Indian Tent Wedding – COVID-19 introduced a number of restrictions on gathering indoors, which made outdoor backyard weddings one of the most popular choices for lavish Indian weddings here in Toronto. For outdoor Indian tent weddings in Canada, the weather is best from April to October; though winter weddings are possible, they are not ideal in the cold and snow! Some parts of North American are great for outdoor weddings year-round: Cities like Miami, Tampa, San Jose, Atlanta or Hilton Head can host outdoor Indian tent weddings throughout the year.
If you are looking to plan your Indian wedding in a tent, there are certain things you have to keep in mind. We’re lucky to combine our knowledge with Sonia, a renowned Toronto wedding planner from Chic Events by Sonia, on how to plan Lavish Indian Tent Weddings.
Our intent of writing this blog is not to crush your dream of a backyard Indian tent wedding, but to just educate our readers on things they should know before planning a tent wedding.
- Cost
Tented Indian wedding ceremonies are not cheap. There is a common misconception that hosting a backyard wedding will save costs since you don’t have to rent a venue; but costs add up! Essentially, you are creating an outdoor Indian tent wedding venue from scratch in an open area. In addition to a tent, you need to arrange for furniture, linens, dishware, lighting, flooring and more!
- Weather
Although your tent may be rain proof, the access in and out of the tent will not be. At one wedding, the couple was blessed with heavy rains. To protect them from the rain, the bride’s family escorted the groom’s family inside the tent under umbrellas! In addition to rain, temperature in Canada can be unpredictable and the cost to arrange either air conditioning or heating for the tent can be quite expensive!
- Flooring
At first, the idea of having your backyard Indian tent wedding on grass seems quite romantic. Besides, flooring a tented wedding is expensive! But keep in mind that backyard ground might be uneven and could be wet. Especially for Sikh wedding ceremonies where guests are seated on the ground, it’s important to provide comfortable seating by installing a floor for your backyard Sikh wedding. Keep in mind that even the most professionally installed flooring will not be completely even.
- Washrooms
A lavish Indian tent wedding comes with all the amenities. If you are planning a tent wedding in your backyard, you have two options Let guests come into your house to use the washrooms. While this is more cost effective, you risk a lot of traffic in and out of the house which will also track dirt. Arrange for portable washrooms. There are many options these days including luxurious trailer washrooms equipped with lighting and fans. But these washrooms come at a cost!
5. Garbage
Though your catering company will be taking care of all the food-related garbage, other garbage can really start to pile up. Plan for extra garbage disposal by placing extra garbage bins and get some extra garbage tags from the city.
6. Lighting
If you are planning a daytime backyard wedding ceremony, lighting is not such a concern. However, if your tented wedding takes place in the evening, you will need lighting. Some companies offer specialized lighting packages for tents, but basic lighting should be a top consideration!
7. Parking
You may have the space for a tented backyard wedding ceremony, but space for parking is a whole other ballgame! In addition to parking for guests attending your backyard ceremony, you need space for food trucks and vendors!
The cost of an Indian Tent Wedding Ceremony
- Cost of tent
The cost of the tent varies depending on the style of tent and add-ons you choose. Clear tents are the most expensive option, but they let in natural light and create a bright and airy wedding look. Add-ons for tents include tent walls, pole covers and lining. For a regular canopy tent, 40’x80’, you’re looking at a starting cost of $3000.
- Cost of staging
Should you wish for the wedding stage to be elevated, especially in the case of Sikh weddings where the holy scriptures must be elevated, a stage rental is a must! A 12’x16’ stage without any cover is starting at $450 and enough for a Sikh wedding.
- Cost of flooring
Flooring will be a big chunk of your budget. On the low end, you’re looking at a cost of $1.50 per square foot, plus the cost of installation. For our 40’x80’, we can estimate a cost of $4,800.
- Cost of plate settings
Companies will charge on average $25-30 for place settings including dishes, cutlery, glassware and napkins. For a guest count of 150, approximate a cost of $3,000-4,000.
- Cost of furniture
There are so many different styles of tables and chairs available at various price points. On average, a standard round table (60”) with white linens will run you about $25 and chiavari chairs about $8. For 150 guests, you’re looking at about $1,700.
- Cost of washroom facilities
Renting portable washrooms goes a long way in reducing the mess inside your home. For a 2-unit washroom trailer, you’ll run a bill of about $1000. There are other trailer options as well as individual units so be sure to explore your options.
- Cost of Lighting
Lighting is another cost that can vary greatly depending on the amount of type of lighting you choose. Your cost can be as low as $300 for globe lights around the perimeter of the tent to as high as $3,000+ for a full canopy of lights and chandeliers.
- Cost of catering
What is a wedding without food? In addition to the food, caterers can supply you with dishware and with servers. Be sure to ask your catering company what services they can offer. At a low end, catering will start at about $30/person, totalling $4,500 for 150 guests.
- Miscellaneous
After all of the above, there’s more! Depending on the time of year, you may want to add a/c or heating to your tent. If your wedding is in the evening, you may want a bartender and a DJ for a party atmosphere. To dress up your tent, you will require décor. And finally, for all your power requirements, you may need a generator!
Already, our budget is hitting $20,000. Of course, your style and requirements will influence your final budget.
Planning a backyard tent wedding doesn’t just sound like a great idea – it is a great idea. And we always enjoy shooting backyard wedding ceremonies. Backyard weddings can be expensive and a lot of work, but they are beautiful and intimate! We hope you’re taking away helpful information to bring your dream backyard Indian tent wedding to life!
For more resources, check out:
5 tips for planning a backyard wedding: http://www.theeventdecorcompany.com/blog1/5-tips-for-planning-a-backyard-wedding-ft-shreya-gaurav
5 tips for planning an outdoor Sikh wedding: http://www.theeventdecorcompany.com/blog1/5-tips-for-planning-an-outdoor-sikh-wedding-ceremony