Tent Heaters (Please Don't Let The Forecast Be Wrong)

kwiksilver

11 days to go.  The long range forecast is calling for sunshine and 16 degrees (60ish for all my American friends) at our location.  Obviously since it's the Rockies, that will change at least 75 times between now and then.

Is 60 kind of cool?  I live in the frozen north, to me anything above zero is t-shirt weather.  FH calls me his little penguin all the time because I am always warm, too warm.  I am a terrible judge of temperature.  It's going to be sunny (please loan your collective positive energy to good weather for us) and we are doing tents, but there is also lots of outdoor space where people can be if they don't want to be in the shade.  We probably don't need heaters for the tent though, do we?  I can make room in the budget if I have to, but it seems like it might be unnecessary?  It's an outdoor wedding, everyone knows that, so I expect people will dress properly.  I just don't want them all chilled and sad during lunch.  Lunch is taking place just after 1pm, so around the warmest part of the day.  I'm definitely not worried about it being too hot, especially because we don't have to put all the walls on the tent if we think it's going to to be warmer.

Suggestions?  Do you think that's too cold to go without heaters?  My rental company assures me that we can add them fairly last minute if there is going to be rain or the forecast drops significantly.  Just not sure if I should be planning on it anyway, if the temps do stay as anticipated.

STARMOON44

I think it's really pretty cool! Could you rent a few patio heaters so people have a warm zone to go to if they get a little chilled? For the most part I think you'll be fine, your crew sounds northern and outdoorsy, but for out of towners or just people who feel the cold I think it would be appreciated. 

lovesclimbing

I don't think it's too cold, but I'm also from the north. And yea, 60 is shorts and t-shirt weather. It probably depends quite a bit on where most of your guests are from. 

kwiksilver

STARMOON44 said:

I think it's really pretty cool! Could you rent a few patio heaters so people have a warm zone to go to if they get a little chilled? For the most part I think you'll be fine, your crew sounds northern and outdoorsy, but for out of towners or just people who feel the cold I think it would be appreciated. 

I think we can arrange heat if you think we would need it.  Alternatively, right next to the party tents there is a large building with tables inside and a very huge stone fireplace.  It's sort of a camp kitchen I guess?  We could also have a fire going in there so that people have a warmer area to socialize, in fact I anticipate that some of our friends will have a fire in there regardless, because camping.

I'm hoping the forecast shifts for the warmer, but I am going to call the rental place tomorrow anyway and just discuss the heating options and what they recommend for a tent situation of our size, pricing, etc.  The crew is definitely outdoorsy and cold-hardy so I don't think we need to keep the whole place toasty warm, but I definitely don't want anyone to be uncomfortable.

kwiksilver

lovesclimbing said:

I don't think it's too cold, but I'm also from the north. And yea, 60 is shorts and t-shirt weather. It probably depends quite a bit on where most of your guests are from. 

Glad I am not alone!  The majority are from Alberta (actually the bulk of the locals are from 3 hours north of here) and a small number are from Ontario, so still northern folks.  Nobody coming from further south than Toronto.  Only one elderly person is attending.  I'm going to just look into heating options in case the forecast changes for the worst, but I am hoping it goes the opposite way and we don't have to worry about it.

Heffalump

Do you have any older people on your guest list?  I know my grandma used to catch a chill pretty easily--she would set her thermostat at 80 degrees year round, and the rest of us were dying when we visited.  If so, I would lean more toward @STARMOON44's suggestion to at least rent a few to create a warmer area for those who need it.

charlotte989875

60s is borderline for me. My H wouldn't be perfectly fine, I'd definitely be wanting a heater. If you're low 60s and cloudy I'd say you're going to want them if it's sunny you might be fine without them. If the high is only 60 I'd definitely have them ready as a backup.  

sparklepants41

I'm from New England and 60s is borderline too chilly for me. Given the right (or wrong) conditions, that chill would probably stick with me for the rest of the day. But then again I have an autoimmune disorder and am very sensitive to the cold. 

Do any of your guests have autoimmune issues? You may want to get the tent heaters to be on the safe side. 

kwiksilver

It's saying 17 degrees now, so going in the right direction!

No autoimmune issues, only one elderly guest.

I spoke to the rental company and got info and quotes. They said we can talk again on Monday if I want to add the heaters. It was 25 degrees (77 F) out there at our reception site yesterday, so it's possible it will be plenty warm. I'm going to keep checking the forecast and make the call a few days out.

ernursej

kwiksilver said:

It's saying 17 degrees now, so going in the right direction!

No autoimmune issues, only one elderly guest.

I spoke to the rental company and got info and quotes. They said we can talk again on Monday if I want to add the heaters. It was 25 degrees (77 F) out there at our reception site yesterday, so it's possible it will be plenty warm. I'm going to keep checking the forecast and make the call a few days out.

I'm from Alberta and knowing the Rockies, I would rent some heaters. Weather changes super fast in that area and having them available is probably best. The mountains got snow yesterday or the day before ...

I went to a wedding in Banff in the middle of the summer (daytime wedding to boot) and froze my ass off. It was midteens but overcast and windy.

LadyCatherineDB

I went to a wedding like this a couple of years ago, and I was miserable. It was a windy, cloudy day, and I went back to my car to get my coat. Please note, however, that I associate 60 F with a brisk autumn day and not T-shirt weather.

missJeanLouise

I would be dying at 60. However, you have clearly stated that the wedding is outside so I would dress appropriately; probably leggings under my dress. FWIW, I am a huge baby when it comes to the cold and can't even handle most public buildings when the AC is on. 

marigold40

I live in Fargo. While 60 is lovely after a long, hard winter... heck, anything above freezing after winter calls for shorts, flip flops, and firing up the grill. Ha ha! However, coming after warm summer days it can seem chilly, especially while seated and not moving around or dancing... and especially after the sun goes down depending on when your reception ends. I would get a little chilly, but nothing uncomfortable for me. Maybe just a stack of flannel throw blankets for folks to wrap around themselves if need be (not huge ones, just maybe throw size to put over their shoulders or on their laps). Not sure how that would compare to heater rental cost, but it may be cheaper especially if only a few people may want them since the majority of your guests are from the north and used to the cooler temps. Since you have a fireplace for people to warm by, I don't know if I would think a heater is necessary. While most people should come dressed prepared for the weather, some people may not. And to out-of-towners it may seem really cold. If you have a wedding website, it may be good to post the expected temp... or maybe even call out-of-town guests so they pack accordingly. 

kwiksilver

Knottief427f7821dbe2794 said:

I live in Fargo. While 60 is lovely after a long, hard winter... heck, anything above freezing after winter calls for shorts, flip flops, and firing up the grill. Ha ha! However, coming after warm summer days it can seem chilly, especially while seated and not moving around or dancing... and especially after the sun goes down depending on when your reception ends. I would get a little chilly, but nothing uncomfortable for me. Maybe just a stack of flannel throw blankets for folks to wrap around themselves if need be (not huge ones, just maybe throw size to put over their shoulders or on their laps). Not sure how that would compare to heater rental cost, but it may be cheaper especially if only a few people may want them since the majority of your guests are from the north and used to the cooler temps. Since you have a fireplace for people to warm by, I don't know if I would think a heater is necessary. While most people should come dressed prepared for the weather, some people may not. And to out-of-towners it may seem really cold. If you have a wedding website, it may be good to post the expected temp... or maybe even call out-of-town guests so they pack accordingly. 

Thanks. My wedding was 3 weeks ago and it was actually so warm we didn't even put walls on the tent. But possibly a good suggestion for lurkers in a similar situation. 

marigold40

Oh gosh, I'm sorry. I should have looked at the date. Ha ha! Congratulations and I'm glad the weather warmed up!