Or more appropriately, a blank tent.
Mr. Hum’s dad graciously arranged for us to have a 40 x 40 tent for our wedding reception. It’s a pole tent so it’s got a peaked roof and aside from the basic interior lighting included in our package, it’s pretty much bare inside in terms of decor.
As things are winding down in terms of wedding planning and as I am a teeny bit on the poor side from paying for all the other wedding bills, I know I want to spruce the tent up, maybe add some colour or whatnot, but I am also on a reasonably tight budget and want to keep things under control money wise.
So, since I know we’ve got some pretty crafty DIY readers so I’m shining the Bee Signal into the sky in hopes of some aid. A couple hundred bucks and a big white tent - what would you do?
Pictures of our tent, courtesy of our tent company:
The outside of the tent.
The inside of the tent.
We’re only a couple of weeks out now and I have approximately a day and a half’s worth of decorating time, so any suggestions on how to do things quick, cheap and easy are much appreciated!
White christmas lights will do wonders! Won’t be adding color, but it’ll be like candle light and look great. But they are cheap! Hopefully you can find them now if you don’t have any =P
And maybe go to Michael’s and get some tulle to mix in with the lights.
I agree about the twinkle lights, but also.. what about yards of fabric? Depending on your colors, you could get some satins, some mesh, some tulle, etc and string them along the walls or along the tables.
I love the idea of christmas lights, teh little white ones look fantastic in those tents, i’ve seen it done, and i can’t imagine it’s very costly.
i also had a friend who bought a bunch of paper lanterns and strung them up in the rafters. it looked amazing!
don’t know if this is your decorating style at all, but we’re making some paper garlands of different color circles to string around the white gazebo we’re getting married in. here’s a photo of them in progress.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deannastaffo/2508227833/in/set-72157604572786153/
they’re super cheap to make and with a little help, don’t take long. you just need string, glue, and either paper or fabric. we used a circle punch and glued tabs to them, but you can also make them triangle flags. we were inspired by this site:
http://www.sophiecuvelier.com/
good luck with whatever you decide to do - i think we’re getting married just a week or two after you!
I can’t wait to see what you do! We are facing the EXACT dilemma (event the same size tent/style). We plan on doing some paper lanterns, but our issue is exactly how to hang them. The interior is pretty high. I don’t think a hydraulic lift is in the budget!
I have done many a tented wedding over the last few years… and I can honestly say that there is a bit of an art to it…. The space is large so anything that you add needs to be on a grand scale to really make a difference. The most economical ways to really make an impact are:
-Lighting, Lighting, Lighting! (This does not have to be expensive)… but uplighting the tent’s peak and shooting light up the sides of the tent is really going to give the most bang for your buck. (You can start with soft yellow-y candle light gels and then transition into more bold and colorful gels later in the evening)
-Fabric goes a long way…. but only if done correctly. Wrapping all exposed poles in strips of fabric the entire way down (really cost effective if you buy large bolts of fabric and cut them into long, 3″ strips)… it gives it more of a polished appearance. Also taking wide strips of fabric and letting them drape from the peak to the tops of the walls is a nice touch….
-Lastly, utilizing the beams to hang something at various levels. I’ve hung massive grape-vine balls…. cast-iron chandeliers…. paper lanterns, etc…. but the hanging elements really give an interesting element to an otherwise empty space.
Good Luck! Can’t wait to see how it all turns out.
Yeah I agree with the lights and also maybe if you can hang stuff inbetween the windows for some color.
can lights, with gels. If you can find a rental company or a theater that will let you do the set up (it is easy, you just plug them in) you won’t have to pay the labor fees which tend to be the biggest cost.
Big impact, little money!!
Paper lanterns at the dollar store and second Martha’s pomanders. I am assuming you have already arranged for tablecloths for the tables?
Btw I heart the b&w dance floor. Will make for a great first dance background.
i’m digging the paper lanterns + christmas lights suggestions. i think that would look great!
We used white paper lanterns obtained used from another bride. We then took the orange ones and spray painted them a rust color to match our motif. I hung them everywhere and at different lengths. My family went out and bought tons of the white organza to drape the poles. We used the help of a lot of teen cousins not doing anything during the summer and needing something different to do setup.
You could use paper lanters and instead of buying the electrical cord for them, which could be pricey, you can just get a bunch of led lights (you can get them wholesale, or maybe from your florist - mine has them) and then use your own string or wire to hang them. This way, you also won’t have to worry about using outlets.
Oh, and to get the led lights to stay in the lantern, my florist is using this gummy glue stuff to secure wooden rods to the top and bottom of the lantern. He then uses the gummy stuff to put the led lights onto the rod. Just one or two lights are sufficient.
Yes! Yes! Paper lanterns. They don’t even have to be lit from within if that’s too expensive or too much of a headache. You can get coloured ones which will look gorgeous against the bare white and make it seem less industrial in there.
Google image search “paper lantern wedding” for some inspiration. They can be purchased in bulk for fairly reasonable prices.
lights and fabric!
If you’re going to go with paper lanterns, they sell them in Chinatown for CHEAP! I was there last week and we decided to pop in to a few places on Spadina just South of College and they all said that they could do bulk sales. I didn’t stay and negotiate prices, but they said that we could get a very good deal if we were to buy at least 50 or 100. I did think to grab a business card from at least one place, so if you’d like the name, just msg me. But I’m sure most of the wholesale stores along Spadina would sell them at bulk prices. Good luck! Can’t wait to see the finished product!
Hi Erin - would you mind giving me the name of the store in Toronto..thanks so much!
Mrs. Hummingbird, Toronto
Age and Occupation: 25, Publishing Coordinator
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Videogame Designer/Cartoonist
Engagement Date: May 4, 2007
Wedding Date: June 28, 2008
Blogging Since: September 18, 2007
Venue: A garden wedding followed by a tented reception on Mr. Hummingbird's father's property.
About Me: I’m a pop culture loving, vintage obsessed foodie living in Canada’s biggest city with my fantastic fiancé and our lovable fluffy cat Bettie. I’m stoked to marry my best friend and to throw what I hope will be
the most fun and colourful party of our lives.
I’d totally recommend martha’s tissue pomanders, cheap easy and big! and probably some sort of lighting, maybe just a couple of uplights like Mrs. Lovebug’s. That or a heck of a lot of twinkle lights!