You have always dreamed of having a wedding ceremony and reception under a tent outdoors. Fortunately for you, your dream is finally coming true. The time has arrived to do the planning for your tent wedding and you aren’t quite sure how to pull it off: two events, one location.
What do you do when you have a tent wedding ceremony and reception in the same location? How can you make this transition smooth – free of stress and chaos? Transporting your wedding guests from part A of the event to part B, while you are focused on pictures can be a bit tricky. Luckily, however, it is do-able.
Depending on your likes and dislikes, there are several ways to get through this transition smoothly. Take some time to read through these suggestions and decide what will work best for your individual scenario.
Gather a transition team to assist
If you are truly holding the separate events in the exact same location, you will be making a big transition between the ceremony and reception area. You are going to need some help. Gather a team of professionals to assist you to make it quick and easy. For example, a wedding planner, the florist, caterers, a few friends. While you are concentrating on the fact that you just tied the knot and want the pictures to prove it – your team will go to work transforming your ceremony area into the most magical reception area possible.
Quick transitioning tips:
- If you plan on having a fairly short ceremony and are not opposed to your guests standing, this will reduce the number of chairs and furniture involved when transitioning between the two events.
- Keep decorations Complex décor will only add to the transition time, whether taking it down from the ceremony or decorating for the reception.
- Plan to keep a similar flow for both events. The more alike the décor will be, the easier to transition.
- It is a good idea to have everything necessary in close proximity and to even do a trial run before the big event to cut down on the chance for any errors or missing pieces.
Make sure you can count on your team – and that they are ready for the challenge!
Create a temporary mingling space
While your team is re-creating your tent wedding space, you will need to find something to do with your guests. Why not create a space beside the tent location for them to mingle while they wait? Here are a few ideas you can do to keep them occupied:
- Have a cocktail party with hors d’oeuvres.
- Set up a popcorn station. Serve small cups or bags of popcorn and provide a wide array of unique toppings, such as chocolate drizzle, caramel drizzle, nuts, candy pieces, etc.
- Pass out note cards and have guests write notes, memories, or words of wisdom to the newlyweds.
- Provide disposable cameras and have guests begin taking their own pictures. Collect these cameras as the wedding reception is concluding.
- Set up lawn games for your guests. Take advantage of the outdoors by setting up cornhole, croquet, giant chess, horseshoes, etc. for your guests to play as they wait.
Use your creativity and decide on something that will make your guests content while they wait for you.
Use dividers and split your tent wedding
If your guest list is not too enormous, you may be able to divide your tent. Using customized decorative dividers, you can get a two for one deal. Splitting your tent in half will allow you to set up for your ceremony and your reception. This will require no transitioning between – other than a short walk for your guests.
Hold the ceremony in the reception area
It isn’t too uncommon for weddings to be held in the actual reception area. Instead of guests standing or sitting in auditorium style they will be sitting at their designated tables. The setup will include an aisle through the venue for which the wedding party will use to walk on for the ceremony. Choosing to go this route means that there will be no awkward in-between time and there will be no need for the major transitioning of spaces.
There is one downfall: pictures. Usually, after the ceremony, guests will be ushered elsewhere while the wedding party remains and collects a ton of pictures. However, because both events are taking place in the same location, that would mean the pictures would be taken there, too. Photographers often find it difficult to keep the focus of the wedding party as the ceremony concludes. Perhaps another option would be to take photos before the ceremony begins.
Decide to use two tents
Depending on the size of lawn you have available, you could choose to use two tents. One can be designated specifically for the ceremony, the other for the reception. This gives the feel of a traditional wedding – with the ceremony at the church and the reception in a different location. The perk is there is no driving involved!
This option surely isn’t for everyone. It would require a large outdoor space and could hike up your expenses just a bit. On the other hand, two tents also cut down on the need for a transition team and all the stress that it brings. The reception area will already be set up and waiting for your guests while you and your wedding party are spending some time with the photographer.
This is your wedding, your reception, and your day. There is no set guidebook that tells you how you must have your ceremony and reception. Decide what works best for you and your tent wedding – then practice its execution so that it is flawless on your big day.