Mrs. Sundae, Chicago/Lake Geneva, WI
Age and Occupation: 28, Knowledge Manager
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Investment Advisor
Engagement Date: July 20, 2007
Wedding Date: September 2008
Blogging Since: February 5, 2008
Venue: The Abbey Resort
About Me: It’s hard to believe that by the time Mr. Sundae and I get married we will have been together for almost ten years. When we first met in college we split dollar pitchers and now we share the mortgage payments. Despite our love for the city we are looking forward to tying the knot in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
It’s Not A Shed, I Swear
February 8th, 2008 @ 6:08 pm by Mrs. Sundae
I’ll admit, I was so excited about finding a tent that met our criteria, I didn’t really look long and hard at the inside. We walked through it I snapped a few pictures, thought it had a lot of potential and that it would look completely different when it was decorated. Then when I was interviewing photographers I saw photos of a reception in our exact tent…and I went into a blind panic. It looked exactly like the picture above but with a few tables and someone in a white dress! I turned to google and quickly realized that I had booked myself a frame tent and the images that lived in my head were all of tension tent, like this (Martha describes the different types of tents here):
The tent we had already put a deposit on is a semi-permanent structure, so there is no hope of getting a different type. What really bothers me and what I think contributes most to the “shed feeling” are those beams on the top, so my first thought was to drape some fabric across the ceiling, like this (image from the knot):
I called several different rental companies, and most of them didn’t have draperies big enough to fit the inside of our tent…it was a painful process. One person who did have the right size quoted me $30,000 (when I asked in horror if anyone had actually paid that price he said, “not for a wedding.”) Then I found this picture:
There are definitely some beams on the top of that tent, but it’s one of the last things I notice. No sheds here! (I can’t remember where I got this picture from, it was before I started documenting, sorry). The two key elements in that picture seem to be lighting and paper lanterns, so that’s where I went next. We’re still in discussions with a lighting designer but I will keep you posted!
Do any of you have creative ways to decorate reception tents? Has anyone else decided to hire a lighting designer?
19 Responses to “It’s Not A Shed, I Swear”
I’ve done several weddings in semi-perm tents, and yours looks like alot of them. DO NOT fret - lighting and laterns is a great way to hide the look but so is just lighting, from any good florist or designer you can get lighting - and laterns are super in-expensive and easy to hang. You can even hang strands of beads from the bottom of the lantern and they’ll sparkle with your lighting.
Take a deep breath, it’s going to be beautiful!
I think lighting is the BEST way to go on a number of reasons. one its going to be easier and cheaper than the fabric or any other ideas if you are stuck to the tent. I had the lanterns on the patio for my wedding and lighting from my dj company inside the college dining hall. It looks amazing and everyone was amazed to find out it was a dining hall. there are LED lights you can get to project different colors against the wall, and on the plus side you have perfect white walls to project any kind of light you want. Cheaper you can do the same lights in the background of your last photo which are just stand lights with one color. the paper lanters shouldn’t be more than $1200 to $1500 per section, in your last photo it looks like 2 sections.
We are hiring a lighting designer b/c we want a room transformation. We really want the room to pop. And it’s cheaper than hiring someone to hang fabric.
You’re right, lighting is definitely cheaper than hanging fabric. I don’t know why but I thought it would be the other way around. Shows you how much I know!
You might want to ask as well if your florist does lighting. I’m sure a lot of florists are florists-only, but our florist is a “design group” and it was cheaper to have them do our lighting as well rather than hire a separate lighting vendor, which was our original plan.
I am having a lighting person ! I think lighting is one of the main things that helps transform the space, and your tent is going to be GORGEOUS ! =)
i’m all for lighting as well. since your tent is all white, it’s a perfect blank canvas to turn into something unique and more “you”!
My friend held her wedding at a campground and the main building had beams like your tent. She made these huge tissue paper pomanders (taken right out of Martha Stewart Living) and the room looked great. (The look is similar to hanging paper lanterns). It was a great cost effective way to decorate.
I don’t have to hire a lighting designer…FI is one!
OOOOH!! I LOVE that last picture. That’s gorgeous!!
I can’t believe that–$30k? Holy crap!
That last picture looks fantastic. I’m sure you’ll find a way to make it look great.
Art of the Imagination does great lighting and draping. Mrs. Emerald used them. I’ve booked them.
Out of curiousity, did you look into the black and white dance floor? I really wanted one but the cheapest I could find was $1200.
I did look into the black and white dance floor, and was quoted $900. I absolutely love them though…they look so elegant!
Ohh i so hear your struggle. We are having a tent wedding at my aunt and uncle’s b and b and I am dead set on not having it look like a cold white barren tent. But it’s hard! There are alot of considerations to make with renting a tent.. I think i will hire a lighting designer.. question for all the tent brides out there - are you planning on having a floor through the whole tent or just the dance floor?
Kristin - Our tent actually has a floor and then we’ll have a dance floor in addition to that. I’ve been to a wedding in a tent where there was only a dance floor though, and it looked great!
We got a lighting designer to do a little bit of work. We’re having star-shaped lanterns above the dance floor and white bulb lights (think that scene from Hope Floats where they’re at that dance) to lower the ceiling over the eating area.
I saw this and perhaps it can be of inspiration for your non-shed reception 
http://thebridescafe.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/02/post-13.html
