The Tent Line

A Grand Wedding at the Menlo Circus Club

In mid-August, we had the pleasure of working at the Penninsula’s Menlo Circus Club for an incredible wedding with Cay Lemon of Zest Productions and Jeffrey Adair of J. Floral Art.  We installed a 64′x124′ tent (our largest) on the polo field to accommodate 400 wedding guests.  In order to create a seamless and elegant entry into our tent, we designed and built a custom wood structure, 80 feet in length, that coordinated with our tent’s wood poles.  J. Floral Art draped sheer white fabric over the top of the covered walkway, then gathered each section at the support poles with roses.  He completed the approach with two beautiful floral arrangements flanking the entrance.

During the daylight hours, the interior of the tent was designed with shades of white with pink accents, including custom pennants on each tent peak.  As night fell, Zephyr Tents pattern-washed the canopy and dining room in pink swirls creating a dramatic atmosphere for the after-dark festivities.  As a personal touch, we projected the bride and groom’s monogram on the center of the white dancefloor.

The guests enjoyed a late-night dj lounge in the club and were treated to a pink spotlit exit from the bride and groom as they drove away via Rolls Royce.  A grand ending to a beautiful event.

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A Word From the Sperry Tents Family – A Tidewater Tent is Simply Not a Sperry Tent

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Dear Friends and Colleagues,

As many of you are the first to receive a call from a newly engaged bride, or any individual that is planning to host an event, we would like to reacquaint you with Sperry Tents.  Most of you are familiar with our tents but you may not be aware of the evolution of the product or of the fact that we just finished and moved into a new 10,000 square foot warehouse and manufacturing facility in Rochester, MA (stop by, it’s the big wooden barn in the center of town). We also want to address a matter of immediate concern regarding what an authentic Sperry Tent is and where you can rent them.

I had hoped to save this letter for the “off-season”, but there is already enough confusion out there that I feel we should create some clarity regarding the matter before we are in the midst of the September and October wedding madness and all of the sudden it is November.  It is often said that “imitation is the ultimate form of flattery”, and that “if you are going to be original, you can expect to be copied”.   Well, as you may or may not be aware, there is now a ‘knock-off’ version of our tent designs out there that is being promoted as “sailcloth tents” for “fair-weather events”.

Our obvious concern – in fact it has happened – is that people are going to confuse these new tents with ours and we will be associated with tents that cannot stand up to the elements. Or worse, these tents will fail in heavy weather and people will assume all sailcloth tents are fragile, leaky structures.  With over 30 years of innovation and refinement in response to the demands of both our customers and the Mother Nature on the coast of New England, we are highly confident in our tents and the event services we provide.  Along with the new facility we have also invested in a new computer cutting machine and state of the art machines for sealing the reinforcement patches and the seams, all of which contribute to a product that is both durable and watertight. We are not building ‘fair-weather’ tents.

We want people to understand that this new product is not a Sperry Tent, and that the only place you can find an authentic Sperry Tent is from the licensed Sperry Tent companies found on our website (please see www.sperrytents.com for locations). Something being called a sailcloth tent from anyone other than a licensed Sperry Tents rental company is simply not a Sperry Tent.

I appreciate you taking the time to read this.   We look forward to continuing to work together with you.

Best Wishes,

Tim Sperry

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A Beautiful June Wedding on a Geyserville Ranch

On a perfect early summer day, the bride readied herself beneath a small canopy at her family ranch in Geyserville. Guests sat on hay bales for the exchange of vows under a large Oak tree surrounded by vineyards.  Horse-drawn wagons transported guests to cocktails at the barn adorned with a beautiful wreath and garland created by Valerie Arelt. There Jimtown Catering served delicious hor d’oeuvres and signature cocktails.  The bride and groom welcomed everyone to the tent to dine at farm tables tastefully decorated with ivory runners and gorgeous persimmon roses.  Guests danced late into the evening under the glow of Japanese lanterns and uplighting on surrounding trees.   We were so honored to be a part of creating another beautiful celebration!

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Featured Wedding Venue – Bear Flag Farm

We are fortunate to visit many special places and wanted to share some recent photos from one of our favorites.  Bear Flag Farm is a Northern California organic farm specializing in beautiful weddings.  Tina Reikes, farmer girl and wedding designer, creates gorgeous events together with her clients and vendors.  Lavendar fields, sunflowers, olives, vineyards, stone fruit trees and heirloom tomatoes – what better place to celebrate life, love and food.  We especially enjoy seeing the changes on the farm throughout the seasons.

Thank you to Cooper Carras, Gene Higa & Ann Hamilton for the beautiful photos!

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A Russian River Wedding with Moroccan Flair

Along the Russian River, there’s an unassuming location, perfect for a couple with a vision.  Parker’s Resort is a campground in Guerneville and rents out for private events.  The bride and groom chose a Moroccan theme – the dinner tent was adorned with Moroccan hanging lanterns (rented from Raj Tents) and colorful paper lanterns were hung in the blue star lounge tent complete with Moroccan furnishings.  The guests danced into the wee hours al fresco under a canopy of bistro lights.   Just another testament to our tents’ ability to transform a space and act as a blank canvas for a variety of motifs.

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An Intimate Wedding in Zion National Park

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We are often asked if we travel outside of the San Francisco Bay Area for tented events.  The answer is a resounding “yes”!  Our staff recently returned from Zion National Park in Utah capturing a few moments of this small celebration in a vast valley.  The photos are really more about the landscape than our tent – I can admit when we’ve been upstaged.   Needless to say, I’ll be clearing my calendar next time we’re asked to travel!

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An Orchard Wedding in Winters

Together with our tents, a rustic barn and a working orchard created a simply elegant setting for this small farming town wedding.  The reception space surrounded a dance floor draped above with Italian bistro lights.  The tents were lit with orange and natural japanese lanterns.  Our farm tables adorned with simple centerpieces of fresh fruit and flowers were the perfect fit with the couples’ theme…’farm chic’, of course.

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Pretty in Pink – A Summer Celebration in Lake Tahoe

For this grand event, we built sisal covered decks on the beach for our tents.  We also made some custom staging to accommodate the band and the various circus acts.  It was an amazingly creative party complete with contortionists performing both in the trees and in our tent.  Paula LeDuc Fine Catering executed the incredible food – the whole roasted pig being the stand out.  And of course, the extraordinary fireworks display was the perfect finale to the pinkest party in town.

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A Wedding Down Under in Sonoma Valley

This Aussie-inspired wedding was one of our first and still remains a favorite.  The manzanita branches were clustered together on the center poles to make “trees”.  Natural sisal carpet, wood tables, and unique chairs created an elegant outback setting.  With native flowers and a menu filled with Aussie nods, guests were transported down under.

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Rustic Elegance – What is it exactly?

Recently, we have been asked by brides to create a rustic yet elegant setting.  Here are some great examples of weddings that depict this design concept.  We love the wood furniture as well as the idea of placing the wine bottles on dining tables for guests to help themselves.

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