Backyard events bring creative freedom

Backyard parties transform a space while avoiding venue fees and rules.

For Camelot Party Rentals, one of the advantages of providing tents and other rental items for backyard parties is the opportunity to forego venue restrictions. This gives the company plenty of time for installation, along with creative freedom.

But the Reno/Sparks, Nev., area provides its own challenges.

“Our biggest geographic challenge is finding level ground for tents—it’s a very hilly area,” says Kimberly Beck of Camelot Party Rentals. “We want to make sure we find a level spot where the tent will be secure and look best. Reno weather is very unpredictable and the summer months are short. It can get rainy and cold very fast. Patio heaters are often essential for evening events. For summer events we encourage renting a back-up tent to protect guests from unexpected rain.”

For a recent backyard wedding reception in a rural location in Eureka, Nev., the dry desert landscape proved challenging for just table and chair setup. In the end, rain wasn’t an issue, so the client opted for an umbrella setup instead of tents. Camelot also provided market lighting and a dance floor.

“We typically do wedding consultations a year in advance,” Beck says. “This gives us plenty of time to make any changes or accommodations as the event nears. We find that as the RSVPs flood in, the number of guests fluctuates. This wedding was standard for us and we had enough [planning] time.”

The reception’s country garden party theme was in line with customer preferences and trends for the region.

“We are noticing a lot of market lighting,” Beck says. “Customers are going for more of a rustic, country, farm-to-table type of look. We do a lot of dance floors and portable bars for a variety of events along with tubs and horse tubs for beverage holders.”

For Camelot clients, a backyard event tends to be more cost effective than a venue site, Beck says.

“We like being able to transform a space into something amazing without them having to pay costly venue fees,” she says.