Welsh wedding tipi & bell tent village festival fun

We thought couples planning to get wed in Wales would like to know that Cariad Canvas are holding a Kata Tipi and Wedding Bell Tent open day in Pembrokeshire, in Wales, running for 4 days from May 23rd till 26th 2012.

Their magnificent giant Kata’s will be set up and displayed in all their glory with full internal furnishing and lighting so clients can really get a feel for what the Kata Tipi’s are like before the 'big day'.

A luxury wedding night bell tent and guest accommodation bell tents will also be set up for you to view, actually sit inside, lounge around and get a feel for the full Cariad experience. The whole set up will have the feeling of a mini tent village and festival atmosphere - a huge trend for weddings.

The open day is invitation only so couples who register to attend will receive a handmade eco invitation in the post and once they have sent an RSVP they will receive the full address of the event venue.

Viewings will be between 11am and 4pm with later openings available to see the Tipi’s glow in the evening. Throughout the full 4 days the Cariad Canvas team will be on hand to help with any queries and guide you through the village.

Cariad Canvas are really excited about the event and looking forward to meeting you all there!

For more information and to register your interest contact info@cariadcanvas.co.uk or phone them on 07578 626542

Posted in Green Wedding Marquees & Tents

Spring Wedding Yurt Event

And not to be outdone by the tipi people, Hooe's Yurts is throwing their very own fabulous tea party over the Easter weekend in April to showcase the newest addition to their wonderful fleet of tents.

It's a HUGE, brand new 44 foot cathedral sized yurt which can seat up to 120 guests. This giant yurt really does create THE most magical space to host a wedding reception.

For its launch the yurt will be decorated with stunning textiles by Hooe's Yurts, table settings from The English Tea Party and Jolly Good Wedding, bunting from Big Beautiful Bunting, wedding signs from Muddy Creek Signs and much more...

The Open Day will take place at a very special location, an old lead and silver mine nestled in the woods with beautiful views over the river Tamar in South Devon. It's the perfect place for a walk before coming to join Hooe's Yurts for a cup of tea and a yummy slice of cake or two!

WHAT? Hooe's Yurts Giant Yurt launch and Spring wedding tea party

WHEN? Saturday 7th April from 3pm until 6pm

WHERE? South Hooe Mine, Bere Alston, Yelverton, Devon PL20 7BW

If you would like more information checkout www.hooesyurts.co.uk, or if you'd like to have a chat before going along, please contact Amy on 01837 880334 / 07899813436 or email info@hooesyurts.co.uk

Posted in Green Wedding Events , Marquees & Tents

Papakata tipi spring open weekend

Here's another great event not to be missed if you're planning to throw a back yard wedding in the North of England:

The lovely people at PapaKåta, the folks who specialise in hiring out Kata tents, giant teepees that create utterly unique and truly magical party spaces, invite you to join them for a glass of bubbles. It's a great chance to see the teepees in all their glory and to personally chat through your event with them.

WHAT? PapaKåta Spring Open Weekend 2012

WHEN? 31st March & 1st April from 10am 'til 4pm both days

WHERE? Escrick Park Estate, York, YO19 6EA (just 5 mins drive from York)

For more information check out their website at www.papakata.co.uk. And if you’d like to chat to them about your plans beforehand, just give them a call on 0800 612 9692 or drop them an email at tellmemore@papakata.co.uk.

Posted in Green Wedding Events , Marquees & Tents

World Inspired wedding venue

We've told you about tent tipi events in the North of England and in Wales - now it's time for folks in the South West of England to have a chance of checking out these stunning wedding tents.
World Inspired Tents will be showing off their fabulous tipis on the 24th-25th March at Darts Farm, near Exeter in Devon.

Throughout the weekend they’ll be showcasing no less than three of their Giant Hat tipis, joined together with a smaller Cirrus 40 tipi (enough to host around 120 wedding guests and your wedding reception caterers). The tipis will be kitted out in true ‘World Inspired’ style, with pine wood tables and benches, round tables and chairs, chill out furnishings, open log fires and lots of other lovely things!

The weekend will give you the chance to see the tipis in all their glory, meet the dedicated tent team, and let you imagine what a ‘World Inspired’ wedding or special event could be like.

To give you heaps of ideas of what to do on the big day, there'll also be some really fabulous wedding suppliers and friends to give you loads of inspiration and bring you a really interesting and exciting weekend.

The dedicated World Inspired team will be on site for the whole weekend and they would love you to come along, talk tipis with you and answer any questions you may have about these stunning tents.

WHAT? World Inspired Tents' Spring Open Weekend 2012

WHEN? Saturday 24th March & Sunday 25th March from 9am 'til 4.30pm both days

WHERE? Darts Farm, near Exeter, Devon

For more information check out their website. And if you’d like to chat to them about your plans beforehand, or to book an appointment, just give them a call on 01271 865306 or drop them an email at info@world-inspired.co.uk.

Posted in Green Wedding Events , Marquees & Tents

Wedding tent open day in North Wales

With the wedding planning season well under way we are hearing about heaps of open days and wedding events taking place over the next few months. So now's the time to seize the opportunity of checking out some fabulous green wedding suppliers who may be just the ticket for your own eco chic wedding.

The lovely Welsh tent people at Event in a Tent are holding an open day at the end of March and are inviting everyone planning an outdoor wedding in that neck of the woods, which includes North Wales, Cheshire and the North West of England, to go along and join them. It's a great opportunity to pick up inspiration and see for yourselves how their stunning range of tipis, which are available for hire, can be decked out for your big day. They are fabulous for weddings and parties as well as corporate events.

They tell us that there'll also be a number of selected wedding suppliers on hand to inspire you, so there should be lots of ideas and information for you to store away for your own big day planning.

WHAT? Event in a Tent Open Day

WHERE? Chirk Castle, North Wales, LL14 5AF

WHEN? Friday 23rd March, 3pm - 7pm; Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th March, 11am - 6pm

For more information visit their website or give them a call on 01978 853559

Posted in Green Wedding Events , Marquees & Tents , Wedding Planning

Pamper yourself the natural way

What a great idea!

The ‘Pamper Parlour’ is a fabulous new service created by the Arabian Tent Company, perfect for hen parties and weddings. Choose from beautiful selection of unique tents with eight exquisite interiors, relax, unwind and have fun being pampered with your wedding guests or your hens pre wedding day.

Arabian Tents has teamed up with make-up artist and holistic therapist Susie Mermaid to bring you the Pamper Parlour where her magic hands will deliver amazing restoring natural and organic treatments which will leave you emerging from the tent feeling balanced and peaceful on the inside and glowing and beautiful on the outside - bright eyed and beautiful ready for your big day!

Treatments include natural lift facial massage, mini facial with steam, Indian head massage, soothing foot massage, nail file and pretty polish, mermen nails filed and buffed, Korean hand & arm massage, heated lava shell back massage, express make up, eyebrow tidy.

For more information on this fabulous new idea get in touch with Arabian Tents.

Posted in Green Wedding Beauty, Hair & Makeup , Hens & Stags , Marquees & Tents

Wonderful eco friendly wedding yurts

If you're planning an outdoor wedding next year (or even in 2013) and you're still undecided about what sort of tents to use, then you should check out these lovely yurts, those stunning round wooden tents based on a Mongolian nomadic design, created by our lovely Devon friends over at Hooe's Yurts.

The great thing is that Amy and Max, who own and run Hooe's Yurts, recently got married themselves so they understand the excitement and importance of "the big day". They hire out beautifully decorated yurts for couples who want to throw a wedding with real wow factor and they absolutely love helping to make other peoples' weddings individual, romantic, exotic and unforgettable.

Amy is passionate about textiles and travels the world collecting items to lovingly decorate and furnish the yurts adding a unique touch to the interiors and making them really special. All the yurts are designed with traditional wood burners inside so they can be well heated which not only makes a dull summer's evening warm and cosy, but also means that spring and autumn weddings can be a real possibility.

Posted in Green Wedding Decorations & Details , Ethical Vendors , Events , Marquees & Tents

Glamping ...

… and festival season is just around the corner. It's hard to believe with the rain pouring down outside and the short, dark days we're experiencing right now, but soon the shortest day will be behind us and we'll be looking forward to spring, summer and those wonderful festival filled green wedding days.

And we think that nothing could be more romantic than celebrating your unique eco friendly wedding in an aesthetically glamorous arts and crafts style William Morris inspired tent, serving your wedding guests with tea and cake or Pimms cocktails on a lawn scattered with Morris print deck chairs!

To celebrate the centenary of the founding of Morris & Co, The Arabian Tent Company has created this gorgeous William Morris tent that features iconic Islamic prints in its fabrics and furnishings, inspired by the man himself.

‘I launched the William Morris tent to coincide with his centenary this year as he’s someone I have huge admiration for,’ says Katherine Hudson, founder of The Arabian Tent Company. ‘Morris took a lot of his own designs from the Islamic patterns he saw in the V&A Museum, a place I absolutely love and which I too find a source of continuous inspiration. Morris believed that ‘art improves life’ and The Arabian Tent Company believes that art improves parties!’

This design certainly fits a the trend that shows no sign of fading and inspires couples to create their own mini glamping festival wedding weekends in secret gardens and countryside locations throughout Britain in the summer time. If William Morris isn't your style then you're bound to love the Cornish Cream tent (pictured below), perfect for treating your wedding guests to cream teas served on vintage china.

If you think the William Morris or Cornish Cream tents would be perfect for your own glamping inspired wedding and would like to know more, then visit Arabian Tents website, contact them by email info@arabiantents.com or phone Katherine Hudson on 0800 8815229.

Posted in Green Wedding Honeymoon & Eco Tourism , Inspiration , Marquees & Tents

World inspired wedding experience!

It’s that time of year, the summer is winding down and October is hot and sunny (!), which means World Inspired Tents is showing off their lovely Giant Hat tipis again.

We all know it’s tricky to visualise the teepees without ever being inside one, so seeing the tents in all their glorious canvas flesh is an absolute must! You will fall in love and won't be able contemplate any other type of tent or marquee for your wedding.

They’re planning to set up three Giant Hat tipis with the smaller Cirrus 40 tipi (often used as a service tent) and all the trimmings so you can really look at all the options.

At the open day you can meet their dedicated team, from office staff to crew members, so you will know exactly who you’re dealing with, but to make the most of your visit they suggest you contact the office to book an appointment on the day you plan to be there so that one of the team can make sure they’re available to talk tipis with you.

Make a date in your diary for World Inspired Tents open weekend at Darts Farm, Topsham, Nr Exeter on Saturday the 22nd of October and Sunday 23rd October.

Posted in Green Wedding Ethical Vendors , Events , Marquees & Tents

World Inspired tree campaign

The fabulous tent company World Inspired Tents tells us that they have been working on a little idea for a while. It's an idea that Ed and Donna, founders of World Inspired have been determined to make happen since they started the company four years ago, but the seasons got busy, tents needed pitching and their little idea remained a seed for some time.

They've always told us that being green is very important to the company and they try as hard as they can to recycle all of their waste, to reduce fuel consumption, to use eco friendly materials where they can and last year they joined 1% for the planet.

Now the seed has grown into a sapling and, over a month ago, lots of little trees arrived at Ed and Donna’s home. They’ve planted them in the back garden and they're nurturing them carefully in preparation for giving them to everyone who books their tents this year.

The little saplings will arrive wrapped in hessian, with a string tie and a cool little personalised card hanging off them.

The season has started and they’ve already given out a handful of trees. They tell us that the response has been fantastic and just confirms why they’re doing this - to say thank you, to give a beautiful tree to celebrate a special day while also giving a little bit back to the environment.

So go ahead and book a tent, make a tree happy!

By the way if you're curious about the tents and how they are put up, then check out this video over on YouTube.

Posted in Green Wedding Ethical Vendors , Marquees & Tents

Papakata Open Weekend in Yorkshire

Still wondering what sort of tents to choose for your mini festival wedding weekend?

Well, PapaKåta, the folks in Yorkshire who specialise in hiring out Kåta tents, the giant teepees, are holding their Spring Open Weekend on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th April 2011 from 10 am to 4 pm.

They'll have the tents up in all their glory and will be around to tell you all about them. In fact PapaKåta are now in their sixth season of hiring our these magnificent giant tipis and with the rosy glow of over 400 successful events behind them, they think the experience of their team is second-to-none, and they're still as excited about each new event, as they were about the first.

Whether you're planning an intimate dinner, or the celebration of a lifetime, they make sure each and every one of their clients have the time of their lives. They know it's a one shot deal, so they promise to move the earth to make your event happen!

For more information on their Spring Open Weekend or to find out more about their tents go to the website PapaKåta.co.uk, phone 0800 6129692 or email at tellmemore@papakata.co.uk.

Posted in Green Wedding Events , Marquees & Tents

Giant wedding yurt unveiled in Scotland

When Nathan of Red Kite Yurts called to tell me about his giant wedding yurt I was so excited! We've been thinking for a while now that Scotland is at last finding its very own Green Wedding movement and here is solid proof.

Until now our Scottish brides and grooms have been frustrated at the temptation all those wonderful eco friendly wedding suppliers south of the border listed in our wedding directory, and not being able to use them for their own weddings in Scotland. But now all that is about to change and Red Kite Yurts is leading the way with their giant wedding tent.

It's very hard to imagine a yurt big enough to hold 200 wedding guests until you stand inside this beautiful structure that is lovingly hand crafted in Scotland. But now you can go see it for yourself next weekend as, along with other trusted wedding services, Red Kite Yurts are hosting an open day to showcase their beautiful tent fully decorated and furnished for a wedding. Definitely worth popping along if you are in the area or still trying to find a unique wedding venue for your big day in Scotland.

What? Red Kite Yurts Open Day
Where? Touch Business Centre, Stirling, FK8 3AQ
When? Wednesday 26th January and Thursday 27th January 2011
Time? 10:00 – 16:00 daily

For more information contact Nathan Millard 01877 330 943 / 07785 770 737
nathan@redkiteyurts.com
redkiteyurts.com

If you're not in Scotland and still looking for that special wedding marquee or tent for your green wedding, visit our wedding directory where we have the very best list of eco friendly and ethical wedding tent providers in the UK.

Posted in Green Wedding Ethical Vendors , Events , Marquees & Tents

And don't forget PapaKåta's open days this weekend

PapaKåta's Autumn Open Weekend taks places this Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 October and they tell us they’re looking forward to a great turn out.

PapaKåta are the folks up in Yorkshire who specialise in hiring out Kåta tents. You know, the giant teepees that are made with beautiful cotton canvas and sustainable birch poles and create utterly unique and truly magical party spaces for weddings and events.

Find out more about this event by going to the blog entry.

Posted in Green Wedding Events , Inspiration , Marquees & Tents

Wondering what wedding tent to choose?

The Autumn wedding planning season is kicking off with a vengence now and there are loads of events coming up for you to keep track of and gather inspiration from.

First up is PapaKåta's Autumn Open Weekend taking place Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 October and they tell us they’re looking forward to a great turn out. PapaKåta are the folks up in Yorkshire who specialise in hiring out Kåta tents, you know the giant teepees that are made with beautiful cotton canvas and sustainable birch poles and create utterly unique and truly magical party spaces.

You’re all more than welcome to drop in at any point throughout the weekend to come say hello, have a glass of bubbles, toast marshmallows by the brazier and warm your cockles by the fire. But if you’d like an appointment with one of the Papa Peeps then just let them know your preferred time and they’ll pop it in the diary.

There will be demonstrations taking place on both days at 11.30am and 2.30pm by PapaKåta's operations manager Alan and the Papa crew, so even if you've already booked the Papa team for your wedding day and feel you may have all the details sorted, it may still be worth heading down to find out how to lift the sides, open the smoke flaps and have any of your logistical questions answered.

With flowers by the talented Kirsty at ‘Where Angels Play’ and local caterers ‘Saunts’ and ‘Kernalls’ there to tickle your taste buds with some warming winter fare, it promises to be a great weekend.

What: PapaKåta's Autumn Open Weekend
Where: Escrick Park Estate, Escrick, Yorkshire
When: Saturday 9th and sunday 10th October 2010

For more information or to book an appointment to chat with one of the Papa Peeps call 0800 6129692 or drop them an email at tellmemore@papakata.co.uk

Posted in Green Wedding Events , Inspiration , Marquees & Tents

Party themes and canvas tents

Conjure up an image of opulence and lavish living, flock fabrics in luscious rich colours, shabby-chic lamps and over the top chandeliers; meet in the summer scented garden by the two tall trees with your family and friends over a nice cup of English tea (in china cups of course); have your senses stimulated by warm orange and ochre amongst Moroccan lanterns and pretty fairy lights, sumptuous rugs and cushions; tread the grooves into the early hours within a cool minimalist interior and canvas washed with violet on a central dance floor, surrounded by seating and a handy bar – the party is bouncing at the first beat!

We're delighted to welcome Posh Frock & Wellies to our Wedding Directory. This brand new Cheshire based marquee and tent company specialises in providing beautiful and sumptuous surroundings for your wedding celebrations.

The company's whole purpose in life is to make your wedding forever memorable by creating an intimate, warm and enticing tent interior.

Their marquees are the traditional type of canvas pole tents made from natural fabrics and a lot of their equipment is recycled. For instance, they say that unlike many other marquee companies, they carefully preserve and reuse all their flooring and interiors which helps to limit the company's impact on the environment and provides a wholesome and natural space for partying.

Owner Sarah Powell-Barker designs the marquee themes employing her unique perspective on the use of textiles, furniture and lighting. The perspiration is provided by the other staff, many of them women too, which means they do seem to have a more sensitive approach to preserving your precious gardens and lawns!

Posh Frocks & Wellies is founded on a firm and historic base within the marquee industry - Sarah’s husband’s great grandfather founded Barker’s marquees in South London in 1888!

For more information visit their website, email sarah@poshfrocksandwellies.co.uk or pick up the phone 01829 751979.

Posted in Green Wedding Inspiration , Marquees & Tents

Giant tipi tents win popular vote

With festival fever in full swing, Glastonbury all but over and a sweltering summer to inspire, you'll be thinking about throwing your eco friendly wedding in a field next summer, so whatever else you do you will probably need to hire a tent (just in case it rains!).

Imagine having 200 wedding guests gathered in three Giant Hat Kåtas all joined together to create a single huge space. The sun is setting, the band is in full swing and people are grooving on the dance floor. Across the tent people are chatting at the bar whilst others linger by the open fire…yes… inside the tent! You can have a smaller Tipi tent for guests to chill out on bean bags and giant cushions. Then as the night draws to a close, your guests can retire to individual camping tents in a tipi village created for you across the field.

In the West Country the lovely people at World Inspired Tents hire these wonderful giant tipis, known as Kåtas, offering an exciting, visually stunning and practical alternative to the traditional marquee and they have an amazing selection of teepee style tents for weddings, festivals and other outdoor events. World Inspired Tents will work with you to create a venue that will amaze and wow your wedding guests, their tents allow your imagination to run wild.

What's more this eco-friendly marquee company has recently scooped the top prize at the West Country Wedding Awards. To win this coveted award they have to have gained a healthy vote from their existing customers. Proof, we think, that they are just the best tent company that we thought they were!

If you would like more information, please call Edward Wright at World Inspired Tents on 01271 865306 or e.mail info@world-inspired.co.uk

Posted in Green Wedding Ethical Vendors , Inspiration , Marquees & Tents , Venues

Fantastic marquee offer!

Now here's an offer you can't refuse ...

The people at Forever Green in Nottinghamshire are offering a marquee for a wedding on the weekend of 26 November for the fantastic price of £1500 reduced from £4000! The capacity of the tent, including a dance floor and bar area is for 200 people.

If you're planning a shotgun wedding or still haven't found a spot for your special day, and save wedding the budget, this could be the answer to your dreams.

For more information get in touch with James Cannon at Ransomwood Estates on 01623 675304 or email James.Cannon@Ransomwood.co.uk

Posted in Green Wedding Marquees & Tents , Special Offers , Venues

Big wave, big welcome

Looking outside at the weather today (there's snow on Exmoor) it's hard to believe we will ever get some of those gorgeous summer days that we all lust after. But summer will come and we're predicting that festival flags are the next big thing for back yard wedding decor.

So when Cornish festival flag makers Big Wave Flags contacted us to find out whether our couples would be interested in their flags we nearly bit their hands off!

Having a cluster of Big Wave Flags to welcome your guests makes a real statement and they can transform your wedding venue to create a quite unique atmosphere. The flags stand 8 meters tall and are available in combinations of white, silver, ivory champagne, yellow, gold, red, purple, green, blue and more.

The fantastically tall, upright flags fly beautifully as en-masse installations but, if your budget will only run to a couple of flags, they also work equally well in the most compact locations. Each and every flag is different and they are all handmade in Big Wave's studio overlooking the North Cornish coastline.

Posted in Green Wedding Decorations & Details , Marquees & Tents , Venues

Stunning arabian wedding tents

If you're planning an exotic theme for your wedding, one of these stunning tents will create an atmosphere out of the Arabian Nights.

Arabian Tents has a range of marquees with beautifully hand made interiors in a number of designs which include delicate printing to vibrant velvets and all the patterns on the tent linings are hand block printed in India using traditional techniques.

The company also stocks and wide range of accessories and lounge furniture like sofas, padded stools, low tables, chests, rugs and ornaments which you can use to decorate and accessorise the inside space with.

What we love about Arabian Tents is their commitment to the women's co-operative that does all the block printing. By supporting this co-operative they are giving women who find themselves in abusive relatoinships an opportunity to become financially independent. Also some of the soft furnishings you can hire are made by a Delhi company that employs Aids suffrers, helping them at every stage of their illness by providing them with appropriate work and taking into consideration their needs at every stage.

Now that's a wonderful way to spend your wedding budget, supporting a company that cares.

For more information go to their website arabiantents.co.uk email Katherine Hudson info@arabiantents.com or telephone her on 01323 887 654

Posted in Green Wedding Decorations & Details , Marquees & Tents , Venues

Amazing success story!

When World Inspired Tents wrote to us with an update on the company's second amazing year of trading, we couldn't help but feel proud to have been involved in their incredible success. Ed Wright, the MD told us:

"Having been in your wedding directory for two years, I can confirm that Green Union consistently provides the greatest volume of web traffic and the highest quality of leads to our business, over and above all other wedding directories".

Ed went on to tell me a little more about the business and where the teepees have taken him over the last year:

"We've had an amazing year and despite being only our second full year in business, World Inspired Tents has grown significantly. We've successfully completed jobs all over the South of England and Wales from Glastonbury to The Gower and from the western tip of Cornwall to East Grinstead (we did ask him if he was offsetting his travel!). Every one of our weddings has been a 100% successful and people just adore the tipis! Compared to traditional white marquees and tents, they are still very rare so we have the advantage of offering something that is all but unique. The letters of thanks we've had from our couples have been amazing.

Posted in Green Wedding Inspiration , Marquees & Tents , Venues