Chatterberries

(Courtesy www.stuartrental.com)

(Courtesy www.stuartrental.com)

(Courtesy www.stuartrental.com)

(Courtesy www.stuartrental.com)

Want your wedding to be truly stylish and personalized? A tented affair offers endless design options, accommodates any number of guests, and can be situated anywhere from an intimate backyard to an exotic destination. It can also be a nightmare to plan: from the tent shape, flooring, lighting, staging, catering and more, there are loads of weighty decisions to make and it's a very pricey undertaking. Here, major considerations:

Flexible Space:

The tent size you will need depends on many factors including ground space, guest list, a standing cocktail reception or a sit down dinner, a DJ or a band, and more. "Space concerns also include figuring if you need a walkway, a food prep/ catering tent, portable bathrooms and guest parking," explains Andrew Sutton, tent expert at Stuart Rental www.stuartrental.com.

Dimensions:

Type of Party and Square Feet per person

Cocktail Party (stand up): 8 sq. feet per person

Cocktail Party (some seated): 10 sq. feet per person

Reception (some seated): 10 sq. feet per person

Cathedral/Theater Style Seating: 10 sq. feet per person

Sit Down Dinner (60" rounds): 15 sq. feet per person

Increase sq. ft. per person if adding:
- Dance Floor (4 sq. feet per person.)
- Stages (size of band or DJ equipment)
- Food Buffet Tables/Bar Stations
- Props or other large Décor

Courtesy of Stuart Rental of northern California. These are estimates and should be used as such. Local Fire Codes should also be considered.

Tent types:

Canopy: A lightweight tent designed to protect guests from sunlight and rain that's so easy to set up you can do it yourself.

Pole tent: A center pole supports the ceiling and the tent has exterior stakes to hold it up. This is the least expensive type of professionally installed tent, but the center poles can block views.

Century tent: A pole tent with a high ceiling and tall peaks at the top that create a swooping effect, like a circus tent.

Frame tent: An interior framework of horizontal poles, this type of tent fits into a small space but can also expand to fit a huge area. The sturdy framework can be concealed by draping material from the ceiling to the walls.

The Big Top:

Most tents have a white canvas top. A decorative (and pricey) trend that works with some types of tents is to drape the ceiling with color or texture, using a pleated or flat liner or any material that is flame proof. "A clear canopy is really stylish and it allows guests to view the day or night sky," says wedding expert Jennifer Carroll (wwww.jennifercarrollevents.com). "But with a see-through ceiling, sunlight and high temperatures can overheat a tent, requiring you to invest extra in air conditioning so you might want to consider a white top instead."

Wall Options:
An open tent without sidewalls maintains the effect of being outdoors with an uninterrupted view, while sidewalls offer protection against the elements and provide privacy. Sidewalls are most commonly white vinyl and sometimes include windows to allow for additional light and views. "Transparent walls are a fabulous option because they protect your guests from the elements while incorporating the surrounding scenery," says Sutton. If weather is not a concern, you can construct walls from various materials including sheer fabrics like tulle (the netting helps keep out bugs) or decorative lattice which can be accented with flower garlands or ivy.

Flooring facts:

If your tent is on level, well drained ground and you can get away without installing a floor you'll save a bundle. "If the ground isn't perfectly level, a ply-wood base might need to built, and this can be expensive," says Sutton. "A wood base can be constructed over virtually any surface, including uneven ground, a moderate incline, or even a swimming pool, providing a safe and sturdy surface that can then be carpeted as an option," he adds. Another flooring that works on just abut any flat surface is a rigid plastic subfloor. The least expensive move is to cover a tent floor in vinyl or Astroturf, although a dance floor area will still need to be covered in wood or another rigid surface.

Luxurious Illumination:

Lighting is important because it can transform a tent from a simple open space into a dramatic, romantic or magical environment. Depending on your budget, you can simply illuminate the whole tent or incorporate decorative elements such as projection lighting, focused pin spots, lanterns or even fancy fixtures like chandeliers. "An important consideration is your power source," says Carroll. "If you can pull electricity from a nearby building, great; if not, you will need to rent a generator," explains the pro, who highly recommends requesting a whisper generator. "You really don't want your evening spoiled by a loud generator," she cautions.

Climate control:

In the best scenario, the weather is perfect, but you might need to rent fans and/or portable A/C units to cool your tent or portable heaters to warm it. In buggy places, you can surround the outer perimeter surrounding the tent with citronella torches and netting to keep mosquitoes away. "When you get an initial estimate, factor in costs for heating or cooling even if you don't think you need them, in case there's an unexpected heat wave or chill," says Carroll.

Wendy Korn Heppt