GREAT BARRINGTON — When Tom and Lauren Cavanaugh met in 1985, elaborate tented weddings were hardly a thing. The pair first connected at the former 20 Railroad restaurant (she was working full-time as a bartender, he was stopping in for a post-work beer) and a scant two years later, they eloped to the Bahamas—sans sailcloth tent, gold-rimmed dinner plates, or sprung dance floor. Between these two landmark dates, the young couple was helping a friend deliver ice to a rural wedding site in the backwoods of Alford and noticed the tent paled in comparison to the bucolic Berkshires landscape and mansion in the background — and that laid the foundation for Mahaiwe Tent, a local business that is not only flourishing but also entering its 36th season hosting elaborate outdoor weddings in the tri-state area.
Safe to say that they’ve orchestrated enough weddings over the past three decades to more than make up for opting out of their own big bash. And founders Tom “The Tent Guy” and his bride have by now passed the baton to Lindsay, the youngest of two daughters, who is firmly at the helm of the family business and poised to usher couples—from the Berkshires and beyond—toward the tented wedding bash of their dreams. “They saw a niche that was untapped and in demand,” says Lindsay Cavanaugh of her parents’ long-ago realization that no one else was offering high-end tent and event rentals in the Berkshires. The business began in Cavanaugh’s childhood home, where a barn on site afforded storage (for their two small tents and a handful of dishes) and a lone trailer provided transportation. They ultimately purchased a building on Humphrey Street, which became their warehouse, “and we’ve been in it ever since,” Cavanaugh says, citing an inventory that’s grown to match the demand for full-service tented weddings and events that in turn have grown by more than 50 percent in the past 12 months.
“We hit the ground running in May [and go] all the way through November,” Cavanaugh says, pointing to her parents’ biggest challenge early on: keeping pace with the demand while raising two young children. “We had a lot of babysitters,” she jokes, before regaining all seriousness: “It’s not like we’re contractors and can extend the deadline another two weeks; if someone’s getting married on Saturday, no matter what, the tent needs to be up.” This type of pressure translates to late nights, long work weeks, and knowing what is achievable—all of which Cavanaugh, who joined the business five years ago at age 23, has adjusted herself to over time. As to her biggest challenge yet? “It goes without saying: simply being a young female business owner.” There were also deep internal and external relationships from her parents’ era that required an adjustment (and came with a steep learning curve) for all involved.
An athlete in high school, Cavanaugh originally went to Ithaca College to study nutrition; when she transferred to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, she began contemplating the Isenberg School of Management—and serendipitously “my mom actually asked if I had ever thought of [taking over the family business.]”
Turns out Lauren was nearing retirement and she and Tom considered selling. What ultimately sealed the deal for Lindsay was the allure of “being able to implement changes…and seeing the impact come full circle.”
This happens on a regular basis when she swaps outdated items (such as white padded chairs that have yellowed with age) and uses the cash to invest in new items—which, when they’re rented eight times in two months, is extremely satisfying. In the end, it all boils down to inventory and space. “As soon as I choose to buy something [new], I need to sell something else because space is the name of the game,” Cavanaugh explains, adding that housing between 500 to 1,000 of each item is her usual starting point.
Another perk of the job? The growing community around small businesses and the wedding industry in particular. “There are so many of us, and most are females,” Cavanaugh says of the tight-knit supportive group.
Plus, the dynamic of how she’s interacting with vendors is changing. “My dad, I love him to death, but he’s not going to go to a bridal show,” she says, During his tenure that was not necessarily problematic, but these days is an absolute necessity. “I’m trying to make it as easy as possible for Millennials,” she says of her “niche crowd,” as evidenced by Mahaiwe Tent’s savvy online presence—from stunning social media posts to a comprehensive website where their complete line of inventory (with prices!) is available.
That said, the journey has not been entirely glamorous.
“COVID was rough,” Cavanaugh says, citing an 84 percent plummet in sales n 2020. Long-term rentals and commercial work for private schools, many of which moved classrooms and dining spaces outdoors, proved a saving grace during a period that effectively consumed two entire wedding seasons.
Cavanaugh took advantage of every single loan available as well as the Payroll Protection Program to make sure her employees—a handful of whom have been on board for 25 or 30 years—were taken care of. “Nothing would happen without them.”
Keeping up with current regulations across a trio of states where Mahaiwe Tent hosts events quickly became a second, full-time job. At the would-be height of last year’s wedding season, regulations remained; by fall, “it was insane.” If anything, COVID has only amplified the Berkshires as a destination wedding venue.
Heading into the 2022 season, Cavanaugh is not alone in juggling a booked schedule while suffering the consequences of infamous supply chain issues. She’s learning to adjust to limited availability, low stock, and a whopping six-month lead time needed for most items. “If I haven’t bought something yet for an October wedding, I’m probably not going to get it,” she says, calling the entire process an incredible learning experience.
Mahaiwe Tent has one major competitor, in Pittsfield, from another upscale rental company that also began in 1986. “The thing is, there’s plenty of work,” Cavanaugh says, citing so much business for the upcoming season that neither company should be lacking for work. Still, Cavanaugh likes a bit of friendly competition (in a nod to her inner athlete) and keeps her eye on pricing and products at all times.
As the industry bounces back after prolonged uncertainty, two things remain certain: The tented wedding is definitely sought-after, and Cavanaugh has a keen eye for sizing up a property’s potential. “It’s really fun to see the transformation from a piece of lawn, perhaps in your childhood backyard, to a wedding venue,” she says, adding that many clients are surprised to learn how large a tent—and by extension how many guests—their space can hold.
Now going on four decades, the Mahaiwe Tent mission has remained unchanged: To deliver on what they promise—namely to create a seamless, fun experience for clients. As to how, exactly, this is achieved? “By instilling a very strong foundational trust,” Cavanaugh says, pointing to the celebrations she and her team pull off as “obviously massive days” in which the client is investing a good deal of money.
Providing high-quality, affordable rentals is achieved concurrently by offering an inventory that is “constantly refreshed and renewed…so clients have the latest to pick from.” Those clients include local nonprofits such as Fairview Hospital, Shakespeare & Company, Railroad Street Youth Project, and the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, for whom Mahaiwe Tent hosts galas and fundraisers each year.
“We definitely like to accommodate [community organizations] and help them achieve the biggest impact possible from their one-time-a-year fundraising,” Cavanaugh says, pointing to large sponsorships and deep discounts as ways in which the business works with its neighbors.
At present, Cavanaugh is in a hiring frenzy, —with plans to double her crew for the upcoming season, while staying relaxed, within reason, and “making Mahaiwe Tent a place where both clients and employees want to be.”
Beyond that, she’s focused on maintaining the deep relationships her parents established through the years since founding Mahaiwe Tent, and preserving the integrity of their “true, American small business…built from the bottom up.”
Their moniker translates to “the place downstream” from the Housatonic River and pays homage to the Mahicans who originally settled these lands; it is also a nod to Cavanaugh’s great-grandfather, Earl Raifstanger, who owned and ran the Mahaiwe Theatre for many years (where her father, Tom, was a popcorn boy).
As for the story of Mahaiwe Tent’s humble beginnings? Cavanaugh often shies away from telling out-of-town couples for fear of it sounding too provincial. “Now I own it,” she says, proud of a history tinged with personal touches that only come with time.
“Planning a wedding is stressful enough,” Cavanaugh says. By now she has become a pro at keeping panicky energy—both others’ and her own—at bay. “We offer one-stop shopping so you can just kind of, you know, enjoy the ride.”
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