We might sound like a broken record, but it’s worth saying over and over again: we love tented weddings! Tented weddings are a trend we’ve seen double in the wedding world, and it’s one I hope continues. The level of personalization this setting lends to couples celebrating such a milestone moment is the beginning of what makes them so special!

What’s not to love about weddings under the big top?! The list goes on and on, but for us, it starts with the fact that tented weddings tend to take place at a location deeply personal to the couple. Oftentimes our tented weddings take place at home, the most special of locations. We also plan weddings at iconic venues where the tent further enhances the property for an unforgettable fete. Either way, the location of your reception carries significance to your story and relationship. This is what opens the door to thousands of design possibilities. Seeing where it began and where you ended up is one of the most gratifying processes you’ll be a part of!

Tied with the meaningful location is the ability to personalize the overall experience for you and your guests, and experience matters! Straight from the mouths of guests at past events, the most memorable celebrations they’ve attended are those reflective of the couple they’re honoring. Incorporating your story and who you are into the design of the space makes it intrinsically more successful. Not to mention impactful for your loved ones! It’s what leads to memories everyone carries with them for years to come.

Start Planning Your Tented Wedding

Now, we consider ourselves experts when it comes to tented weddings. The finer nuances that come along with this style of celebration are something we’re known well for. We crave getting our hands dirty with logistics, complemented further by our custom designs, tailored to each of our couples celebrating their journey. It’s true: take a peek at some of our favorite weddings and designs here. No two are alike!

Have you been considering planning a tented wedding? Maybe you’re a little overwhelmed by where to start, and that’s perfectly normal! There’s a plethora of information out there, so we rounded up a few myths and truths to consider as you begin planning your fete. Check out our handy blog post – Tips and Tricks for Hosting Your Home Wedding in Connecticut – that will surely get you started on the right foot. Even if your event won’t be held at home, there is plenty of pertinent information related to a successful tented soiree!

Now, to show you just how much we LOVE a good tented wedding, we’ve rounded up our Top 5 favorite tented weddings from years past! It was nearly impossible to narrow down this too-good-to-be-true list, but we did our best. Check them out, and follow the links to read the full story for each day! They’re sure to leave a mark on your heart the way they did ours!

Our Top 5 Favorite Tented Weddings by Jubilee Events

1. Organic Summer Wedding in Washington, Connecticut

This one will always have my heart, and there’s a good reason why it’s listed first on this list and first in our galleries! This summer bash is one of the first among many of our home, tented weddings, and it was an easy one to infuse our couple into. Taking place in the bride’s family’s own backyard, we positioned the ceremony around the notable Oak tree, which was later incorporated in much of our stationery. The moment guests stepped onto this property, they were hugged by the love everyone shared for the couple, and that kind of energy is infectious!

After the ceremony, guests sipped and noshed fresh bites around the pool. This area was so lush and relaxing that it was all too easy for guests to immerse themselves in their experience. Following everyone’s favorite hour, guests transcended down the hill to our clear top tent, inviting them into this modern, organic garden-inspired fete we had created!

I will say that this tented wedding took place at the tail end of August, so many people would be wary to have a clear top tent for fear of creating a greenhouse effect. We knew just how to eliminate that possibility, ensuring the canvas was decked with a smattering of fans, so delicate no one noticed anything but the cool breeze. Of course, we took into account where the sun set and its position in the sky come dinner time! As I said, we understand the finer nuances of an amazing tented celebration!

The only thing cooler than the breeze lightly sweeping through guests was the couple themselves, cutting a rug on our dance floor, which happened to be their tennis court. That’s right! And we got to paint it blush pink! I’ll never forget the excitement surrounding that conversation.

photos: Carla Ten Eyck // floral: Blush Floral Design // lighting + tent decor: Ryan Designs

2. Colorful Backyard Bash in Newtown, Connecticut

Truth: I don’t know where to begin when sharing this day with you! There were so many moments, not just on the wedding day but throughout planning that make your heart burst. The first being when I met the bride, Nicole. I pulled into the driveway circling her childhood sunshine-yellow home as she burst out the front door with purple hair. She was the warmest and kindest soul and I knew instantly that this was going to be an insanely amazing day! I couldn’t even prepare myself!

When we first spoke about the design, Nicole and Mark said they wanted it to be “a colorful explosion of Princess Peach’s castle.” Some may question this, but to me, this was all a part of who Nicole and Mark are, and infusing couples into their design is the epitome of how we create!

There isn’t a color scheme we’ve met that we didn’t like but I’ll say I just adored how their palette makes me feel. Between the strands of colorful ribbon, partnered with the vibrant buds literally bursting from our tables, this is a treat for the eyes! Color has a way of inspiring energy and happiness, and their day was in no short supply of joy. This will forever be one of my all-time favorite tented weddings. I am eternally grateful to Nicole, Mark, and their family for granting me the opportunity to bring it to life!

photos: Emily Kirke Photography // floral: Botanique // tent: Greenwich Tent Co. // tent decor: Drape Art Designs

3. Romantic Shoreline Mansion Wedding at the Branford House in Groton, Connecticut

Another warm, generous, kind, beyond easy-to-love couple and Father of the Bride, which means an even more amazing shoreline celebration! You’ll notice we aren’t hesitant to add a splash of color into our tented weddings, and this design was no exception. Inspired by a painting in her dad’s Stonington, CT home, our bride wanted a fete that carried a romantic, warm twist on a nautical aesthetic.

Swagged throughout our Sperry Tent was fabric in berry tones, blush pink, and soft ivory to bring in some vibrant summer tones. Our draping set the stage for the lush floral chandelier, surrounded by more classic crystal chandeliers that watched over guests as they danced throughout the evening.

Our tent was set on the back lawn of the iconic Branford House, which we enjoyed for cocktail hour and, later on, an after-dinner lounge and bar scene. The mansion is every bit regal and romantic with the right levels of drama. Our canvas top was finessed with the same aesthetic as we designed our home for the evening. As gorgeous as the Branford House is, the back lawn is a bit uneven. To ensure everyone’s comfort, we worked with our company to create a platform for our flooring, allowing a level surface. This is one of the most important first steps when building your tented wedding and this is why we add significant time into our planning duties to ensure every detail is correct. It’s also exactly why we partner with some of the best tent companies around!!

photos: Carla Ten Eyck // floral: Blush Floral Design // tent decor + lighting: Drape Art Designs

4. Elegant Green + White Home Wedding in Bridgewater, Connecticut

This tented wedding is a truly special one! Our gorgeous couple and most fabulous mother of the bride gave us carte blanche to do what we do best! Created an entire experience around the couple complete with all the touches we knew would make a thoughtful impact on everyone in attendance.

This entire family is one of the kindest and most generous, which made sense that their venue came about from a friend who offered their home and the barn onsite for everyone to enjoy that evening! We wanted a green and white palette, touches of gold, and a transformation to our tent as unforgettable as the hilltop views from our ceremony setting. Check, check, and check!

When it comes to home, tented weddings there are many ways to create a sensible and fun flow to the day, but they all come equipped with a potential challenge or consideration that could negatively impact your day. Having backup weather plans is a must, and oftentimes this means extra tents on standby allowing you to protect people and things. When Mother Nature is on her best behavior, there’s plenty of room to wow guests with your surroundings, tucking the tent against your home or lush garden. Or, in this case, set atop a hill overlooking the entire town. Imagine the miles of Fall leaves just starting to color? Books don’t even write it this good!

photos: Ali + Julie // floral: Hana Floral Design // tent: Greenwich Tent Co. // tent decor + lighting: Drape Art Designs

5. Berry-toned Fall Wedding in Hamden, Connecticut

What do you get when you combine a love for fall colors, a sense of whimsy, and a literal lifetime of memories spread throughout your wedding location? This wedding right here!

Taking place in the bride’s own backyard, our Sperry Tent was tucked perfectly beside the pool house her dad and hubby built by hand. We added some magic by covering our canvas top with twinkle lights, covering every inch and adding bounds of romance as the night wore on. Highlighted by the ambiance were all of our fall hues – a mixture of warm berry tones coupled with cool blue shades throughout our floral decor, stationery, and table details! The pictures speak a thousand words!

One logistic we had to consider with this wedding: cocktail hour was going to take place right beside our reception tent. No matter how close these events take place, we always like to opt for a grand reveal of the tent – and our clients agree! We also want our couples and their families to get the first glimpse at their tent, untouched from bags, jackets, and shoes that may grace the chairs and floors. For Jordan and Mike, we created a draped wall around the perimeter of the tent, allowing guests to immerse themselves into cocktail hour while coming together for a jaw-dropping moment when we removed our temporary wall.

photos: Carla Ten Eyck // floral: Blush Floral Design // tent: Greenwich Tent Co. // tent decor + lighting: Drape Art Designs

BONUS!!

We told you: impossible to narrow down the list. For a little added eye candy, here’s our last favorite for this post!

Peach-Inspired Summer Tented Wedding at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut

Inspired by this late summer fruit, our design was knocked out of the park! You’ll look at these photos and fall in love instantly. Why wouldn’t you? This day was fresh, bright, and it encompassed a quintessential summer wedding vibe!

What you can’t see in these photos are all the blood, sweat, and tears – primarily the second two – that went into managing the weather bestowed upon us that weekend! The day this wedding took place was the day Hurricane Irene showed up in town. While she wasn’t one of the more damaging storms, she certainly left her mark!

High winds coupled with torrential rain are not only the least ideal scenario for a tented wedding, it can become entirely unsafe and damaging to the property and surroundings. The evening before, the Jubilee Events team worked together to contact every single vendor and guest to shift the wedding several hours earlier. Everyone enjoyed the day, completely untouched by what was to come later, and once the last sip of champagne was had, we bid guests a safe adieu and we deconstructed the wedding in a blink of an eye. Breaking down a wedding is always a sad finish, but this one certainly gave us a sense of accomplishment as everyone was imparted with the right memories for this weekend!

photos: Carla Ten Eyck // floral: Blush Floral Design

We hope you enjoyed these tented celebrations as much as we did – in creating them, celebrating them, and reliving them! Even more, we hope you are excited about planning your own tented wedding! Don’t hesitate to reach out to us! XO