For the second installment in our Guest Blogger series, we’ve enlisted the help of A Thyme to Cook. Based in Stonington, CT, this catering company is full service and award winning, with 30 years of experience masterminding weddings and events. They specialize in the best available regional and sustainable ingredients – plus they grow their own herbs and edible flowers!

There are so many details involved in serving guests cocktails, appetizers, a meal, and dessert, and the great outdoors doesn’t make the process any easier. But the good news is that a pro caterer like A Thyme to Cook will do all of the thinking for you…

Hi Sperry nation,
A Thyme to Cook loves catering Sperry tented events! There are some unique challenges to working with an outdoor space, but the end result can be spectacular! Here are some tricks and tips we’ve learned along the way.

Catering Tent

Work with your caterer to coordinate the size and location of the cook tent. Chefs and servers need a large enough space for prepping and clearing, and it should be close enough to the guest tent for efficient serving but out of direct sight. Solid sides on a catering tent help shield the work area from guests. (Following pics by Cappy Hotchkiss Photography.)

Water & Power

It is also important to identify the access to power and water. If power is not close enough, it might be necessary to arrange for a generator to power catering needs and band/DJ equipment as well as heaters (if used) and tent lighting. Water is required for catering services and portable restrooms – keep in mind that a caterer needs potable water (suitable for drinking) and portable restrooms do not.

Décor

When planning your color scheme and choosing decorations, take into account the colors of your surroundings when looking out from under the tent. For their wedding at Jonathan Edwards Winery, Sandy and Mike, working alongside the event designers of Jubilee Events, chose oranges and yellows with a touch of blue that really pop against the property’s green grass and trees. The rustic farm tables also match the wooden poles of the Sperry Tent. Work with the natural background to compliment your décor and enhance the overall experience. (Following pics by Robert and Kathleen Photographers.)

We are so pleased to welcome a new office to our growing family of locations. Sperry Tents Finger Lakes is now the exclusive provider of Sperry Tents in New York’s Finger Lakes region, including Rochester and Syracuse.

This new branch is owned and operated by Hank Parker’s Party & Tent Rental, a family-run company with deep roots in New York state and 40 years of experience in the rental industry. Customers working with Sperry Tents Finger Lakes will be able to draw upon Hank Parker’s extensive rental inventory of furniture, lighting, flooring, china, tabletop accessories, glassware, and more to realize any desired event style in any setting.

“We are so excited to carry the Sperry brand in the Finger Lakes region and beyond,” said Lauren Berardi of Hank Parker’s. “Sperry Tents are known for their handcrafted components, hand-milled wooden poles, genuine sailcloth canopies, and nautical essence. There is nothing quite like a Sperry, and it’s no wonder they’ve gained national exposure and been featured in Martha Stewart Weddings, Grace Ormonde, The Knot, and more. Even NY event planner Kate Hare recently commented on how ’stunning’ Sperry Tents are in her March blog post.”

Sperry Tents Finger Lakes encourages those looking to learn more about Sperry Tents’ rustic yet stylishly elegant features to visit one of their New York showrooms (consultations available by appointment). Or call 585-586-0901 for a complimentary estimate or site visit.

Special thanks to Kracke Photography for sharing these photos with us!

Get comfortable, because there’s a lot of detail to see in this outdoor wedding, held at the historic Eisenhower House in Newport, Rhode Island. We love how the soft color palette carries throughout the event decor – from the freshly-cut-from-the-garden arrangements by Stoneblossom Floral and Event Design to the china from Fancy That.

We especially love how Elizabeth Dunderdale and her team at Gracie Lou Events planned, styled, and coordinated all of the day’s special touches. There was such an inspired collection of event rentals, including our handcrafted Sperry Farm tables, whose solid fir tops lent a warm feeling to the tent interior.

What an impressive cheese display by Russell Morin Fine Catering!

Gracie Lou Events decided to use old windows as a creative medium for the couple’s escort cards, while jars filled with flowers and an extra hanging chandelier added to the charming display.

Chandeliers by Revelation Productions hung between the quarter poles of this 64′ x 124′ Sperry Tent.

Simple linen runners were the perfect accent to the Sperry farm tables.

The glowing chandeliers and a live band got the party started after dinner. It was a magical day, captured every step of the way by the talented Studio Atticus photography team. Thanks Connie!

Wondering what makes a Sperry Tent unique?

For starters, each one is handcrafted at a post-and-beam barn in Mass., which is powered by rooftop solar panels that provide all of the building’s electrical needs during the summer months.

Our sailcloth canopies boast geometric support patches and sweeping seams. Photos by SNAP! Photography (left and bottom right), Eric Barry Photography (top right), and IRIS Photography (center right).

Our support poles are solid wood and milled by hand at a historic 1930s sawmill in Mass. (Photos by Stacey Hedman Photography (left) and SNAP! Photography (right).

Here’s the Sperry sawmill in action…

Our peaks are topped by 10-ft.-long pennant flags – all pole tent rentals come with standard white pennants but different colors as well as custom logos are available upon request. Photos by Orchard Cove Photography (top right) and Justin Marantz Photography (center).

An ivory tent acts as a serene backdrop for a variety of decor and lighting schemes. When twilight descends, a Sperry Tent starts to glow. Photos by Justin Marantz Photography (top and bottom) and Kristin Spencer Photography (center).

Sunshine! And views for days. All of the prep and planning came together to make this Maine wedding a day to remember. The grounds of Greystone Manor, located on Cape Neddick, was the perfect setting for a 46 x 125 ft. tent installation by Sperry Tents Seacoast.

The couple brought in Kate Parker Designs to bring their vision of a fun and funky wedding to life. Kate’s attention to detail and creative eye can be seen everywhere, from the colorful table linens and bridal party’s bouquets to the many subtle and not-so-subtle touches of “Maine.”

Special thanks to Hitched Studios for allowing us access to these wonderful images.

A highlight of the outdoor ceremony: whimsical paper flowers by Liz Lapan of Paper Posey Designs. Handcrafted in the couple’s color palette of coral, aqua, and grey, these intricate creations together formed a ceremony arbor as well as aisle liners.

Check out the place settings – if you look closely, you’ll notice that each guest received a custom wedding lobster bib printed by Gus & Ruby Letterpress.

The cakes by Erin Gardner of Wild Orchid Baking Company were absolutely fantastic. Love the lobster theme! It went perfectly with the lobster bake dinner by Fosters Downeast Clambake. Fosters even pulled off a lemonade bar where guests could choose between fresh lemonade and iced tea mixed with vodka and muddled mint, raspberries, or blueberries. We really can’t talk about this any more – it’s making us hungry and thirsty.

And did we mention the tent? With custom lighting, it accommodated dinner and dancing well into the night.

And then there were s’mores on the beach. A perfect end to a perfect day.