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A tented wedding reception glows from within.
In October 2014, the grounds of The Club at Old Hawthorne in Columbia, Mo., served as the perfect backdrop for the tented wedding reception of a couple with a distinct vision. Exclusive Events Inc., St. Louis, Mo., designed a reception that combined the greenery of the lush outdoors with elegant finishes and the couple’s vision of an upscale ballroom with garden elements. Traube Tents and Structures, Columbia, Ill., installed multiple tents and draped them in a white liner, creating a visual playground for design.
Guests were welcomed into an entry vestibule tent that introduced a high level of sophistication for an outdoor event. Large, billowing fabric was tied off to the sides of the entrance with golden sashes. The eye was instantly drawn up toward a large crystal chandelier suspended from the peak over a large floral piece. Two walls made of green moss lined the sides of the tent and were accented with a gold crosshatch pattern laid over the top of the moss.
As guests proceeded into the main tent through another billowing entryway, they were transported to a romantic garden with a gold, white and champagne color scheme. The tent walls were drenched in dim, candlelight-hued uplighting. From above, focused pools of light highlighted the client’s centerpieces.
Centered in the heart of the tent, a sleek white dance floor and stage provided a rich combination of modern, classic and personalized elements. A thick gold border lined the edge of the dance floor and a thin gold line ran on the inside of the border. The couple’s monogram was applied in gold in the center of the dance floor. Two large pedestals with green moss and the gold monogram flanked the stairs of the large curved stage. The brilliant white stage and dance floor glowed in the romantic lighting.
Above the dance floor, a hoop of luscious flowers and greenery floated from the spine of the tent. On the sides of the dance floor,
gold cube-shaped coffee tables and white serpentine couches offered additional seating.
Tucked away in two of the corners of the tent, customized full-size bars completed the design of this romantic evening. The white bars, accented with gold edging in the insets, contrasted sharply against their moss wall backdrops, which dualed as a back bar for the bartenders. Lined with a thin border of gold, the moss walls acted as a canvas for more large monograms.
This wedding’s design challenge involved incorporating numerous contrasting elements. Modern and elegant, the tent glowed from within, creating a romantic, garden atmosphere.
By Jacqueline Klene, Event Designer, Exclusive Events Inc., St. Louis, Mo.