisements and seating. Talk to the state and local authorities, the local fire department and the police about these.

3. Some outdoor events need more work than others

Is your event being held in an already existing outdoor facility? Great! That cuts your work in half. Otherwise, are you targeting a raw, uncommon area? Then advance planning and coordination is critical. You can expect to be in charge of everything — power, toilets, communications, equipment and food, among others. Make arrangements to bring everything to the venue, and taking everything out of the venue after the event is done. If you are planning to rent an outdoor tent for your occasion start by considering costs first. Visit a reputable tent dealer to compare stretch tent prices.

4. Load in, load out

Think beyond the event schedule itself, and factor in “loading in” and “loading out” time for everything, including arrangements for power, security, sanitation and other elements of the outdoor event.

5. Logistics and layout

Take photos of the venue, include a sketch and use markers to denote where you want your vendors, et. al. to be set up. How will the equipment be loaded in? The crew and guests? Have a meeting at the venue in advance, with all of your suppliers, so that you can all coordinate the downloading of equipment, parking of trucks, parking space for guests, and other possible needs.

6. Power

Foodway stations, DJ, and areas that will need lights all will need power stations. If there are not enough, tell your vendors to bring extension cords, and check the power load per plug. Coffee makers and crock pots should not share extension cords with sound equipment. Also, have a back-up power system on standby.

7. Ensure the comfort of guests

Have a steady supply of drinking water and drinking fountains. Make sure they're spread all around the venue. Some events, like concerts, provide hosting for crowds. Consider renting portable air conditioners, too.

8. Sanitation

You don’t want any mistakes made here. A lack of restroom facilities, or poor toilet facilities, can ruin your event. Make sure you have enough sanitation equipment not just for the guests but also for the crew.

9. Pest control

Have an exterminator spray the area. Take note of how long it will take after extermination for the food to be safely set up in the area. Keep cans of light scent (such as aloe) repellant handy, and incorporate decorative citronella candles. Decorative plate covers can keep the food protected and also make the table setting look attractive.

Keep a few electric fans running. It keeps the guests comfortable, and blows the mosquitoes away. Another strategy: Place a plate full of sugar water around the perimeter area to keep the bugs busy and out of your party.

10. Amenities

Keep hand wipes, light blankets, sunblock, bug spray, wraps and any other things available that you think will make your guests more comfortable.

11. Lighting

An evening event will require lights even for exit paths, walkways and parking areas for convenience and safety.

12. Health precautions

Have medical professionals on standby, especially if your event is in a remote area. Or at least keep a first-aid kit handy. Prepare a list of the nearest hospitals with directions on how to get to there.

13. Communication

This is especially important for events at remote sites. If the land is hilly, make sure your walkie-talkies have enough power to get through.

14. Monitor the weather

The most common reason to cancel outdoor events is inclement weather. Buy weather insurance, and start monitoring the weather as far in advance as possible. You can get forecasts at weather.com. Also, keep the wind in mind. You don’t want things to blow over, so make sure that everything is anchored securely.

15. Plan for the rain

Have a “plan B” in case of rain. Bring a tent, and know in advance where the DJs can go, the desks, and the food. Portable pavilions can double to provide shade for guests and protection in case of rain. Some of these pavilions even have lovely sidings that can be rolled down in case of rain, and intake vents to accommodate portable air conditioners.

16. Clean up

The event may be over, but your work is not. Make sure that you have made arrangements with the local sanitation department for cleaning up afterwards. Otherwise, have a hauling firm on hand for clearing the area, once the event is over.

Article source: https://eventstant.com/16-tips-plan-successful-outdoor-event/

9 Tips for Planning Tented Weddings

Photo, Jen Fariello Photography

Outdoor tented weddings are stunning (to say the very least), but what you might not know is that the successful execution of such open-air events requires a lot of moving parts and logistical extras, extras that aren't usually needed when hosting weddings indoors. Like most brides-to-be, the last thing you want for your upcoming wedding day is to be unprepared and ill-informed about what exactly you'll need & need to do to make sure you pull off the tented, outdoor soiree of your dreams.

To make sure that you never have to experience any of the "I wish I'd known..." moments that so many other brides have encountered in the past, we've compiled 9 oh-so-helpful tips that are essential to keep in mind every step of the way in your outdoor wedding planning journey. So read on, take notes, and (finally!) relax with the confidence that with these tips in your arsenal, everything will be just grand.

Get The Right Tent!

Easier said than done. One big mistake we see brides make all the time is measuring the space the tent will go on their own. Don't do this! Get in touch with your wedding tent hire companies in your area and have them make a site visit to measure the space on their own, the right way, to ensure you get a tent big enough for your event. After all, they're the pros, and there is more that goes into this than meets the eye. For example, you can't stick a tent just anywhere. You have to make sure there are no underground utility lines (saving you a very costly situation should you hit one). Additionally, you can't think solely about how many guests you'll have, but also the style of dinner service, the size of the dance floor, how many bars you'll have, what kind of band stage you'll need, etc. One last time: get a pro to do this.

Make Sure There Are Plenty Of Available Restrooms

Although the outdoor venue or location you choose for your wedding may have restrooms on site, that doesn't guarantee that these facilities can accommodate your number of guests. A fabulous rule of thumb to keep in mind is that you'll need at least one restroom per every 40-45 guests. If what's available isn't an ideal or workable ratio, rent extras for your big day. Trust us, nothing leads to a grumpy crowd like a bathroom shortage (especially when there's a bar involved!).

Survey The Power Outlet Situation

It's often a detail that goes unnoticed until the very last moment, but making sure that you have adequate power supply, plenty of outlets, and the necessary electrical requirements for your wedding vendors is a BIG component of pulling off a tented affair with no hiccups. To make sure you are covered, talk with each and every one of your vendors about what they'll need, survey the location to make sure those needs can be accommodated, and finally, book a generator if you need one. Should you need a power generator, your local wedding tent rental company should be able to supply you with one or point you in the right direction.

Remember That You'll Need Lighting!

Once you confirm that your power supply needs are covered, go ahead and dive into assessing what you'll need to rent or purchase to make sure that your tented event has plenty of lighting. Sure, you'll have plenty of light by day, but when your celebration spills over into the evening hours, it's more than necessary to sufficiently light all party areas — the reception area, the bathroom facilities, the walkways, the on-site parking lot, etc.

Don't Forget About Parking Logistics

Another on-site logistic that you should take notice of early on in your wedding plans is parking. Does your outdoor space have a parking area? If so, does it have enough spots for the number of guests you'll have? If no parking area is provided or if there isn't enough available parking areas, then you'll need to, unfortunately, secure off-site parking, which can be very costly. If you do end up having to reserve parking elsewhere, it's also key to remember that you'll need to provide transportation for your guests to and from the wedding location.

Secure Your Permits

When you finalize the location of your outdoor tented wedding, one of the very first items you should check off your to-do list is "get permits." To determine what types of permits you'll need and if the county has a noise ordinance or special laws, head over to town hall and have them explain their regulations. From there, get to work on securing all permits and making sure your soiree is in line with any and all county rules.

Purchase Event Insurance

We know it seems silly to purchase insurance for a single day, but trust us when we say that you really shouldn't leave this safety measure of our your wedding plans, especially when it comes to outdoor weddings. Although it's likely that nothing like this will go wrong on your big day, uncontrollable disasters do happen, such as fires, injuries, and inclement weather. Make sure your investments are protected! Plus, what do you have to lose? Event insurance is relatively inexpensive and it'll provide you with priceless peace of mind.

Double & Triple Check Your Rental Needs

When you host a tented wedding, pretty much everything has to be rented. Yes, everything from the tables and chairs to the linens to the tent itself. With this outdoor wedding quirk in mind, we urge you to double & triple check your rental needs throughout the planning process. Nothing spells "uh-oh" quite like forgetting a major must-have or underestimating the exact quantity you need. Because this point is extremely important, we whole-heartedly suggest hiring a wedding planner to help guide you through this intensive portion of preparing for your wedding day. He or she will know exactly where to turn for quality rentals, exactly what and when you need order, and more!

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare For The Weather

Mother Nature is one unpredictable lady. For that very reason, it's imperative that you prepare, prepare, prepare for any and all weather scenarios that might pop up on your big day. If it's likely to rain, discuss rainy day backup plans with your tent company (some companies have special rain tents). If the forecast shows that it's going to be a stifling hot day, rent event fans to place in the corners of your tent. If it's going to be chilly, invest in heaters to scatter around your event. No matter what the weatherman predicts, you should be ready with a plan up your sleeve.

Keep these important details in mind while you plan and we're sure that your tented wedding with be a success from start to send-off!

Article source: https://stretchtentscapetown.wordpress.com/2017/07/17/9-tips-for-planning-tented-weddings/

Outdoor Versus Indoor Wedding

Always dreamed of a summer wedding outside in a lush garden? Or does the thought of the humidity and chance of rain deter you against anything to do with the outdoors? Whether you have your wedding indoors or out, consider the advantages and disadvantages of each option before making your choice.

The time of year, of course, plays a big role in your decision. If it's a winter wedding, opt for an indoor wedding. However, if your wedding will be in the summer, an outdoor wedding can take place in many beautiful outdoor settings, such as on the beach, by a beautiful garden, or a gorgeous backyard.

Outdoor wedding: advantages and disadvantages

Advantages of having an outdoor wedding include the natural beauty that is all around you. From palm trees to flowers, to gazebos, lush greenery, and sunsets, nature is your breathtaking decor, which can save you money on flowers and other decorating expenses.

Besides saving on decor, you will save on rental fees for a hall or any inside venue. Public beaches, gardens, and parks do not charge a fee so the only fee you would incur is the minister or priest. This casual approach also allows you to skip the pricey formal attire. You can wear a simple sundress, if you’d like, thus saving more money.

Another advantage is that you can choose whatever theme you’d like. Some churches can be very strict and might not allow you to be creative and dress them up with fun themes, but when you're outdoors, you have greater freedom to do whatever you'd like. Outdoor weddings also allow your guests to feel more relaxed because it's a fun, casual environment, rather than a stuffy and formal place. Having lots of space for movement is more comfortable for them as well.

Of course, one must also consider the disadvantages of an outdoor wedding. The biggest disadvantage is Mother Nature’s power over the weather. Because weather is so unpredictable, this can be a cause for concern. Sometimes, the weather forecast may call for sunny and clear skies, but come the day of your wedding, the exact opposite might be true. This is when a back-up plan is vital. It's this back-up plant that can increase the budget, as booking a room or a tent for your Plan B will entail costs, especially in the case of booking a tent. However, look into renting a tent structure that can serve as an outdoor venue. A high quality stretch tent structure can within gail force winds and will protect your guests from even the most unpredictable weather. Be sure to price and compare. We found, a reputable company such as Tentickle Stretch Tents, a good source of realistic stretch tent prices, great service and really beautiful tents that will enhance your special day. The worst-case scenario is that you pay to have the tent installed and then have a gorgeous sunny day and lose your deposit or the entire amount.

Another thing to think about is humidity. Hair might not cooperate in humid weather, makeup can be runny, and seasonal allergies can bother you or your guests. Also, make sure your priest or officiant is willing to marry you at your venue, since many Catholic priests will not perform marriage ceremonies outside of the church.

Indoor wedding: advantages and disadvantages

If you love the look of an outdoor wedding, but don’t want the stress of possible rain, you can create the outdoor look inside as well. For one client, I rented a venue encased in windows and this allowed everyone to feel like they were right in the middle of the natural beauty outdoors, while still inside, saving my client the stress of possible rain or need for a Plan B.

The advantages of having your wedding indoors is the year-round aspect. Whether your wedding is during the winter, spring, summer, or fall, there is no issue with weather. There are so many options for an indoor wedding, from historic buildings, stunning hotel banquet rooms, luxurious reception halls to indoor greenhouses, just to name a few.

The opportunity of having an "off-season" wedding in an indoor venue is also a plus, as hosting a wedding when venues are not busy may save you some money by the discounts that these venues can offer during their quiet season.

Golf clubs, for example, welcome events with open arms and sometimes reduce their rental rates and offer special wedding packages to bring in some business during their off-season.

Lighting is a great way of creating ambiance at a wedding and indoor venues allow you to maximize its effect, creating the perfect mood and allowing you to have the exact lighting you desire. Indoor weddings also mean better climate control.

Before making your choice on whether you prefer an indoor or outdoor wedding, consider all the pros and cons of each option and see what works for you.

Article source: http://www.slice.ca/weddings/blog/outdoor-versus-indoor-wedding/40973/