All in the family: Skyline Tents has your wedding covered

PHOTO BY JEN FARIELLO

Not going to the chapel to tie the knot? Not getting hitched in the church of your childhood? With or without a building to say "I do" in, having a tent (no, not a camping tent) may really be the only thing you need for your nuptials. Just ask the guys of Skyline Tents.

"People that want to have an event outside know that they need a tent one way or another, but if it's for rain only, you're not going to have a nice setup," John Hingeley says. "If you're going to attend a wedding, no matter what the weather, the tent provides the environment for the rest of the event."

A veritable family business, Skyline Tents is the brainchild of three brothers– John, Miles, and Jay Hingeley. After tiring of the renovation business, twins John and Miles invested in a few tents, foreseeing a need in Central Virginia for deluxe tenting. "We stayed in Charlottesville because we thought a need could be met and it's a good, centralized spot, so we could do large events throughout the state," says Hingeley.

While their first tent event wasn't a nuptial, their wedding business quickly boomed– allowing the fledgling company to expand and tailor their offerings to keep up with the growing desire for high-end tent environments. While renting out a hotel ballroom or using a winery for a reception location will always be en vogue, tents have the potential to create a unique, personalized space with all the fixin's for any bride and groom.

"You can make a tent look nicer than any hotel ballroom– some installations can take weeks to install and they get extremely complicated with flooring, extensive lighting, connected tents, multiple kitchens," Hingeley says. "It's a couple's special day, and a tent is created just for them."

According to Hingeley, Skyline Tents can create any ambiance needed for a bride's dream wedding. From flooring (carpeting or dance floors) and furniture (lounge chairs, farm tables, coffee tables) to lighting and varying tent sizes (need space for a separate kitchen?), Skyline Tents has the tools for even the most complex custom environment. The Hingeleys have traveled from Ohio to South Carolina to set up tents and have even pitched a tent for an event in West Virginia thrown by Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck. Splitting the management and design roles, the brothers (now in their fifth year of tenting) have continued to seek new styles and offerings to boost tents to a more competitive venue option.

But don't look for any of the Hingeleys to tie the knot under a Skyline tent anytime soon– Miles chose a far flung tropical location for his own December elopement, and his brothers say they're in no rush to plan their own big events. 

"I've seen too many weddings," Hingeley laughs. "We have no plans for weddings."

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