Raise the Roof

Turn up the glamour with imported handmade tents

Whispering oak leaves and a wide-open Southern sky are perks of outdoor Charleston weddings-until a twig falls into a guest's mushroom Gruyere quiche and either thunderheads gather or a boiling sun melts bride, groom, guests, and buttercream, all. To keep open-sky disasters at bay, wedding planners turn to save-the-day tents. But instead of the been-there, seen-that white or clear plastic numbers, check out the newest chicster on the block. Ooh! Events specializes in unique rentals (their warehouse holds an army of farmhouse tables, oyster-shucking shanties, and scores of patterned china you can mix and match for a cottage-cool look), and recently, owner Lisa Thomas has imported a series of luxurious, ornate tents from India.
Crafted of waterproof canvas and lined with cotton sheers, the tents can be configured in a myriad of ways to create singular spaces: Link large tents to build everything from a dining hall to a pavilion, or use small ones to mask a portable loo or even fashion a powder room. And if you crave a color palette of your very own, Lisa can accomodate that, too. The only possible downside? Camping will never be the same.
For more information, contact Ooh! Events at 843-881-7576, or www.shopoutofhand.com.