Planning & Organising a Tent Wedding

This morning we're handing the blog over to longstanding members of The List, and all round fabulous wedding tent suppliers, PapaKåta. They've been in the business for 10 years now, and have graced the pages of RMW many, many times - and we must admit, their tagline is true - the best parties happen in PapaKåta tents! Amanda, owner of PapaKåta, is here this morning to help advise on all the things to consider if you're having a tent wedding, because this type of wedding, more so than any other, requires an extra level of planning and detail. The gorgeous images come from their recent open weekend and shoot, and show you just how gorgeous (and versatile) their tents are. And if you're planning a teepee or tent wedding and have any questions, please do leave a comment below the post and we'll do our best to help you.

Tell Your Own Story

Amanda Monaghan, Owner of PapaKåta: We tend to attract independent, creative couples who want something more unique and personal than a standard wedding venue. We love it when couples can tell their own stories through our tents. Our Teepees and Sperry Tents truly are a blank canvas that allow couples to put their personality and lots of love into them. We’ve had a couple create the perfect quintessentially English country wedding in our Sperry, with another couple creating a cool festival vibe with evening rave complete with glow sticks. The looks couldn’t have been more opposite despite starting with the same structure, and both perfectly reflected the couples. And whilst our teepees are perfect for a woodland wedding, we’ve had clients go full glam with sequined tablecloths, metallic stationery and a giant glitter ball. Our Finishing Touches brochure contains our comprehensive collection of trend-led furniture and décor available to hire.

Venue Choices & The Not So Glam But Necessary!

Over the years, our tents have graced manicured lawns, rolling hills, picturesque valleys and wide-open vistas. When clients are searching for the perfect site for their tents, then our Little Black Book is a great place to start. With some venues, power may be taken from the venue, and they might have toilets and even catering facilities. But if you have fallen in love with a hidden woodland or remote field, then be aware that land needs to be flat and well draining and you’ll need to be entirely self-contained, with a generator for power, as well as a catering tent for your caterers to prep in, and you’ll need to hire in luxury portable toilets too. We give each of our Papa couples an ultimate Papa Planner, a book full of practical tips and checklists. This seems to really help our brides and grooms feel in control.

Wedding Trends

More and more couples are seeking an authentic experience for their wedding day, with old- fashioned quality, natural surroundings, textural materials and simple details. Our Teepees and Sperry Tents are perfect for couples that aspire for this kind of wedding experience, and we describe the look that can be achieved in our tents as rustic-luxe. The desire for experience is a huge trend, and being part of a shared experience is worth more than anything that you can buy. More and more, couples are opting for sharing food that’s served at the table. If you love the banquet style, opt for long tables. We’ve just added a wider table to our finishing touches to accommodate this style of dining, or indeed glamorous tablescapes.

The Great British Weather & Outdoor Weddings

A key piece of advice we would give is that you can have a beautiful outdoor wedding in the UK, and not to be put off or get hung up about the temperamental British weather! Have a wet weather contingency. Catering tents that connect into your main tent mean your food can be served without the need to go outdoors. Positioning your dancefloor at the entrance to your tent creates the perfect drinks reception space if guests have to go under cover. Use matting to create a walkway to your tent, or an outside terrace area, incase the grass is wet, and invest in a few umbrellas. If the forecast is for unseasonably cool weather, adding a heater or two will keep your guests cosy as dusk falls. We’ve seen incredible photos of weddings in the rain and the sound of the rain pattering on the tent canopies can actually add to the atmosphere inside.