HOW TO CREATE A
WEDDING HAIR & MAKEUP SCHEDULE
The reality is, there are a lot of factors that affect how it will unfold, so let’s dive into those today.
A special thank you to Eryn Shannon Bridal who helped us assemble these tips!
Creating a wedding hair and makeup schedule might seem relatively easy, but the reality is, there are a lot of factors that affect how it will unfold, so let’s dive into those today.
Read MoreSo, you’ve read How to Plan a Tent Wedding: Part 1 and you’re ready to dive deeper into planning a tent wedding in your backyard. We’ve already covered a lot of the basics: set up and tear down, event flow, permits, the more practical and logistical nature of the event, and electricity. Below, we will continue to explore areas of a tent wedding that are important to consider as you plan the details and offer an exceptional experience and night to remember!
HOW TO PLAN A
TENT WEDDING: Part 2
Tent weddings aren’t an easy feat, but they sure are beautiful. There’s lots to consider before committing to hosting a wedding on a private estate. We’ve compiled some of the most helpful information we can think to share!
Image left provided by Will Reid Photo, florals by Forever Wildfield, and tent from Guelph Tents.
There are a lot of unique elements and a lot of ‘pros’ that come with planning a tented wedding on private property, much of which has already been covered. For starters, you get the freedom to be as creative as you’d like, and to add as much personalization as you want. You’re open to options, within your budget, that suit your unique style and taste, which is not always possible at a regular venue. This also means control over every vendor and every detail - it is entirely your choice!
A tent wedding is also in a unique, often sentimental, setting: a family farm, a home where you grew up, a place you used to visit every year with friends, etc. It also gives you the chance to have additional events, in the same space, like a welcome party or a farewell brunch. Having it on a property next to a family home also allows certain VIPs (immediate family, the couple, etc.) to have a built-in place to stay which helps to reduce who is traveling to and from the site.
With every pro, comes a few cons to consider and to help decide if a tented wedding is right for you. To start, almost everything needs to be brought on-site and coordinated, which can be tricky when there is no venue coordinator to immediately take this on so this often lies with the property owner, the couple, and a hired planner. It is also important to consider any wear and tear on the property from deliveries, vehicles, and the movement of people and things over the course of a few days. This may also result in additional days taken off work to oversee the coordination of the site.
You are also at the mercy of dear Mother Nature. Being out in the elements can sometimes be an issue if there is a bad storm, or if it gets cold at night in the spring or fall. Having plans in place for both of these is necessary to ensure a successful event.
Creating a budget for anything can be tricky, especially when you have the level of customization as a tented wedding. There are a few unknowns, and endless options, depending on the level of the event. From structure to comfort, there is a long list of things to be considered. Below are some tips on how to focus your budget, while making sure it is as realistic as possible.
Have a good sense of your aesthetic. Source as many pictures as possible and organize them per section of the day (ceremony, cocktail, reception) to get a clear sense of what you like. This can be brought to a planner and designer to help price everything out and prioritize what’s important.
Over portion your costs as you estimate spending. You are essentially building a venue from the ground up, so add 10-15% on each line item to ensure you’re covering what you need, with a bit of contingency, before you start signing on the dotted line.
Prioritize elements of the event. What are the most important parts of your wedding? What are the least important? This helps to move line items around to be able to afford those things you can’t do without.
Consider the size. How big does the tent need to be? How many guests? Does the caterer need their own tent or are they bringing their own? Are there washrooms on-site or do you need to rent them?
Start section by section and work your way through. Do your research! It doesn’t hurt to get as much information as possible.
Frame Tents
Frame tents are one of the most popular tent styles available for weddings given that they create an open floor plan underneath. Without the need for supporting poles inside, there aren’t any structural elements to work around. This means tons of options for your layout.
The frame tent structure is created by a metal frame, meaning it can be set up virtually anywhere —installed on grass, pavement, a deck, a patio area, or other level surfaces. Frame tents are staked, or “blocked”. Blocks or ballasts are large concrete weights used to anchor the tent when there is no soft ground to stake or peg into. It’s worth noting, while blocks are convenient for erecting a tent on hard surfaces —concrete, pavement, or decks— they’re an eyesore. Not to mention, an added cost.
The tents must be stabilized and held down for safety and battling wind. Some frame tents include the option of installing metal bars at the bottom of the sidewalls. This prevents walls from billowing in high winds.
Transparent frame tents —aka “clear top” tents— use a frame tent base but are covered by a see-through material instead of opaque. The lovely effect makes it feel as though you’re outdoors, even under cover. While this look allows for natural light, the downfall is that it does not offer shade and creates a greenhouse effect. In the height of summer or warm weather climates, it’s not ideal.
Pole Tents and Sailcloth Pole Tents
Pole tents, also called “tension top” pole tents, are tied with frame tents for popularity in the wedding industry. The elegant, curved roof line is created by the tension between the centre poles and the perimeter poles. This style of tent is also stabilized by supporting guy wires staked into the ground or into blocks.
While these tents tend to be a cost saver —they don’t require ceiling lining or draping to feel immediately elegant— they do come with a few drawbacks: they aren’t as flexible in size and the center poles can create floorplan and sightline challenges, with the number of support poles will vary depending on the size of the tent. Lastly, pole tents don’t come with the option of metal bars at the bottom of the sidewalls to prevent tent walls from billowing in high winds.
A Sailcloth Pole Tent is an upgraded version of the pole tent with modern designs and features. It has rounded ends which creates a circular look at its smallest size and adds soft corners on the extended versions. Sailcloth tents also use a canvas-like fabric constructed of more natural elements, which is much lighter than the vinyl fabric typically used in pole tents. A sailcloth tent will let more light in and out of the tent because the fabric is not completely opaque.
Marquee or High Peak Tents
The marquee tent is a blend of pole and frame tent styles. It takes the support system of the frame tent to create a peaked ceiling without needing a center pole. These can be set up on any terrain, so it offers flexibility in placement. Because of its use of the frame tent support system, its guy wires can also be anchored to the ground using concrete ballasts.
This style also allows for an open interior making it flexible for layout and the high peak ceiling gives it an elegant look without the use of ceiling lining or draping. That said, because the roof is a one-piece top, marquee tents don’t lend themselves to larger events as they can’t be extended using additional panels like frame tents.
Number of Guests | Approximate Size of Tent or Square Footage
175 - 225 guests | 60’ x 70’ or up to 4500 sq ft
125 - 175 guests | 40’ x 90’ or up to 3500 sq ft
75 - 125 guests | 40’ x 70’ or up to 2600 sq ft
50 - 75 guests | 40’ x 50’ or up to 1750 sq ft
50 guests | 40’ x 30’ or up to 1000 sq ft
*Ensure to plan for a detailed meeting with a tenting professional to ensure your wedding or event has exactly what you need for the space!
Food service can be one of the biggest challenges for a tented wedding. You have to create a temporary kitchen, in the right proximity to the tent, and bring in all of the rentals you’ll need to ensure service is smooth. Many off-site caterers will include necessary rentals in their quote, along with any requirements for their temporary kitchen setup.
The temporary kitchen will need to be set up close to the tent, sheltered from the elements, and include elements such as ovens, coolers, and space for plating, service, and clearing. They will also need sufficient lighting and power to plug everything in and ensure it doesn’t blow any fuses. It is never safe to assume a garage, barn or other existing structure is suitable for a caterer. It is highly recommended to have a site visit with your caterer well in advance of the day to review the layout, set up, and tear down as well as drop off and pick up of deliveries/materials.
All of these added details only increase the budget and can come with unforeseen costs depending on the menu, service, and style. These are early-game conversations required before you start spending on prettier stuff!
For alcohol, a huge benefit of hosting this on private property is that you can purchase your own alcohol and have full control over the flavour, quality, and cost: you pick it all! However, it is important to consider how much you need to buy, where you will store it and cool it, and who/how it will be served. There are many calculators online for drinks per person but a simple rule of thumb is to assume 1.5 drinks per person, per hour, and split it between wine, beer a liquor. Consider hiring the right number of bartenders, a bartending company, or inquiring with your caterer if they can also provide these services. We always err on the side of more staff because it means someone can always float to wherever they are needed at the moment.
When considering hosting a tented wedding, you also have to think about the days leading up to and after the event. As mentioned above, you have the ability to host additional events under the tent. These tents and rentals tend to come in the day before the event, and won’t get picked up until Monday, so it gives you a chance to use it in more than one way! You can host a welcome party for out-of-town guests, wedding party, or close family, or host a farewell brunch party the morning after for anyone staying on property or close by. Weddings can be a crazy day, and these events allow you to have more special moments with your guests.
There is also the logistical side of the week to account for: multiple days of installation, vendors dropping things off, setting up, and then tearing it all down a few days later. This requires supervision, direction, and planning to ensure it is a coordinated effort. If your wedding is on a Saturday, your could see your wedding week following this general structure:
Wednesday: Final inspections of site (ie. for locates for tent pegs, confirmation of permits, etc.)
Thursday: Delivery of large items such as tent and flooring, washrooms, generator
Friday: Delivery of any rentals such as tables, chairs, linens, bars and bar carts, arbours, etc., and the time to set them all in place
Saturday: Final set up touches such as linens, place settings, stationery, signage
Sunday: Clean up! Garbage disposal, organizing rentals to be picked up
Monday: pick up of rentals such as tent, flooring, generator, etc.
Tuesday: a survey of the property for any wear and tear and post-wedding maintenance
It becomes almost a full week of activities to ensure everything comes in and goes back out as smoothly as possible!
The best investment you can make is hiring a professional wedding planner who has experience in tented weddings to help you navigate the complexities of your wedding day. However, there are a few things to keep in mind as you begin to meet with planners.
There are additional vendors, and more responsibility, for the planner to source and manage and so this is reflected in their terms and services, as well as their compensation. An experienced planner will know the intricacies of a tented wedding and be able to speak to that as they learn more about your event. This speaks to the expectations you have as their client, they have of you, and the expectations and flexibility that the location can offer. A site visit as part of your discovery call with a planner is beneficial for all parties involved, to really understand the scope and requirements.
They will also have to have their own plans for set up and tear down, where their role is most important, and how they will support you and the property owner throughout the process. Clear communication and transparency of what they can and cannot offer are important for both you and them as you look to sign an agreement or contract.
Your planner becomes a venue coordinator and so their expertise is instrumental in the success of the event - don’t underestimate that value!
Don’t forget that we have more details in part one! How to Plan a Tent Wedding: Part 1.
Ready for other helpful wedding planning tips? Click the button below!
HOW TO PLAN
YOUR
WEDDING TRANSPORTATION
Whether you have already booked a transportation vendor or are now considering doing so, we’ve put together some helpful tips to plan out what you need, and for who!
Getting your guests to and from your venue as safely and quickly as possible can be an overwhelming task. How many buses? How many people? How many trips?
Pre-ceremony timing is most crucial, so let's start there!
Not sure how many people or where they are? Add it as a question in your RSVP! If you can, be specific about the exact pickup and drop-off points. (ie. We are providing transportation from the Sheraton Main Street to the venue and return trips throughout the evening.)
Don’t forget about yourselves and your wedding party and any immediate family members staying at your getting ready location(s). What kind of vehicle(s) and how many hours do you need? Is everyone traveling together or do you need a separate vehicle for others leaving the house after you? Most limos, large shuttles, or buses work on a 5-hour split. This means you can use three hours in the afternoon and two hours in the evening, but they won’t book a service for shorter periods without paying the 5-hour minimum.
Once you have these ballpark numbers, and where they are staying, you can estimate the size of your vehicle or if you need a second vehicle. The bigger the vehicle, the fewer trips! Err on the side of having a vehicle that is too large, that way, it guarantees everyone will fit, including those who did not initially intend to take the shuttle.
Extra tip: Having one vehicle making multiple trips could impact the timing of your guest's arrival.
Start by using Google maps - it is your best friend! Take a look at how long it will take to drive to and from, at the same time and day as your wedding. Saturday at 4pm? Check then!
Once you've determined how long it'll take you to get from point A to point B and back, you'll be able to estimate the trip time. And, add some buffer. You never know what can happen, so it helps to add a few extra minutes to the regular trip time.
We love our friends and family, but everyone takes a few minutes when they’re in fancy dress! Estimate 10 minutes for the loading and unloading of passengers at each end.
With your trip time + estimate unloading and loading time, you're ready to piece the trips together!
Work backward: Start with the time you want your guests to be there and walk yourself back using your formula: vehicle arrival time + loading time + travel time + unloading time = one trip!
SAMPLE SCHEDULE
For a 4p ceremony with a 30-minute travel time, the timeline would be:
3.30p guest arrival
2.50p departure time
2.40p load time
2.30p vehicle arrival time
Note how we have included extra buffer time in each situation. Arriving too early is always better than arriving too late.
Don’t forget the end of the night! More people tend to take a shuttle at the end of the night than they do pre-ceremony, especially if you're having an amazing party.
Consider rotating rounds at the end of the night. For example, shuttles start at 10pm, leaving every hour, with the last trip departing 15 minutes post-event end.
You’ll also want to make sure YOU have a drive home! Many town-cars/sedans are available for a single-trip service which is a nice way for the two of you to end the evening alone and start to wind down.
Here are a few situations that make a difference in the total number of guests needing transportation at the end of the evening:
The venue allows overnight parking. You may find some guests drive themselves, but take the shuttle back and then pick up their vehicles the next morning.
Your wedding party has a separate vehicle there, but needs to take the shuttle home - they'll require a spot!
Not everyone takes the first shuttle back at 10p, so plan for more people to take the later shuttles.
Have concerns about the number of people requiring transportation and ensuring everyone has a spot? Create sign-up sheets at the hotel for the shuttle times you have available. This way, if you have multiple vehicles or a single vehicle making multiple trips, you don’t have half-full vehicles leaving too many guests waiting for the next trip.
Gratuities are important and pretty much expected by transportation companies for their drivers. Many companies include a 10 - 15% gratuity in the invoice, but others do not. Make sure you double-check the invoice and be prepared to have the cash on hand and someone other than you to hand it to the driver.
Imagery is graciously provided by Christine Lim.
Rolls Royce from A Rolls Choice.
Ready for other wedding planning tips? Click the button below!
HOW TO CREATE YOUR WEDDING DAY TIMELINE
Creating the timeline for your wedding day is an important part of the planning process: you’ve crafted and pulled together so many amazing details and now it’s time to bring it all together for a seamless day, logistically!
Creating the timeline for your wedding day is an important part of the planning process: you’ve crafted and pulled together so many amazing details and now it’s time to bring it all together for a seamless day, logistically! We're sharing our top tips and tricks on how to create a wedding day timeline.
Read MoreI remember doing my first few weddings and realizing just how much I didn’t know. One moment that stands out was walking into a venue and finding that the linens didn’t touch the floor. Or another time, planning for a certain number of guests at each table and then finding out that with charger plates we actually had to remove one person per table because there wasn’t enough room to fit the charger plates at each place setting comfortably.
So I swore I would never make these rookie mistakes again and made a foolproof quick reference guide that allowed me to confidently plan for each wedding and remove any room for error. I’ve finally made a pretty version of it and want to share it with you, to hopefully save you any headache, too! Enjoy this Guide to Table Seating and Linen Sizes for weddings and other events!
Ready for other helpful wedding planning tips? Click the button below!
As long as I can remember, I’ve loved putting together pretty table settings. I loved knowing that it was formal, but still not over the top. For me, it’s about the necessities and using pieces to make it beautiful without adding everything but the kitchen sink. It’s important to remember to keep room for other dinner necessities like butter, bread baskets, and salt and pepper so overfilling a table with decor will only make the guest experience unpleasant.
Start with a beautiful tablecloth to act as a base. Then add your charger plate or placemat to the centre of the table setting. On top of this, you’ll want your dinner plate, salad plate, and any other plates required for courses. I like to incorporate the napkin into this as well, and there are plenty of ways to be creative with its placement, whether it be knotted and placed on top, folded with the menu inside, or even folded between layers of plates.
The bread plate should be placed above and to the left of the dinner plate. If you have a butter knife for each guest, it can be placed horizontally on the bread plate.
For cutlery, remember that you’ll always work from the outside in so the dinner fork will be closest to the plate and the salad fork to the left of that. Similarly, the soup spoon will be on the outside and the dinner knife closest to the plate. The dinner knife’s blade should always be facing the plate. Above the plates, start with the dessert fork placed horizontally and its prongs facing the right side and the teaspoon facing the opposite direction above this. If you have a place card, it’s suggested it go at the top of the place setting above the dessert fork and teaspoon, but you can also be creative and incorporate this into the stack of plates whether that be sitting on top of the napkin or even as part of the menu.
As for glassware, set the water glass in the top right corner, above the knife, and the wineglass (either a red or a white wineglass, depending on what you’re serving) to the right of the water glass, set slightly back, on a diagonal. If serving champagne, add this to the left of the wine glass, creating a bit of a triangle shape.
Lastly, don’t forget to add flowers and candles to your centerpiece! Flowers and candles go such a long way in making the dinner feel elevated.
Special thanks to Simply Beautiful Decor for sharing images of their beautiful tabletop pieces for the image and diagram below.
Ready for other helpful wedding planning tips? Click the button below!
After almost a decade in the Toronto wedding scene, I’ve experienced my share of wedding venues and there are a few that easily stand out from the rest. My clients want venues that offer not only a beautiful backdrop but also a culinary experience and level of service to match. I’ve compiled my favourite Toronto area wedding venues that are the best at consistently offering all three favourite requirements.
I’ve talked before about my love for The University Club of Toronto, so it should come as no surprise that it tops my list of favourite wedding venues in the Toronto area. This venue has everything. It’s centrally located at Queen and University and easily accessed by both public transit and car. While there are lots of hotels nearby, there are also hotel rooms available on the property. Osgoode Hall is right across the street and, bonus points, it doesn’t require a photography permit! With exclusive use of the property, there are so many options for event flow and the Presidential Suite on the main floor is perfect for getting ready on site. My favourite event flow is getting ready in that beautiful Presidential Suite, ceremony upstairs in the Library, cocktails in the Pine Lounge on the main floor, and back up to the second floor for dinner in the Ballroom and dancing back in the Library post-dinner!
It’s also incredibly beautiful both inside and out with lots of character and architectural details and it plays really well into endless colour palettes. The food is AMAZING, the service is impeccable. Oh, and did I mention the butter is whipped and formed into swans?! Yes, swans.
See more of Emilie and Leo’s amazing wedding at The University Club of Toronto here.
Located just North of Toronto, in Kleinburg, Arlington Estate offers not only a beautiful space but a top-notch client and guest experience. They also take good care of all vendors coming in, making it an especially lovely place to work and easily on the list of favourite Toronto area wedding venues. There’s a beautiful outdoor space for wedding ceremonies and the East and West Wing Ballrooms are the perfect base and opportunity to add your own style. Everything you could imagine has been taken care of in this space with stunning bridal suites, large terraces overlooking the gardens and even espresso machines in the lobby bar. Not only is the food is impeccable but its presentation is beyond. They’re flexible with drop off and pick up times for your personal items and it’s just all-around a wonderful space to be.
Perfect for an easy mini-destination wedding, The Elora Mill is an absolute gem. Elora is a gorgeous small town and incredibly quaint for the perfect weekend getaway just an hour and a half from the Toronto core. The Mill’s hotel has a spa on-site for some relaxation time and the Elora Gorge allows for some exploring and of course, epic photos. Everywhere you look, this town and property are nothing but beautiful. Both the outdoor ceremony space and the indoor rain backup of the Chapel are absolutely stunning so regardless of the weather, you simply cannot be disappointed with the backdrop. The reception spaces will take your breath away with their unique, very upscale, and elegant, yet rustic design. The whitewash oversized harvest tables pair perfectly with the linen-covered round tables to create some extra interest in the space. The culinary experience is perfect for the foodie and the service experience is unmatched. The only shortcoming is the lack of flexibility with the ceremony times, but that can be easily overlooked with the beauty of the space and when you realize how well they run their show and just how many design details come with this space.
See more of Suzanna and Kyle’s Elora Mill wedding here.
While The Pearle Hotel is a brand new hotel, there is no doubt in my mind that this will be a massive shakeup to the Toronto wedding scene. Based in downtown Burlington, Ontario, The Pearle Hotel is owned by Pearle Hospitality who also owns the aforementioned The Elora Mill. As with the rest of their properties, the aesthetics of this space are top-notch and the service will be second to none. There are hotel rooms on-site and a Hammam Spa perfect for relaxing and a weekend getaway for your guests! There are stunning views of Lake Ontario from both event spaces and also quick access to the waterfront and Spencer Smith Park which is free for wedding photos. Fitting for weddings of 150 to 400 guests, it’s definitely a space to watch and experience to have when it opens in the spring of 2021.
Located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the heart of Niagara’s wine country, Stratus Vineyards offers a beautiful blend of modern contemporary and garden party vibes. It’s about an hour and a half from Toronto and perfect for a weekend getaway experience for couples and their guests. While there are no accommodations or spa on-site, there is an endless number of options nearby. The wine is obviously amazing and all beers offered are local, which is such a plus for those who love supporting local. They have a few preferred caterers, all of whom will blow your taste buds away, and they’ll also work with Stratus to pair wines with each course for the ultimate experience.
As for ceremony and reception options, the most popular is to have the ceremony outside facing the vineyard, cocktails on the terrace, reception in the Press Alley, and dancing in the retail space. So with exclusive use of the space, you’re really able to use all areas! If you’ve got extra in your budget, you can reverse things by putting a tent out on the grass for dinner and having your ceremony inside!
There are two things to note about hosting a Stratus Vineyards wedding. The first being the strict timing they have regarding wedding party, guest arrival, and ceremony start times, but it’s all done in an effort to ensure the experience of their retail customers is a positive one. Sound restrictions can also be a concern for some couples so if you wanted to dance the night away under the stars you’ll be disappointed as there are strict rules in the Niagara area about noise levels especially after 11p so you’ll have to move your party inside the retail space for dancing.
For more images from Jane and Jason’s tent wedding at Stratus Vineyards, click here.
