Seasonal brilliance with tipi-style tents

Exquisite details delight wedding guests celebrating under tipi-style tents. 

A fall wedding can take on rich jewel tones and sophistication without the stereotypical motif of orange pumpkins and yellow leaves. Just ask Heather Allen, president and cofounder of Table 6 Productions, a Denver, Colo.-based wedding and event planning company. For a wedding celebrating a second marriage for both bride and groom, Allen was asked to throw out the norms and plan an event that guests from around the globe had never experienced. “It was easy to do this because the event was held on the couple’s private ranch in Evergreen, Colo.,” she says. “We had all the time in the world to set up as well as no rules to follow.”

Tipi tents

This was the first wedding under Scandinavian tipi-style tents for Table 6 Productions, which made for a learning experience. “Doing a realistic diagram in a tipi is quite challenging because it is curved and has various elevations from top to bottom,” Allen says. “For instance, you can’t push a table close to the side because the ceiling of the tipi is too low and would hit the guests’ heads. We had to take all of this into consideration when laying out the design.” Rectangular farm tables created a communal feel and fit the tent style. Cross back chairs paired with the tables, and velvet runners added a softness to the setting.

Creative details

“We used beautiful chargers, copper flatware, a blue gray water glass, and a delicate tall and thin champagne glass and gold-rimmed glassware,” Allen says. “The menus were printed on white bread bags that held baguettes, and each place card was deckled and dipped in 18-karat gold at the edges.” Pomegranates, blackberries and champagne grapes were incorporated into the design, as were live donkeys and pygmy goats. Heat was a must once the sun set, with one final touch: “Guests were moving inside for dancing, but the Florida contingent was quite chilly, so we gave them wool Pendleton blankets,” she says.