When it comes to planning outdoor gatherings for special events, especially weddings, it’s crucial to be prepared for any situation that might come your way and a tent can help with that. There are various types of tent, tent accessories, and tent sizes to choose from, making the process extremely overwhelming. Our team at Baystate Tent & Party Rental have over 40 years of experience in the tent rental industry to help you through the entire process.

Why Rent a Tent?

Mother nature is extremely unpredictable and not all venues offer a secondary indoor option that can fit all of your guests. Excessive rain and heat can be a damper on your party and having a tent as a back-up option that houses all of your guests, tables and chairs, as well as your dance floor and food tables will allow you to continue your wedding and reception anywhere under nearly any condition.

Calculating Your Tent Size

With a large selection of tent sizes to choose from, it can be overwhelming deciding which size tent you need. Before renting a tent, take these factors into consideration so you rent the correct size:

Guest Count

Get your final guest count and decide what size tables and how many you’ll be seating your guests at. Our 60” round tables seat 8-10 guests comfortably and need a 10×10 foot area.

To get the final tent size, you’ll want to take the number of guests you’ll have and divide it by the number of guests per table. Then, you’ll multiply the square footage you need for a table to get the final tent size.

Example: 200 guests divided 10 guests per table, equals 20 tables. Multiple 20 tables by 100 square feet to get 2,000 square feet (the size of the tent you’ll need).

Bridal Party

Are you going to be seating your bridal party at a traditional head table? You’ll want to take the number of people you want to sit at the head table, plus the bride and groom, and divide the number by four. This will give you the amount of 8-foot rectangular tables you will need to form the entire head table. You’ll want to leave a 100-square foot space per each table that makes up the entity of the head table to ensure there is enough space in front of and behind of the table for people to get by.

Example: 14 people in the bridal party divided by 4 is 3.5 tables (you’ll want to round up to the whole number). Four 8-foot tables require 400 square feet.

Buffet

For the buffet, you’re going to be using the same size and shape tables as you would for the head table, so you’ll need 100 square feet per section. Once you confirm the menu for your wedding, your caterer will let you know how many buffet tables you will need.

Miscellaneous Items

In addition to your seating for guests and the buffet, you’ll also want to take into consideration any of the additional items you will need – a stage for your band or DJ, a dance floor, or even any food machines. You’re going to need extra space than these items actually need, so be sure to round up and add these numbers into the ones you previously calculated.

Added up, all of these numbers will give you the mare minimum size tent you’ll need. Always account for extra space to allow people to have extra breathing room, photography and videography equipment, a table for gifts and seating numbers, and any other miscellaneous items you might want to add into the mix.

When placing your order for your tent rentals, don’t forget about any tent accessories you might want or need – including tent walls!

For all of your tent rental needs for your wedding, give Baystate Tent & Party Rental a call at (978) 851-2002.