Breathtaking Tent Ideas for Outdoor Wedding
Universally admired for their durability, functionality, and overall uniqueness, tents can offer a plethora of playful design options to any outdoor wedding space. Whether white, clear, or colorful, these resilient structures make for a stylish addition to your cocktail hour, outdoor ceremony, or alfresco reception.
You can craft an inviting tented entry fit for a grand entrance, create softness with cascading drapery, bring the outdoors in with live plants and trees, or set the tone for your post-ceremony design with a collection of ceiling installations. An assortment of whimsical décor, creative lighting, and custom flooring will help distinguish your wedding canopy or tent from the rest.
Ahead, some of the industry’s top vendors lend their expertise on ways to make your wedding tent even more memorable. Read on for 28 breathtaking tent ideas for your outdoor soirée.
Bring Focus to Your Head Table
Conceptualizing a floral display that hangs horizontally above your head table (typically where the newly married couple is seated) is a unique way to create a focal point inside your tent. Francie Dorman and Britt Cole, cofounders of 42 North, crafted this striking installation using soft florals, chandeliers, and romantic drapery. “We played with the tent’s negative space elsewhere using layers of draping for a luxurious and intimate environment,” they said.
Elect for a Canopy
Morgan Childs, founder and creative director of Modern Elopement, suggests selecting a canopy to allow for plenty of sunlight to permeate throughout your space. “The open sides are great for integrating your surroundings into the design of your day while still creating shade with the overhead cover,” says Childs.
Consider Draping
One way to add glamour to the construction of your tent—while eliminating the use of additional rentals—is to integrate soft draping. “Instead of chandeliers, use draping to add a special touch to an outdoor tent,” suggests Kaitlyn Hostetler, event planner and director of marketing for EVOKE. “The depth created by the design generates the perfect ambiance for an elegant outdoor event.”
Assemble a Level Foundation
When constructing a tent outside, the ground you are building on can be unpredictable. Kristin Doggett, owner and creative director at Bellafare, recommends creating a solid surface that you can rely on for your tent’s foundation. “A solid surface is always a good idea to ensure a level dance floor, to avoid heels from sinking into the ground, and to create an environment that feels comfortable and inviting as if you were indoors,” says Doggett.
Anticipate Unforeseen Weather
“A beautifully draped tent creates an intimate space while sheltering guests from the elements,” says Tina Reikes, owner of Bear Flag Farm, who promotes the use of a covered structure for an outdoor ceremony. For this wedding, the sides of the tent were left open to allow for a scenic view of the property.
Draw the Eye Up
Not only are hanging floral installations a major trend, but they are ideal for bringing the focus to the height of your tent. “A floral installation will draw your guests’ eyes upwards, allowing them to enjoy the full beauty of your tent,” says Carrie Wilcox, owner of Carrie Wilcox Floral Design. Elevated floral designs can also free up space on your table, enabling the elimination of a centerpiece altogether.
Distinguish a Seating Area
“Create a living room in the middle of the tent to give purpose and focus near the dance floor,” suggests Aleah and Nick Valley, founders of Valley & Company Events. “Stage oversized comfy chairs, coffee tables, and pews as you would in your own home, and accent with chandeliers overhead to bring the indoors out.” A cozy space will encourage guests to sit and chat all night, all while admiring the tent’s ambiance and décor.
Curate a Striking Entrance
Set the tone for your tent by crafting an entry worthy of a one-of-a-kind event. Caitlin Campbell, the senior event coordinator and designer at True Event, recommends grabbing your guests’ attention with an entrance adorned with eye-catching decor. “We love when a couple wants to go bold with flowers or other decor options to get everyone’s attention,” she says.
Create Height With Centerpieces
When utilizing a sailcloth tent, Lauren Emerson, owner of Lauren Emerson Events & Design, wants to remind couples to create a height with the components of their tablescape. “Sailcloth tents have such beautiful high peaks that shouldn’t go unnoticed,” she says, suggesting that multiple levels of tall arrangements will ensure your design doesn’t fall flat.
Consider a Clear Top
Chelsey Morrison, the owner of Gather Together Events, favors clear top tents to tie in aspects of the outdoors. “When you have a beautiful setting, there is no better way to feel connected to the landscape while still protecting your guests from the elements,” she says. One of her most favored benefits of translucent structures? The silhouettes created from surrounding trees and landscapes can be seen at dusk.
Strategize Cohesive Décor Elements
For an alfresco wedding, Emily Clarke, creative director of Emily Clarke Events, tied in magnolia trees throughout features of the reception and the tent’s overall design. “To complement the trees, we created a grand tent entryway with woven vines, magnolia leaves, and overflowing greenery. We then covered the interior tent poles in ivy. Finally, we hung large magnolia-leaf wreathes from the ceiling,” she explains.
Amplify Your Color Scheme
For this reception, hints of purple were integrated throughout facets of the event’s decor as well as within details of the structure itself. Alicia Fritz, the founder of A Day in May Event Planning & Design, suggests incorporating subtle hints of color toward the top of your tent to help create a cohesive theme overall. “Depending on your day-of color palette,” she says, “you can elevate your space and structure with varying tones, shades, and hues.”
Bring the Outdoors In
With your surroundings proving to be a significant influence on your overall theme and tented design, why not bring elements of nature into the interior of your day-of space? “We love to add natural components to our tented weddings by cutting saplings from the land and bringing the outside in,” says Sherry Spencer, partner at Southern Blooms, adding that this helps create a more intimate space by filling the high ceiling.
Integrate Unexpected Sparkle
For a chic and playful way to incorporate shine to the inside of your tent, Victoria Love, owner of V. Love Events, recommends strands of assorted twinkle lights. “Let your guests feel as if they are dancing among the stars with twinkle lights overhead,” she says. The added feature will evoke romanticism and make for a soft ambiance.
Make a Statement
For couples that want to set the tone for their wedding in a bold way, Eatherley Schultz, owner of Floressence Flowers, recommends renting a structure with an impressive presence. “This Sperry Tent made a serious statement,” says Schultz, referring to a past event that utilized this towering staple. “It was placed in the middle of a field and surrounded by the mountains of western North Carolina. A stunning tent supported by a stunning backdrop.”
Adorn With Pendants
“One of our favorite elements of a tent is that it allows us to do really beautiful overhead installations,” says Kelly Clark Leonard, owner and lead producer at Event of the Season. Various points of interest like pendants, chandeliers, and other decorative elements create thoughtful details throughout a reception space. At this particular fête, white fabric wrapped the tops of each pendant to correlate with the sophisticated design aesthetic.
Play Up the Exterior
To enhance the exterior of your structure, Heather Lowenthal, owner of Posh Parties, suggests adding a pop of color to the tent’s outer trim. “It’s important to pay attention to the exterior as much as you do the interior,” she says. Adding a pop of color to this all-white structure, the exterior was lined with draping that had a thick navy border to create a completed look.
Customize a Dance Floor
“In order for guests to properly groove to the sounds of an awesome band, a dance floor was a necessity,” says Katie Huebel, owner of WED. The classic color combination of this dance floor was a custom element requested by the bride and groom.
Hide Unflattering Details
Guests notice everything, so make sure the exterior of your tent is as breathtaking as the interior. “Don’t forget to consider the structure of your tent and the materials needed to camouflage things you might not want your guests to see,” says Lynn Easton, founder and creative director of Easton Events.
Work With Natural Tones
Ashley Culicchia Cash, owner and creative director of The Graceful Host, advises couples to look to their surroundings for design inspiration. “Incorporate natural tones into your color palette that mimic the landscape of your setting,” she says. Wooden details aided in outlining the rustic design scheme of this airy tented reception.
Embellish Tables With Candlelight
A flattering component that ornaments your tablescape as well as creates softness throughout the ambiance of your space, Melissa Davis, owner of Melissa Davis Designs, recommends adding candles—varying in height—throughout the layout of your table. “The amber glow from the candlelight will add charm to the atmosphere of your tent’s interior,” she says.
Allocate Space for Entertainment
While tables, dance floors, and various decor features will take up most of the space in your tent, it’s important to leave room for other day-of elements like your live band or other entertainment essentials. “With an intimate setting as a unique benefit to a tented space, sometimes leaving too little room for a large orchestra can result in cramped spaces and limited dance room,” says Jeremy Davis, bandleader for The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra. Talk with your planner or day-of coordinator to ensure plenty of entertainment space is allocated to avoid unnecessary overcrowding.
Understand the Mechanics
“Wedding tents should include everything that a regular venue has, such as flooring, power, air conditioning/heating units, generators, lighting, and portable bathrooms,” notes Jennifer Zabinski, president and founder of JZ Events. It’s also important to consider the functionality of your tent for vendors. “For example, ensure there are proper access points for vendors to load in and be sure to include a cook-tent if your wedding is in a remote location.”
Play With Scale, Size, and Design
Light It Up
With weddings that stretch far into the night, it’s important to illuminate your tent enough. So that guests don’t feel as if they can no longer be in the space. “Whether string lights, large bulbs, or lit installations, the integration of light in your tented design is crucial for events that will continue after the sun sets,” says Tracie Domino, founder and creative director of Tracie Domino Events.
Embellish With Florals
Why save all your decor for your tent’s interior? Take a plain white canopy up a notch by embellishing the exterior in an over-the-top cascade of florals and greenery. This couple did not skimp on the floral design at their New England backyard garden-inspired wedding. The theme was complete with hanging tea lights inside, complemented by taper candles in glass holders on each floral-adorned tablescape.
Provide Multiple Structures
Why have one tent when you can have two (or more)? This couple embraced their Colorado mountain setting by opting for a smaller tent to enclose their cocktail bar, leaving more room for dining and dancing in their main reception tent. Guests could mix and mingle at the bar and in the adjacent socializing area before heading to the larger tent for the rest of the reception. This idea is perfect for a wedding with a larger guest list, or where the reception venue is in a sprawling outdoor space, like this one.
Hang Greenery Throughout
Hanging floral and greenery installations are super on-trend right now, but this couple opted for a sprawling effect rather than one singular focal point. For an in-the-meadows feel, hang greenery and naturally cascading florals all along the edges of your tent and down the center, leaving the rest of the ceiling empty. This works especially well with clear-topped tents, like this one, where the couple opted to hang twinkling string lights to create a truly magical vibe.
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