What’s included

If there’s power available, loos, a water supply, parking facilities and ability to camp if that’s what you want having these within the price can be a real bonus.

The land

You want it to be fairly flat, no divots, well drained, good access for vehicles and a pleasant outlook

(such as a lake or a nice view).

When you’ve found your venue you need to count up your guests; the maximum that you’ll invite for the wedding breakfast and the evening ‘do’. (And make sure you ask both your sets of parents
– they’ll probably give you some you hadn’t even thought of!)

Once you have agreed your numbers you can start to think about the tipi or marquee itself
– how much space you will need, whether you want a bar inside, a chill out area and how you might furnish it.

So, thinking back to your guest numbers – you need to ensure you have enough room for everyone inside, just in case the rain does come. This means allowing some extra space for people to get up and move about in the form of either a bar area or some soft furnishings as a chill out area.

It also means not adding and adding guests on – which we have had in the past – so that the tents are full to capacity! Stick with the number you first decided upon, or allow extra space in case you think of extras when you are planning.

It’s a good idea to have a brolly bucket close to the entrance/exit which heads to the toilets so that the ladies can keep their hair dry when they have to powder their nose. Another sensible idea, especially for a spring or autumn wedding is to put out a basket of blankets, so that any older family that maybe won’t be up and dancing can pop one over their knees as the evening draws in.

Another idea is to include an open firepit – possible if you choose the tipis because they have a central smoke hole. These are also very popular as a focal point for people to sit around as dusk falls.

If you are having a properly winter wedding the brollies and blankets are a must, as are the reindeer hides (which add a cosy feel to the tipis) and heating too. Heating is available all year around, but we find that it is rarely needed between mid-May and mid-September because even if the weather is not fine, the tipis retain any heat from the sunshine very well and with every guest giving out a kilowatt of heat energy they are actually quite warm.

What style do you like best?

If you are looking for something formal a white marquee is probably the most traditional type of structure. If you like swags and drapes, a clearspan marquee is perfect, however if you like the idea of a white tent but are looking for something more elegant, then the wooden poled Sailcloth tent is a perfect choice for you. With its luminescent canvas and dramatic high peaks, this tent is stunning. Plus with all clear sides you can see the view even if you need to keep out the elements.

Alternatively for a rustic or a festival theme, the tipis are the obvious choice. Their wooden poles and beige coloured canvas give you the freedom to dress them however you would like. The other advantage of the tipis over more traditional tents is that the sides can be raised to wow your guests with a spectacular view. Or with the sides down, or a clear panel inserted, together with the reindeer hides and firepit these authentic Scandinavian tents are perfect for winter weddings as well.

Why is it everyone thinks a wedding should start in the afternoon? I know that us girls do enjoy the time spent getting ready and like to have plenty of time to do so.

But my advice is to set your ceremony time for no later than 1 o’clock. That way you will have lots more time to have fun with your guests.

Did you know that if you are having a sit down meal this usually takes around 21⁄2 hours? And if you’re intending to have a receiving line that can take another thirty minutes. So that means three hours of your day before you fit in your speeches. So allow plenty of time so you don’t feel rushed.

Couples seem to spend forever trying to work out the best way to seat their friends and family – sometimes because there’s people they know will want to sit together, and sometimes because there are people they need to keep apart! But the truth is most people enjoy mixing with people they wouldn’t normally. So your guests might feel more relaxed and comfortable if you ditch your table plan.

‘Wedfest’ is a popular term for lots of the outdoor weddings we have been involved in and having the festival feel really opens up the opportunities for a variety of different menus.

We have seen pie ‘n’ mash vans, fish ‘n’ chips, BBQs, hog roasts pizzas and burgers. To be honest anything goes…

But having an outdoor do doesn’t mean you definitely have to have an informal meal either. Plenty of couples choose a high tea, haut cuisines with canapés or a glorious buffet. We have even seen picnic baskets of tasty sandwiches and nibbles served to each table.

The most talked about weddings are ones where guests have had a great time and they can tell you why it was great.

Having music during the day creates a relaxed atmosphere and a focus for the guests while you are having photographs done.

Outdoor games such as boules or giant Jenga can keep your guests amused while you’re busy with your photoshoot, we have seen gazebos with coconuts shies and hook a duck which go down really well and one couple even hired in bumper cars!

If you are happy for guests to be seated before the wedding breakfast you might like to put out something for them to do together – this works particularly well if you have decided, as previously suggested, not to have a seating plan. Having a quiz or puzzles on the tables can get people who don’t know each other chatting away. This is a fun alternative to the usual favours.

I suppose the key to all of my suggestions is to follow the principle that whatever you choose for your special day is in line with your character.

Some of the ideas I have mentioned might really appeal to you, but I am also sure that some won’t. Remember these are ideas from almost 800 weddings that I have simply pulled together. You know your guests so you will know what would be most fun for your day.

So my last tip is to think about the whole theme of the wedding and use that as your starting point. Using a board on Pinterest is a great way of collecting ideas – there are lots of example of images other brides and companies like ours have already put together that will help you.