5 Things You Didn’T Know About Wedding Tents

Today, creative tent designers (yes, there are such pros and we actually have a whole team) can construct not only tented ballrooms, but also additional structures such as walkways, entrances, anterooms and rotundas to house various components of your reception.

Here are five other things you might not have known about tents, a structure that can allow you to host a wedding just about anywhere:

1. A TENT IS NOT A CANOPY.

A tent, with a framework and a center pole, is different from a canopy, which has side poles but no center pole. The advantage of working with a tent is that the ceiling is much higher.

2. TENTS ALLOW YOU TO ADD A VIRTUALLY UNLIMITED NUMBER OF CHAMBERS.

You might create an anteroom to showcase your wedding cake at the entrance to your main tent. You could add a tented open-air cigar lounge, filled with sofas and chairs, to your reception. A smaller tent may also be used to house portable toilets to make them more attractive.

3. YOUR TENT CAN BE DISGUISED.

Even though tents are made of malleable material, you can add inset windows and interior wall panels so it can look almost like a solid building. Even the high ceiling of a tent gives you the option of swagging it with fabric or hanging chandeliers.

Of course, if you choose not to decorate the tent’s interior, ask your rental company to wrap the metal tent poles in plastic or fabric, which enhances the look of the space inexpensively.

4. PROPER FLOORING WILL COMFORT AND SAFEGUARD YOUR GUESTS.

If the ground beneath your tented area is uneven or wet, consider laying a subfloor that can then be covered with wall-to-wall carpeting, turf carpeting, sisal, or parquet. If wetness may be a problem but you do not wish to incur the expense of installing a subfloor, your rental company can cover the ground with heavy plastic and lay carpeting on top of that.

5. PARTY TENTS REQUIRE PERMITS.

When using a tent, keep in mind the need to check on and comply with all local ordinances. Many municipalities require a permit to erect a reception tent.