Picking the right wedding tent can be a bit daunting. If you’re planning an outdoor wedding, incorporating an appropriate tent into your preparations can greatly enhance your special day.
There’s a lot to consider when picking a tent. If you choose one that is too small, your guests will be pushed outside, away from the tent’s shelter, and it’ll be difficult to move from one area to another.
On the other hand, if you pick a tent that’s too large, you’ll feel as though you spent more than was necessary. Let’s take a look at the most important factors to consider when selecting a tent for a wedding or for any other event, for that matter.
The Number of Guests
The top consideration is the number of people that will attend. Consider what you’d like to have beneath your tent. You’ll likely want tables, and possibly a bar, stage, dance floor and food tables.
You might also require space for accessories like a wedding cake, a beverage service station or a caterer’s prep station.
Take some time to think about all of the people and items that you’ll have to accommodate before you consider tents of varying sizes.
If everyone sits at the standard sized 60″ round tables that fit tents the best, you’ll need about 100 square feet for every 8 guests.
If you decide that your guests should sit at long style tables, you’ll need about 80 square feet for every 8 guests.
For example, say that you have 150 guests. Divide that by 8 and you’ll need 18.75 round tables. Round up to 19 tables so that everyone has a seat.
This means that your event will require a tent that is at least 1,900 square feet the sum of 19 multiplied by 100.
Wedding Tents
If you need a tent for a wedding celebration, you’ll also likely need a head table.
Think about the number of people who will sit at the head table and divide it by 4 as this is how many 8′ tables will be required to create a head table.
The head table could take up 100 square feet. So, if your party has 12 people that will be seated at the head table, divide it by 4 and you’ll need 3 eight foot tables, which equates to an additional 300 square feet.
If your event requires a buffet table, your tent must have at least 100 square feet for the typical 8′ buffet table.
The same 100 square feet will be required for things like cake tables, DJ tables, gift tables and drink areas.
A tent that measures 20’x 40′ will accommodate about 100 theater style seats. This means that you can line up 100 rows of chairs separated by aisles. It can also accommodate 64 people when seated at circular tables.
A larger tent that measures 30’x 60′ should fit 200-plus theater style seats. Or, you can choose round tables and seat about 150 guests. If you’d prefer to use cafeteria style banquet tables that typically measure 8′, a 30’x 60′ tent will accommodate about 180 people.
Those who are having even larger events should consider a tent that is 40’x 55′ or 40’x 70′. These tents will accommodate a cake table, bar, buffet, dance floor and seat 120-150 people.
Choose Your Tent Wisely
These guidelines will help you determine exactly how much space you need before you go tent shopping.
Keep in mind that the estimates outlined above are bare minimums. Do not opt for a tent with less square footage than you estimate to be necessary.
If there’s a lack of space, guests will inevitably bump into one another and feel uncomfortable.
When it comes to tents for such a special day, it pays to take the time to consider all of the potential elements that you’ll include in your wedding celebration in order to accurately calculate what size tent you’ll need.
Then you can always add a bit of buffer in terms of size to cover any unanticipated space needs, without needlessly spending more than you need to for a wedding tent.
Picking the right wedding tent is easier when you’ve taken the time to visualize what will go under it and can estimate how much space you’ll need. So take the time to assess your needs and your tent planning will be much easier!
More content related to picking wedding tents that we like from around the web:
- https://www.womangettingmarried.com/much-wedding-tents-cost/
- https://richmondweddings.com/blog/less-intense-guide-wedding-tents/
- https://www.toastevents.ca/blog/2016/10/17/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-tent-weddings
