Treat a tent as a backup plan, not your venue, and book it that way.

The search for a wedding tent almost always starts with the same fear: an outdoor ceremony with no covered fallback if it rains. That's a real risk at properties built around open fields with no indoor alternative. It isn't the risk you're managing here. Manor Barn and the Garden Room each hold up to 150 guests indoors, fully finished, already part of your $15,000-$21,000 package. If your day calls for a tent, it's because you want a specific look or a specific outdoor spot, not because you're short on shelter. That distinction changes how you should shop, budget, and time the booking. See how the rain plan actually works before you call a single tent vendor.

BoHo, our smaller space for up to 55 guests at $9,500-$12,500, already leans into an open-air, garden-adjacent feel without the cost or coordination of a rented structure. Couples who tour BoHo looking for a tented reception usually find the room gives them the same atmosphere with none of the weather exposure, staking, or teardown logistics a tent requires. It's worth walking the space before you commit to an outside rental — the aesthetic you're picturing may already be standing there. Ask about it during your tour rather than pricing tents in parallel.

None of this means a tent is off the table. Some couples want an outdoor ceremony under a frame structure for the photos, or a specific garden spot that isn't covered by the indoor footprint. That's a legitimate reason to secure one — it's just an addition to your package, not a replacement for it, and it needs its own vendor, its own contract, and its own timeline separate from what's already included in your quote.

• Confirm the spot with your coordinator first.

  Before you call a single tent vendor, walk the property with your Saxon Manor coordinator and confirm exactly where the structure would go and what it's for. This keeps the tent as a planned addition to your day, not a separate event competing with the timeline you've already built.

• Get quotes at least 90 days out.

  Quality tent vendors in this region book out, especially for peak season weekends. A late request limits you to whoever has availability, not whoever does the best work. Since Saxon Manor is currently booking 2026 and 2027, lock your tent vendor on a similar timeline.

• Verify insurance and permits before you sign.

  Ask for a certificate of insurance naming the venue, and confirm the vendor is handling any permitting the structure requires. This protects your deposit and keeps the vendor accountable to the same standard as every other part of your day.

• Match the setup window to the venue schedule.

  Tents need delivery and teardown time that doesn't overlap with your ceremony or reception setup. Share your day-of timeline with the tent vendor directly so their crew isn't on-site during vendor load-in or guest arrival.

• Confirm flooring, lighting, and sidewalls in writing.

  Get every detail — flooring type, lighting fixtures, sidewall availability — itemized in the contract, not implied. A verbal promise from a walkthrough isn't what shows up on the day if the paperwork says something different.