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A minimalist wedding comes together under a minimal time frame.
Some weddings are planned for months or years. For a couple that resides in New York but desired to be married at the bride’s parents’ home on Lake Sammamish in Bellevue, Wash., the planning was reduced to two weeks.
“Our first site visit was two weeks out with the intention of installing the tents directly on their lawn, but when we measured the elevation, there was a 5-foot drop from one end to the other,” says Phil Heidt, area manager for ABC Special Event Rentals by CORT, Mukilteo, Wash. “With the help of pictures from past events, we were able to sell them on the idea of creating their event on a raised platform with the tent on top. Without pictures it would have been difficult to give the customer the vision of transforming their backyard into a tented venue with a raised view of the lake.”
The October 2014 reception, designed by Sinclair & Moore Events, Seattle, Wash., utilized a 44-by-123-foot Tidewater Sail Cloth Tent and a 20-by-30-foot Jumbotrac Tent, both from Aztec Tents.
“Due to the tent being installed on a raised platform, we needed to have much longer 2-inch-wide ratchet straps than were provided by the manufacturer,” Heidt says. “Fortunately we were able to produce these in-house and in time for the event.”
To bring the theme of minimal and modern to life, designers used the company’s Country Vineyard Collection of tables and matching custom-stained tent legs and center poles, ghost chairs, natural linens and a eucalyptus-draped trellis over the head table.
The guest count went up at the last minute, which required extending the tent 20 feet.
“All equipment other than lighting was provided by our company,” Heidt says. “We used 4-by-4-foot Bil-Jax staging for the floor, covered by a custom tan carpet. Multiple transitions, ramps and stair units were created to link the caterer to the main tent and the guests to the waterfront.” GreenLight Events LLC, Seattle, Wash. provided lighting.
Another challenge not uncommon at private residences was access. Installers had to hand carry all pieces from the street.
“At first the only access was from the front of the house and down a narrow path to the back,” Heidt says. “We worked with the neighbors and our customer to temporarily remove part of their fence. We rented a forklift to offload and load our trucks, but still needed to carry the equipment down a hillside a fair distance. This was planned for and charged for accordingly with the customer in advance.”
If that weren’t enough, the guest count went up at the last minute, which required extending the tent another 20 feet.
“This caused issues with flooring, carpet, lighting, etc.,” Heidt says. “We needed to quick ship more Tidewater Tent from Aztec, and thankfully they came through.”
One aspect of the event was a breeze—or rather, no breeze at all: the weather was clear and mild for the entire event.
“Our customer, Sinclair & Moore, was very thankful and satisfied,” Heidt says. “They are excited to have the option of creating a raised floor for other events this year.”