Hollywood Brides: Off-Premise Wedding Receptions & Party Tents
If you haven't lived on the West Coast or ever attended a West Coast wedding reception, you might not know that Hollywood Brides (and many other brides from that region) prefer off-premise wedding receptions in "tricked out" party tents. A wedding reception in a tent, why?It's a different way of thinking about what you want, is all.
What I mean is, when Britney, Christina, Khloe Kardashian and other Hollywood "it" girls begin to plan their wedding receptions, they have to consider not just their own personal desire to stay out of the viewfinder of the camera lenses of the paparazzi and having things customized to get exactly what they want.
They also have to consider extending the same courtesy to their guests, because many of them are highly sought out by the paparazzi too. Consequently, their wedding receptions are never held in public places, like in hotel ballrooms for example. That's completely out of the question - unless they were to rent out the entire venue. Therefore, it's kind of like - anything other than off-premise catered, tented wedding receptions and special events are considered to be gauche.
So if you aren't planning to invite dignitaries or celebrities to your wedding reception or other type of special occasion, then having an off-premise event in a tent might seem hokey to you. And a.) might not seem like it would be elegant enough and b.) might not make any sense to you (literally and financially).
From blue collar Detroit to Hollywood, Movie Land USA
I "cut my teeth" working in the party industry in the Los Angeles/Hollywood area. And had I not done so, I probably wouldn't have understood it myself. But after being there, I was introduced to most all kinds of parties and special events - most of which were tented, and hosted at various "off-premise" locations. So if I didn't "get it", I was going to (get it). Because tented off-premise wedding receptions, and most of the other types of events were produced in this fashion.
The Copycat Factor
"Imitation is suicide" -
Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1882, American Poet, Essayist
Sure, it's been said a million times: "Imitation is the most sincerest form of flattery". But let's face it, you want your special wedding reception to be one like no other. You probably want a wedding reception that your friends will envy, that they wish they could have, that they can't easily duplicate and more than likely wouldn't ever have. Right?
Is your wedding reception or party original?
"Originality is the one thing unoriginal minds cannot feel the use of." -
John Stuart Mill, 1806-1873, British Philosopher, Economist
You've heard the saying, because it's been said over and over again: "There is no original thought". But if having a unique wedding reception (or any other type of special occasion) is your priority - then hosting a tented, off-premise, custom designed wedding reception, per your specifications, is what you seek.
Maybe you've been thinking, "I don't want any of my girlfriends to copy me - what I'm planning is orignal". So if you've secretly thought that, then an off-premise catered, tented wedding reception is definitely the way to go.
Okay. Now that you've got that to consider, it's time to talk about tents, and whether hosting your wedding reception (or party) in a tent is something you'd like to do.
To begin with, believe it or not, tents make the ultimate statement for any type of event. Reason being, not everyone chooses to have a tented party. So if you rent a tent, whether you have a big blow out wedding reception or party, featuring a tented event will cause you to stand out and be different.
First, you'll want to choose a site with the consideration of what the rental company will have to work with. And keep this in mind, a tent can be made into just about anything your heart desires. And a tent can be made to accommodate you and your guests all year round.
To give you an example of what can be created with tenting - one of my corporate clients once hosted a large catered off-premise, tented event in December, and in Michigan mind you. It took the rental company one week to complete the setup and about 3 days for the tear down.
This example may be more elaborate than what you might choose for your tented event, yet will give you some ideas that you may want to use.
What this entailed was a really good foundation. A stage flooring (that was about 3 inches off of the ground) was laid first. Because this event was for 1600 people, solid flooring was imperative.
On a vacant lot, Special Events Rental, placed five tents.
Tent #1: a type of "walk way" tent attached to a structure (where the guests first arrived) with tent #2, a coat check tent, attached to it. Tent #3: a large main tent, sectioned off to include a VIP room. Tent #4: a kitchen tent (for the food that was prepared on site). And tent #5: a combination ladies and men's powder room tent that was positioned to hide the exterior of a gorgeous bathroom trailer that housed a ladies bathroom (with 5 stalls) on one side, with the men's side consisting of 3 urinals and 2 stalls.
The end result was a beautiful carpeted lined tent interior. It was complete with chandeliers and plenty of space for guests to mingle as they dined on tray passed hors d'oeuvres and food and beverages set up on one extremely large buffet table placed in the center of the room with a 12 foot floral arrangement.
To begin with, believe it or not, tents make the ultimate statement for any type of event. Reason being, not everyone chooses to have a tented party. So if you do, whether you have a big blow out wedding reception or party, featuring a tented event will cause you to stand out and be different.
Party tents: off-premise special events and wedding receptions
First, you'll want to choose a site with the consideration of what the rental company will have to work with. But keep this in mind, a tent can be made into just about anything your heart desires. And a tent can be made to accommodate you and your guests for any season.
To give you an example of what can be created with tenting - one of my corporate clients once hosted a large catered off-premise, tented event in December, and in Michigan mind you. When the rental company completed the setup, it had taken them one week.
If you're fortunate to have the money to do so, bring in design elements that out of the ordinary. This is my specialty. For example, I've come up with a design concept that has never been done before, that will turn heads and revolutionize tent setup possibilities. It is one that would be considered more architecturally traditional to home construction than tent design construction, but can be done with a tented structure.
If you want to be different, rent an existing tent frame and custom order a color top that complements your wedding colors. And think about asking for digital printing being added directly onto your tent. Talk about distinctive. Add this, and you'll definitely be the talk of the town.
Lounge areas are still really hot. If you can afford it, add an extra tent and deck it out as a luxurious lounge where your guests can go to relax and talk, especially if you've booked live entertainment. A lounge is a nice getaway area if the music is loud.
If it's within your budget, request a new tent. Sure you'll spend more money, but you'll have the best quality tent available.
You'll have the best results possible if you find an event site that is easy to access, that is level. The perfect party site allows your rental company open accessibility. You don't want to find yourself in a position where you'll have to pay extra because the rental company has to use dollies or has to carry equipment by hand.
And you'll also want a site that is free of the obstacle of buildings and trees. Your goal is to help make your tent installation as easy and stress-free as possible. Not to fail to mention, you will save money on your installation fees if your rental company can drive anchor stakes directly into the ground. To use weights and ballasts in place of stakes will cost more money.
If your party site has an asphalt or cement surface, the smooth surface will give you the option to lay a floor directly on the ground. This will save you a significant amount of money, compared to a stage flooring like the one that is mentioned in the example above.
An important question is, Is there power on-site? If not, you'll need to rent generators for lighting, and to address tented kitchen operation.
Does your site have restroom facilities? Or, if you're placing a tent at a residential location, are you willing to allow guests to use the bathrooms inside the home? If the answer is no to both of these questions, ask for a tour of their bathroom trailers. There are fantastic bathroom rental options available that will make your change your mind if you haven't been open to the idea.
Ideally, you'll want to give your rental company ample notice and time for installation and dismantle of your event. Labor and overtime will cost you plenty for last minute planning or indecisive planning. Give them more time and you'll find that they will be able to offer you more flexibility with labor costs and possibly even your rental rates.
Keep in mind that if you keep your tent design less labor intensive (sans clear-span tenting, for example), you'll save yourself money in this area too. Also, rent as much as you can from your tent rental vendor to maximize savings; i.e., rent lighting, linen, decor, dinnerware and food warming chafing dishes, platters and other items that fall within or maybe even just outside of their normal scope of business.
At least once, have everyone involved in the foundation of your event get together for a meeting. Communication delays cause setbacks, and I'm sure you won't want to waste any time.
If your budget is tight, and you can't fathom the idea of not coming as close as possible to replicating your favorite celebrities wedding reception, go with family-style seating (back-to-back rectangular tables). You'll save a lot of space, which means that you'll save money. Because you won't have to order a larger size tent. Renting a smaller space-saving tent is something you'll want to consider, especially if you have a small yard.
Then if you wanted to, you could rent a separate tent that could operate two ways: it could be used for your actual wedding ceremony, and when you and your guests head to your dining tent, a crew could transform it into a dancing area.
Another way to save a lot of money is to forgo draping the inside of your tent with tent lining.
A 40 foot by 60 foot tent with lining could cost you an extra $1700.00 to $1800.00, for example. So if this is money that you'd like to save, think about placing a bunch of white paper lanterns in the ceiling (by using different size and shaped lanterns, hung at different heights), giving you a three-dimensional look that will still look really elegant.
You could also use gel covers to cover the lights in your tent. And if you really want to amp up your lighting, you can customize your lighting by covering your lights by using gobos to cover them. This is an inexpensive, cost-effective way to jazz up the look of your room (your tent) that will also reduce the need for an expensive ceiling liner with draping.
At the end of the day, if you're the type of person that hates the idea of being copied and like to be the person in your group of friends that is known for being different and showing them what's new, then this information that we've shared here - party tents: off-premise special events and wedding receptions - will get you on your way.
"No man was ever great by imitation." -
Samuel Johnson, 1709-1784, British Author
You'll have your dream wedding reception or party - in a tricked out tent, custom designed, per your specifications - complete with celebrity privacy status.
Think of it like this... Most people are intimidated by the idea of hosting an event in a tent so they don't understand the elegance that can be achieved by doing so. Because they don't understand the upside to choosing tent rental (over the exorbitant costs of hotel room rental fees), if you take this route you party or wedding reception will be remembered which will make you a star.
If Hollywood can have the privacy and custom decor design aspects of a catered off-premise tented party, then why can't you?
Image source: stirlingstoneworks
Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, John Stuart Mill, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Samuel Johnson, United States, West Coast, Wedding reception, Weddings, Relationships, Event Planning, Parties and nightlife: Technorati Tags
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