Tanya Costigan Events has a niche in tent weddings, with about 70 percent of my business being at home tent weddings for clients. There is definitely something magical about them. The glow of lights seeping from the tent against the night sky, the personal touches and the special effect a tent wedding has when it’s hosted on family property.

I’m here to share my top 5 tips for a successful tent wedding:

1. Be willing to accept that rain (or other inclement weather) may occur and work with your wedding planner to create a back up plan early on. Ask the rental company to put a tentative hold on tent sides, just in case.
2. Don’t forget to think about a power source for the tent. Your DJ or musicians will need power, and so will your caterer and lighting professionals. Be sure to check with each professional as to how many watts they will need to be sure you are supplying enough power. The last thing you want is the wedding to come to a crashing halt when the power blows.
3. Consider doing a seating chart on a heavy mirror, window frames, wood or other material that can stand up to wind. Place cards are pretty, but will most likely be disturbed by breezes/winds. Just be sure to make some sort of indicator at the place setting of each guest as to what their meal choice is. This makes it easy for the caterer and the guest…who may have forgotten their food choice.
4. Choose chairs that won’t sink into the ground. Chiavari chairs are certainly stunning, but will absolutely sink into the grass when someone sits on it. If you want chiavari, consider renting a full floor for under the tent. Otherwise, choose something like a wooden garden chair.
5. Light the path from the tent to the parking lot and restrooms. While some guest may pop their cell phone flashlight on, it’s nice to have pre-lit walkways as night falls. It will also add charm and ambiance to the scene.

(Photography credits: Fall themed inside tent – Keira Lemonis Photography, Seating chart – Love & Perry Photography, Inside tent shot with dark wood tables – Love & Perry Photography, daytime outside tent shot – JP Langlands Photography, night time outside tent shot – HaleChannel Photography)