A comprehensive guide to event tenting – for weddings, private parties, outdoor restaurant enclosures, and other uses.

For general tent inquiries, feel free to contact our tent specialists.

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Here in the Northeast, weather can be a participant in your event. Putting a tent up is a great way to keep your party going, while also sheltering your guests from the elements. Please B Seated offers several great tent systems, from Sail Cloths to Frame Tents, there are options available to fit your budget, environment, and desired aesthetic. The easiest thing to do, and what we recommend, is that you contact us, and our experienced tent specialists can guide you through the tent selection process. A site visit by our team is necessary in most cases, but, the below guide can give you some brief insight into the tenting process.

First things first – selecting and measuring your space.

An experienced event planner will tell you, and can help tremendously by the way, that selecting the right location for your tent can have a big impact on your event. You’ll want to avoid any large trees or bushes intersecting with the tent area, and try to limit any extreme slopes in the area. You’ll need to think about guest egress, and distance from necessities such as restrooms. Any underground utilities will need by marked by flags, to avoid any damage from tent stakes.

A large flat grass area is always ideal for tenting, but that’s not always possible. We can tent over sloped areas by adjusting our tent leg heights, or if necessary, by building a raised platform to level out the floor. We can also tent on concrete or asphalt. If securing the tent with stakes is not an option, we can use concrete blocks. Using weights instead of stakes can limit your tent options, as pole tents like the Sail Cloth are tension systems requiring stakes.

It may seem obvious, but after you’ve selected your location, you need to do is measure the length and width of the physical space. This determines the largest size possible, and you can start planning from there. Feel free to contact us for a site visit, so we can measure your area professionally.

What size tent do I need?

What size tent do you need for 100 guests? How about 250 guest wedding, with a seated dinner, dance floor, bars, buffet tables? What if you need space for your giant ice sculpture, descending aerialists, or competitive bingo tournament? You never know… While your space needs can vary, we have a general formula for estimating needed tent size.

As a general rule of thumb you’ll need:

• 15 Square Feet per person for a standing cocktail party, with limited seating.
• 20 Square Feet per person for a seated dinner, no dance floor.
• 25 Square Feet per person for a seated dinner, with dance floor.

Other items such as large stages, multiple bars and buffets, lounge furniture, can impact how much space you’ll. If you are planning a party that large, generally you’ll have a professional party planner helping you, and helping us, plan your vision correctly. A CAD drawing floor plan helps a ton in visualizing the use of space. You can do this yourself using a program such as Allseated, or ask your tent specialist to draw one for you. We always include a sample floorplan, and a tent location drawing in your proposal – using our CAD software.

Once you have your square feet per person, lets say its 2500 square feet per person for 100 Guests, seated dinner with a dance floor. Usually it’s best to go with widest tent possible to help with your event flow. So a 40′ x 60′, equaling 2400 square feet, would generally be the closest size for 100 Guests with a Dance Floor. You could also do something close to a 40′ x 80′. Different tent systems will have different dimensions. For instance, the Aurora Sail Cloth, a popular tent especially for summer weddings, a 45′ x 64′ would be the closest size for 2500 square feet. Below we’ll get into the nuances between the different tent systems we offer.

All about Frame Tents – Fiesta and Legacy

Frame tents have a number benefits. There are no center poles, they can be installed with weights if necessary, they come in modular sizes, and their leg uprights are height adjustable. They also offer the option for a clear top, which has become a popular aesthetic. Depending on the scenario, a frame tent might be the best tool for the job.

When choosing frame tent systems, we generally encourage clients to rent our Legacy Frame Tent. With it’s available widths of 20′, 30′, 40′, and 50′ – it’s curved arches, beautiful gable ends, and strong structure, it’s a great choice for many events. Lengths for the Legacy generally come in 15′ increments, with perimeter heights of 8.5′ and 10′. Ridge heights from 14.3′ – 20′. Legacy is available in White Top or Clear Top.

While aesthetically pleasing, you’ll want to avoid Clear Tops during summer, as they provide no protection from the Sun, and can also create a greenhouse effect – making your tent hotter than it needs to be!

If the needed dimensions of the tent are unusual, the Fiesta is a great choice. Our tent specialists will recommend a system that works best for your requirements.

Pole Tents – Sail Cloth and Century

Sail Cloths are a great choice for weddings. Flowing canvas over sturdy walnut poles. Sail Cloths are oval tents, with center poles. Available in widths of 20′, 32′, 45′, and 59′. They require a flat surface, and must be staked with at least a 6′ staking perimeter.

Century Tents are great for large scale events such as weddings, graduations and festivals. They they are rectangular tents, with aluminum center poles, and white vinyl peaked tops. Available in 30′, 40′, and 60′ widths. They require a flat surface, and must be staked with at least a 6′ staking perimeter.

Stayed tuned for more tent knowledge, coming soon.