One of the first questions I ask every couple who comes to me dreaming of a tented wedding is: where do you actually picture yourselves standing at the end of the night, shoes off, looking around at everyone you love? The answer to that question usually tells us more about the right setting than any Pinterest board ever could.
Tented weddings are out jam here at Sarah Brehant Events, and after years of building them out across New England, and destinations beyond, I can tell you that the setting is the single biggest decision you’ll make. It shapes your guest experience, your design direction, and honestly, your whole budget conversation. So let’s talk through the three settings I get asked about most: vineyard, beach, and backyard.
Vineyard Weddings: Romantic & Photogenic
Vineyards give you something you can’t fake – rolling rows of vines, golden hour light that photographers dream about, and a backdrop that is picturesque. If you and your partner love wine, want a European-inspired feel, or simply want your guests to gasp when they walk up the hill, a vineyard is hard to beat.
What I want you to know before you fall in love with one: vineyards are working farms. That means rules around noise curfews, vendor access, and sometimes limited flexibility on layout. This is exactly where a planner who’s done it before saves you real headaches – we know which vineyards say yes to a late-night send-off and which ones cut the music at 9:30 sharp.
Beach Weddings: Barefoot, Not Effortless
Beach wedding look effortless. That’s the whole point. But anyone who tells you a beach wedding is low-maintenance has never had to anchor a tent in sand or explain to a bride why her heels sank six inches into the ground during the ceremony. A beautiful beach tented wedding takes serious planning – tide schedules, wind direction, permits, and a flooring plan that keeps your grandmother from twisting an ankle on her way to her seat.
Done right, though? Nothing beats it. The sound of the waves as your soundtrack, string lights against a dark ocean sky, salt air on everyone’s skin – it’s the kind of setting that makes a wedding feel like a vacation your guests never want to leave.
Backyard Weddings: Meaningful & Elevated
This is one of my absolute favorite settings to design, and it’s often the most underestimated. A backyard – yours, your parents’, a friend’s family property – carries a sentimental weight that no venue can replicate. There’s something about getting married on the same lawn where you learned to ride a bike, or where your family has hosted every holiday for decades, that makes the day feel deeply, unmistakably yours.
The trick with backyard weddings is that nothing is built for you. No venue coordinator, no existing infrastructure, no “we’ve done this a hundred times” safety net. That’s where thoughtful planning and design turn a private property into something that feels every bit as elevated as a five-star resort – because we’re the one bringing the infrastructure, the flow, and the “how did they pull this off” magic to a space that’s never hosted 150 people before.
So, Which One Is Right for You?
Here’s the honest answer: it depends on what kind of guest experience you want to create, and what your non-negotiable are. Ask yourselves:
- Do we want a built-in, photo-ready backdrop, or do we want to build the whole world ourselves?
- How important is a personal or sentimental location to us?
- Are we comfortable navigating permits or property logistics – or do we want that handled entirely?
- What does “not overproduced” mean to us as a couple?
There’s no wrong answer here. Vineyard, beach, and backyard weddings can all be extraordinary – laid-back and luxurious in equal measure – when they’re designed with real intention. That’s the whole job, honestly: taking whatever setting speaks to your story and building a day around it that feels seen, personal, and effortless for everyone in it.
