Got it covered

October 28 • 2010

Online tent planner
Sperry Tents

You may have heard that Maine is among the country’s most stunning and scenic locales for hosting a wedding. But you may not have heard the traditional Maine saying, “If you don’t like the weathah, just wait a minute, it’ll change.” So what do you get when you combine beautiful surroundings with unreliable weather? Tents.

Rare is the couple willing to risk hosting an outdoor wedding in Maine without some kind of protection from the elements. A well-planned tent setup can create a cozy ambience that’s nevertheless open to the sounds of crashing waves and cool ocean breezes. And if it starts to drizzle, your guests can keep on toasting instead of rushing to grab their umbrellas.

But don’t assume that arranging for a tent at your wedding requires any less attention than choosing a brick-and-mortar venue. After deciding on a size and style, there’s seating, lighting, dance surfaces and accessories to consider. Luckily, Northeast tenting company Sperry Tents make this process as easy as a few clicks of your mouse.

With Sperry’s online software, you can browse their entire myriad of table and chair arrangements, dance floor choices, bar options and more. You could design, say, a 32×50 oval tent with round tables seating four apiece, a small stage, a lounge area with half a dozen settees and square ottomans, and even add landscape features such as an icon representing that gazebo at your wedding venue, all in the course of your lunch break. Add photos and share your plan on Facebook and you’ve made some serious planning progress in the time it takes to finish a sandwich.

And Sperry’s virtual layout tool is just the beginning. The company is known for its unique canvas sailcloth tents and top-notch customer service. Special features like those can make the difference between a serviceable outdoor venue and one that incorporates the natural scenery and style of your wedding.

Take Sperry Tents for example, another one of our local favorites. Their clear top tents bring the outside in, invoking the feel of a lush greenhouse filled with flowers by day and a mountaintop observatory by night. Set up clear walls, too, for a truly outdoor feel, or bedeck the sides with flowing curtains for a more intimate setting. (Speaking of details, Leavitt & Parris offers a sophisticated solution to an often overlooked one when it comes to tents: bathrooms. Consider their mobile restroom trailers as an alternative to the always pragmatic Porta Potty).

With options like these, you’ve got it covered.