Wedding tent 101: How to choose the perfect wedding tent

Oct 07, 2024 | Planning
Easton Events | Jose Villa Photography Pin it

Whether its a key feature of your wedding design for an alfresco celebration or a Plan B option in case of bad weather, there's lots to understand about wedding tents. From styles and sizes to specifications for space and staking, there are many elements to consider when choosing a tent for your wedding.

Wedding tents come in two basic structures: pole tents and frame tents. There are variations on these structures, including marquee tents, sailcloth tents, and clear tents, each offering a different aesthetic. Let's look at the main options to help you decide.

Frame tent weddings Pin it
Laurie Aarons Evenets | Joel Serrato Photography

Frame wedding tents

Frame tents are open structures that have metal frames to support the roof with an open space beneath the canopy. They are self-supporting and can be weighted down if the ground does not allow for staking.

Frame tents generally require interior draping to conceal the internal framework, which can increase the cost of the tent rental. However, you may choose to highlight the frame as a design feature (as in the custom wood frame structure above).

Wedding tents Pin it
​Easton Events | Jose Villa Photography
​Clear wedding tents Pin it
Abby Jiu Photography | Lauryn Prattes Events

Clear wedding tents

A clear tent is a frame-based tent featuring a clear vinyl top. The main benefit of this tent style is that you can dine, dance, and enjoy the sky while being protected from the elements. A clear tent makes sense when you want to allow as much light into the tent as possible, or the sky and surrounding landscape is beautiful, and you want your guests to experience the environment. See some spectacular clear wedding tents and glasshouse weddings here.

Clear wedding tents Pin it
Fox Events | McSween Photography
Clear wedding tents Pin it
Easton Events | Gayle Brooker Photography
Sailcloth tent weddings Pin it
Grit and Gold Weddings | Ellen Ashton Photography

Sailcloth tent weddings

Sailcloth tents are characterized by their high peaks, elegant fabric, and wooden support poles, reminiscent of classic sailing ships. Available in different sizes from 50 to 1,000 seated guests they offer a captivating backdrop for any celebration.

The sailcloth tent makes an excellent option if you want your event to have a natural look, but you don’t want a clear tent. The tent features wooden poles as the base and a sailcloth canopy made from breezy, sheer fabric that allows a lot of light into the tent. Come nighttime, when your event lighting comes on, the sailcloth fabric creates a lovely warm glow.

Easton Events | Aaron Delesie Photography Pin it
Easton Events | Aaron Delesie Photography
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Easton Events | Aaron Delesie Photography
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Wedding marquees Pin it
Lauryn Prattes Events | Abby Jiu Photography

Wedding marquees

Marquees are a hybrid of the pole tent and the frame tent. They are designed to give you the showiness of a high pitched pole tent with the benefits of installation from a frame tent. They tend to be available in smaller sizes than other tent structures, making them ideal for intimate weddings or smaller wedding events, such as your rehearsal dinner.

Wedding tents Pin it
EKS Events | Todd Events | Ryan Ray Photography

Stretch wedding tents

Finally, stretch tents feature several poles that you can configure in different ways, making it possible for you to set them up different areas such as a deck, woodland, or rooftop. This style of tent is usually an overhead canopy only, making it ideal as a back-up option, for an outdoor ceremony, for example. As the name suggests, the tent material is stretchy, which creates sleek lines for a contemporary look.

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