Wedding Tent Decoration

Outdoor weddings and receptions often include the use of a large, temporary tent. These tents add enclosed space and provide shelter from the weather and a customizable environment. Incorporating the tent into the wedding environment requires lighting, decorative elements and staging to create focal points.

Lighting

Choose lighting that reflects your personality and your wedding's overall theme or style. Twinkling strings of rope lights cascading form the tent ceiling creates a magical fairy-tale mood. Lighted candles and dim overhead lighting create an intimate, romantic feel. Bold lights covered in rice-paper lamp shades will add a soft, yet bright, diffused light.

Choose between colorful or white lights to coordinate with the wedding colors. Select decorative lights such as hearts, butterflies or bells to go along with the wedding theme. Consider mosquito-repelling candles or lights along the walkway to the tent to keep guests comfortable and light their path.

Decorative Elements

Fabric such as tulle, chiffon or other sheer cloth can be used to add color or texture to a wedding tent. Cover strands of lights with tulle or cascades of draped cloth. Use fabrics to cover the support arms or wiring in the portable tent. Drape fabric on the walls of the tent to add texture or a pattern.

Decorate tables with floral bouquets, and use coordinating flower garland around entryways, arches or support beams. If flowers are plentiful, consider attaching a mesh screen to the ceiling of the tent, and sewing the flowers into a carpet of color and fragrance above the guests. Choose long-stemmed flowers that can easily be secured to the mesh.

Suspend seasonal decorations from the ceiling of the tent with clear fishing line. Use snowflakes for an early winter gathering. Fall leaves work well for a fall wedding, and try butterflies for a summer or spring occasion.

Staging

Set tables and chairs in a pattern that focus guests' attention on focal points in the tent. Decorate the paths among the tables and chairs with runners to keep guests flowing around the tent room. Allow the paths to lead to the tent entrance, exit, dance floor, buffet, head table, guest book and gift table.

If vows are going to be exchanged in the tent, add a decorative focal point to distinguish the area. Use an arch, columns or podium decorated in flowers, tulle and lighting, to draw guests' attention to the homemade alter. Lay a decorative carpet under where you, the bride and groom, will stand. This makes the area special and lets guests know to gather outside that area.