Perfect Venue for an Outdoor Festival Wedding

We often meet couples who have fallen in love with tipis or sailcloth tents, but do not know where to put them!  Here are my top ten tips for finding the perfect venue for a tipi or sailcloth tent wedding…

1. Do not limit your search to commercial wedding venues, which are often costly and restrictive.
2. Consider your own network of friends and family in exploring plots of land/meadows/farms/gardens/equestrian facilities – All you need is a grassed area with vehicle access! Often the most beautiful spots are hidden and not marketed at all as potential venues.
3. Good tent suppliers (like us!) can arrange or help with finishing touches like power, toilets, service tents, glamping, registrars, caterers, bands, bars on your behalf – So do not be daunted by planning a bespoke wedding in a field!
4. Country pub beer gardens can be really quirky venues and are often free as long as the pub does the catering and bar.
5. Campsites and sports clubs (cricket/football/rugby) are cost effective and unique venues. They usually have power and toilet facilities, and you have free rein to create your day without restrictions.
6. Finding somewhere with power and toilets on site will save you around £1300 bringing these in yourself – So take this into account when considering venue hire prices.
7. If you need accommodation too, look at large holiday let houses/cabins/barns. These often have extensive grounds and make for beautiful country garden venues.
8. Use your imagination! Talk to tent providers about suggested venues and don’t be afraid to knock on doors of local landowners! (one of our brides knocked on the door of a house next to their Church to ask about the meadow behind and was offered it for free!)
9. Don’t be afraid to do the legal bit a few days before, and then “stage” a ceremony on the day. This lets you design your ceremony yourself and removes limitations on your venue hunt (licensed venues are harder and more costly to find)
10. Whilst the headline £ figures for a festival style wedding will appear more than a traditional hotel-style venue, consider the food and drink costs that will mount up with the latter, and the freedom you will have to design your own day, your way!  See our pricing page for more information.

Good luck for your special day! Jenna Ackerley – Director