Northeastern Tented Weddings: Tips and Inspiration

As an East Coast-based destination wedding photographer, northeastern tented weddings are among my favorites. The natural light and picturesque surroundings make for beautiful images. Moreover, tented weddings are ripe with opportunities to elevate the guest experience. Whether you celebrate on the water or in the mountains, the customization that goes into the planning and design process promises a celebration your loved ones won’t soon forget. Discover tips and varied inspiration for planning your tented affair, below. 

Photographing Northeastern Tented Weddings

It’s no secret that designing a tented wedding from scratch gives couples and their wedding planners plenty of room to stretch their creative wings. However, many couples don’t realize that planning a tented wedding also provides a wonderful creative opportunity for their photographer. By nature, tented weddings break the cookie-cutter mold, and each has a unique design dependent on the location and the couple’s vision. This provides a host of creative opportunities for the photographer capturing the event. I especially love photographing tented weddings on water and private properties!

How to Enhance the Guest Experience at Your Tented Wedding

Couples planning a tented wedding have the unique opportunity to treat their guests to an enhanced experience. The sky is the limit when you have complete creative control over every decision! Here are a few of my favorite ways I’ve seen couples do this: 

Comfortable Seating

When you plan a tented wedding, you are building a venue from scratch. While indoor venues already tend to have lounge seating for guests, a tent requires bringing every piece of furniture in. So, don’t overlook your guests’ comfort! I suggest having multiple lounges available for guests who want to take a break from dancing to sit, chat, and enjoy dessert. 

Separate Dance Floor

If the weather is fair, nothing makes for a more unforgettable experience than dancing underneath the stars with all your loved ones. Consider using the tent for your reception: dinner, toasts, cake-cutting, etc. Then, lead your guests to a separate spot for dancing. Bulb lights hanging overhead make for a beautiful ambiance, especially on a summer evening in the Northeast.

Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Elsewhere

Similarly, consider hosting each portion of your day in a separate location—saving the tent for the final design reveal. For example, if you are having a coastal wedding, consider hosting your ceremony by the water and serving cocktails on the dock. When it’s time for the reception, lead your guests to the tent, where they will be wowed to see your full vision on display for the first time.

Inspiration for Northeastern Tented Weddings

I’ve photographed many tented weddings, but these three stand out for their stunning locations and meticulously curated designs. If you are considering planning a tented wedding, these elevated affairs will provide a wonderful jumping-off point as you and your planner hone in on your unique vision. 

A Classic Wedding on the Farm in New Jersey

This tented wedding was on a private farm in Lambertville, New Jersey. The bride grew up steps from the farm, and the owners are friends of her family. Her brother also said his vows on the property, so it was a heartfelt celebration! My challenge was to capture her wedding differently from her brother’s by scouting new portrait locations. The couple’s planner, Krissy Campbell Celebrations, also prioritized finding new ways of using the space. She curated a fresh design in a timeless white-and-dusty-blue color palette that looked right at home underneath the elegant sailcloth tent.  

Colorful Meets Coastal Tented Wedding in New York

Tented weddings on the water are always lovely, and this wedding in Rye, New York was no exception. The family belonged to the American Yacht Cub and wanted to host the wedding in a meaningful location. A tent overlooking the harbor was the natural choice! The couple moved their ceremony inside due to rain, but the weather cleared up just in time to hold their reception outdoors as planned. Guests passed beneath a gorgeous floral arch to enter the tent, where a tastefully colorful design in shades of ivory, salmon pink, and pumpkin awaited them—along with disco balls hanging from the ceiling. 

Multicultural Wedding in the Mountains of Vermont

Monika and Calum’s Stowe, Vermont wedding was featured in BRIDES and is one of my favorites I have photographed. The couple lives in New York City but travels to Vermont often for vacations, so a destination wedding was in order. Their wedding utilized a large swath of the picturesque Trapp Family Lodge property, beginning with the ceremony on the lodge-adjacent lawn. Guests then traveled to a new location, where two tents awaited: one set for cocktail hour and the other for dinner and dancing. The couple also wanted their portraits to feature a mix of locations. So, we utilized the wildflower garden for the pre-ceremony shots and the open space beside the reception tent at sunset.

Whether on the iconic coastline or further inland, northeastern tented weddings set a new creative standard for planners and photographers alike. In addition, they provide a unique opportunity to treat your guests to an event unlike any they have experienced before. If you are planning a tented wedding, I would be delighted to partner with you to capture it. Inquire today for a custom quote.

Vendors:

Photographer: Liz Andolina Photography

Wedding One:

Planning and Design: Krissy Campbell Celebrations

Bridal Gown Designer: Pnina Tornai

Bridal Salon: Kleinfeld Bridal

Floral Design: Winsome Floral

Wedding Three:

Venue: Trapp Family Lodge

Planning and Design: Randi Nonni Events

Bridal Gown Designer: Vivienne Westwood

Hair and Makeup: Hopcraft Collective

Floral Design: Blomma Flicka Flowers

Invitations and Day-Of Paper: Karli Strohschein

Cake: Red Poppy Cakery