Protect Your Guests and Enjoy the Scenery
Many people want to let their guests enjoy the scenery while protecting them from possible inclement weather.
Are you planning your outdoor event at a beautiful venue? Are you wondering how let your guests enjoy the beauty while still being protected from the elements? Many people want to let their guests enjoy the scenery while protecting them from possible inclement weather.
We offer two options to solve this problem:
Fair weather tent cancellation plan
Clear tents
Our fair weather tent plan is explained in detail on this page. Our clear tents come in many different configurations. A tent can be completely clear or partially clear. The walls can be clear or have cathedral windows. You can hide a food preparation area with white walls and have clear walls on the rest of the tent.
If you are planning a daytime event, we recommend a white top tent or air conditioning since the sun can make the a clear top tent quite warm. Contact us today to protect your guests and while preserving the view.
Introducing the Sheer Top Sailcloth Tent
So, you've decided to hold your event outdoors, and you love natural sunlight and breeze. If this is you, then the Aurora sailcloth tent is for you. Its minimalist design, clean lines and translucent fabric are the perfect compliment to your outdoor wedding or other event.
- In the daytime, it allows sunlight to softly diffuse through the tent.
- At night, it glows beautifully from the lights inside.
- Its clean, elegant lines complement any event.
Contact us today to find out more about this amazing sheer top tent.
The newly designed Aurora sailcloth tent from Tents For Rent takes the popular sailcloth style tent to the next level in several key ways:
- It is engineered to withstand up to 65 mph winds. So, it's more than just a "fair weather tent".
- Its innovative WeatherShield walls keep out wind and rain.
- Specially designed fabric is stronger and more translucent than other sailcloth tents.
10 Things Our Tent Crews Do in Winter
Even though it's cold outside, we're working hard to be sure that your event is safe, secure and beautiful.
Since most outdoor tented events take place in summer, you may wonder what we do all winter. Here are just a few of the things that keep up busy during the winter:
Helping brides plan their summer weddings
Measuring and inspecting tent sites
Cleaning, inspecting and repairing tents and other rental equipment
Keeping construction projects on schedule with heated tents
Attending MATRA and other tent conferences
Counting inventory
Ordering additional inventory and replacing worn out items
Maintaining vehicles
Servicing generators
So, even though it's cold outside, we're working hard to be sure that your event is safe, secure and beautiful. If you'd like to join our team, see our employment page for full time and summer job opportunities.
When do you setup and remove the tent?
The base rental price for most of our rental items includes up to three days of usage.
This article is part of a series of posts with further explanation on many of our frequently asked questions.
The base rental price for most of our rental items includes up to three days of usage. For example, if you are using the tent on Saturday, we can install it on Thursday or Friday and remove it on Monday. This gives you time for setup or decoration as needed. We will contact you a short time before delivery to schedule the approximate time of day that our delivery crew will arrive. We also deliver the tables, chairs, lighting and other accessories at the same time as the tent. If you need to rent a tent for an extended period of time, we also offer long term rentals for a small additional cost.
May I cancel my tent if the weather is beautiful?
Many brides dream of getting married under a beautiful blue sky, but they fear that a storm could crash their wedding.
This article is part of a series of posts with further explanation on many of our frequently asked questions.
Many brides dream of getting married under a beautiful blue sky, but they fear that a storm could crash their wedding. Thankfully, we have a plan in place for just this type of situation. It works like this: when you reserve your tent, you pay a 25% deposit. If your event is on a Saturday, we normally install the tent on Friday. You may cancel the tent as late as Thursday by 9:00 AM and not need to pay any more than the deposit that you've already paid. By that time, you should be able to have a good idea of the weather forecast for the weekend. There are two exceptions to this: linens need to be cancelled one day earlier than tents in order to get a 75% refund and permits are not refundable at all. If you want even more time to make a decision, you may pay 50% and cancel any time up until the arrival of the installation crew. Contact us today to ensure that your event will go on rain or shine.
Can tents be installed on asphalt or concrete?
Tents can be installed nearly anywhere including concrete and asphalt.
This article is part of a series of posts with further explanation on many of our frequently asked questions.
Tents can be installed nearly anywhere including concrete and asphalt. There are two ways to do this. The most popular options is drilling holes into the asphalt and repairing them after the tent is removed. Staking in asphalt is the most economical way to secure a tent. This is done by drilling a hole that's about one inch in diameter and driving a stake into the hole. After the stake is removed, we fill the hole with crushed stone and top it off with asphalt. We tamp down the asphalt and it's almost as good as new.
One inch diameter tent stake hole
Patched tent stake hole
Alternately, we can install a frame tent with weights and not puncture the asphalt at all. It's also a good way to avoid damaging underground utilities. Tents are secured to very heavy concrete weights. Below is a picture of a weighted tent.
This tent could not be secured with stakes due to underground utilities.
What Size is Your Largest Tent?
I frequently hear the question: "What is your largest tent?" I usually respond by asking, "How many guests are you expecting?" If you plan to host thousands of guests, one of our largest tents may fill your needs.
This article is part of a series of posts with further explanation on many of our frequently asked questions.
I frequently hear the question: "What is your largest tent?" I usually respond by asking, "How many guests are you expecting?" If you plan to host thousands of guests, one of our largest tents may fill your needs. However, no matter whether you expect 10 or 1,000 guests, we have a tent that will cover your event. Our tents vary in size from 10' to 100' wide and can be hundreds of feet long. Currently, the largest tent we've installed is 100' x 290'. Contact us today to find out what size tent you need.
Time lapse of the largest tent ever installed by Tents For Rent.
Can I Rent a Tent in the Winter?
This article is part of a series of posts with further explanation on many of our frequently asked questions.
Fall is here an winter will be before you know it. Great news, it's not too late to plan an outdoor event. Tents can turn your frosty back yard into a warm, inviting event space. Your next New Year's Eve party could be in a tent. With a little extra planning a winter tent event can be a success.
Things to keep in mind:
Plenty of heaters (of course)
A walkway to the house, building, parking lot, etc.
Flooring, and carpet
Tent doors
We make it easy for you to plan a winter event. We'll help you plan a solution just for you. Our heaters have automatic thermostats that keep your event warm even when the weather isn't.
We have extensive experience with winter tenting for Christmas parties and other special events, car sales, temporary storage and much more. Contact us to fill all your winter tenting needs.
How Are Tents Installed? Videos
Each type of tent is installed differently, but here are the basic steps:
This article is part of a series of posts with further explanation on many of our frequently asked questions.
Each type of tent is installed differently, but here are the basic steps:
Measure and mark the location of tent poles and stakes.
Drive the tent stakes into the ground.
Spread out the tent fabric.
Lace the tent fabric sections together
Install the tent poles
Tension the tent fabric
Install tent walls, lighting, furniture, floor, carpet and etc.
Below are some time lapse videos of tent installations. Contact us to find out more about how we can install a tent to fill your needs.
Where can tents be installed?
Virtually anywhere!
This article is part of a series of posts with further explanation on many of our frequently asked questions.
Virtually anywhere. Below is a sampling of locations that we've installed tents:
Contact us to find out how we can fill your special need for tents
7 Ways to Plan a Tent Event on a Budget Video
If you have only a small budget, it doesn't mean that you can't have a beautiful event anyway. Here are my recommendations for planning a great event without breaking the bank:
Contact us to start saving today.
This article is part of a series of posts with further explanation on many of our frequently asked questions.
If you have only a small budget, it doesn't mean that you can't have a beautiful event anyway. Here are my recommendations for planning a great event without breaking the bank:
Keep it simple: Plan simple elegance. Decorations can be simple and understated.
Do it yourself: Do you enjoy decorating and planning? DIY can be fun and allow you to express your creativity, but don't overdo it. Too many things to do yourself at the last minute can add more stress than it's worth.
Go Natural: Let God's beautiful nature be your decorations. If you have a space with trees, grass, water or bushes, don't detract from it by over-decorating the interior of the tent.
Skip the tent: Having a portion of your event under the blue sky can be both beautiful and frugal. However, always have a backup plan and a place for your guests to get out of the sun. For more information on reserving a tent only in case of rain see this page for a full explanation.
Add some color: To many people's surprise our striped tents are slightly more economical to rent than all white tents.
Rent frugally: Some rental choices are more affordable than others. Here are the most economical choices:
Solid colored linens. They are available in 59 different colors. So, we're sure to have your color.
Half length linens cost less than floor length linens.
Fans are much less expensive than air conditioning
Pole tents are much less expensive than frame tents.
Ask for help: Our representatives have years of experience planning outdoor events and would be glad to review your proposal for ways to save cost.
With these tips, you can have a memorable event with some money left over for the honeymoon or to put towards your mortgage.
7 Ways to Wow Your Guests Video
The charm of an outdoor event alone is an excellent starting place, but a tent gives you so many more possibilities. The fabric of a white tent is like a blank canvas waiting for you to unleash your creativity.
Find out more by calling us at 717.733.9700 or getting a quote today.
This article is part of a series of posts with further explanation on many of our frequently asked questions.
The charm of an outdoor event alone is an excellent starting place, but a tent gives you so many more possibilities. The fabric of a white tent is like a blank canvas waiting for you to unleash your creativity. Here are my suggestions
Lighting: The lights in your tent can set the mood for your outdoor event. If you're planning a relaxed, casual country wedding, try café lights. If you want a high energy event, try colored can lighting. Bright colors can energize your event. Amber lights will shed a soft, warm glow over your guests inside the tent.
Tables: There is so much that you can do with size, placement and arrangement of tables. Randomly mixing round and rectangular tables gives your event a more casual feel. For a more country feel, try farm tables.
Linens: Table linens are a great way to add color to your event and make it really "pop." Our basic solid colored linens come in 59 colors. So, we're sure to have a color you like. If you like a more country style, try burlap or panama.
Chairs: Whether you're looking for an upscale chair or an inexpensive brown folding chair, we have what you need.
Flooring: If the ground surface is soft, uneven or sloping, you may want to consider adding flooring and carpet to your tented event. If your event is on grass and you expect guests to be wearing heels, flooring is also a good idea.
Restrooms: I'm sure you've used the basic portable restrooms that are common at outdoor events, and it's not usually a pleasant experience. Give your guests something more with our elegant restroom trailers. They include heat, air conditioning, running water and real flushing toilets.
Tent sidewalls: Most of our tents come with free white sidewalls. If you'd need to close the walls, it's nice to upgrade to the cathedral window sidewalls. Everyone can see out and it allows more light into the tent.
What If a Storm Comes While the Tent Is Up?
What if the weather doesn't cooperate and there's a severe storm during my event?
As you're planning your outdoor event, you may wonder, "What if the weather doesn't cooperate and there's a storm during my event?" That's a great question. Asking that question now, helps you have a great event rain or shine.
Here are a few things you should do ahead of time. When planning your event:
Have an evacuation plan for the extreme worst case scenario.
Designate one person to decide when the tent should be evacuated in extreme weather.
Place the tent in an area that is not prone to flooding.
Be sure to rent tent sidewalls.
Have a rain plan for any outdoor portion of your event.
Consider renting a covered walkway for your guests to enter the tent.
Consider renting flooring if the ground may become muddy.
If severe weather is immanent:
Keep an eye on the weather forecast.
If high winds are expected, open the tent side walls to allow the wind to blow through the tent.
Tighten the ratchet straps on the tent.
If a storm does arrive during your event, like it did at this wedding, you'll be prepared. All of our tents are very sturdy and are designed to withstand storms. Of course, in the case of a very severe storm, you should vacate the tent. Tents are designed to flex and move slightly during a high wind, but here are some signs that the tent is becoming unsafe:
Wind speed is over 38 miles per hour
Tent poles are lifting off the ground.
Tent stakes are pulling out of the ground
Tent fabric is starting to tear
Nearby trees begin to fall
Lightning is striking nearby
If you are unsure about whether your tent is safe, call us at 717.733.9700 (after hours, select option 3 for an emergency). If any of these conditions occur or you feel unsafe inside the tent:
Immediately evacuate everyone to a safe building.
If no building is available, guests can go to their cars until the storm passes and the tent is secure.
After everyone is safe, call Tents For Rent 717.733.9700 and select option 3 for an emergency.
If possible, send videos or pictures of the tent to us so that we can assess what is needed to secure your tent. You may email them to tents@tentsforrent.net or text them to 717.733.9700. Please be sure to include your name and phone number.
If you are in a tent during a thunderstorm, keep everyone at least five feet from any tent pole. If the lightning is nearby evacuate everyone from the tent.
Even though many events have beautiful weather, it's always best to plan for the worst so that your even can be a success either way. Contact us to learn more about how it's always fair weather in a tent.
Emergency Planning Guidelines from American Rental Association:
Top 5 Mistakes Brides Make When Planning an Outdoor Wedding Video
Most brides are well organized. They plan ahead, and everything goes very smoothly. However, there are a few mistakes that I see often, and I'd love to help you avoid those mistakes.
Almost every day, I help brides, grooms, bridesmaids, parents or other relatives plan weddings. Most people are well organized. They plan ahead, and everything goes very smoothly. However, there are a few mistakes that I see fairly often, and I'd love to help you avoid those mistakes:
5. Renting from numerous different vendors - It's often possible to save a few dollars by renting a tent from one vendor, furniture from another, linens from a third vendor, restrooms from another company and a generator from the local construction rental company. However, coordinating the delivery schedule the day or two before the wedding can be a nightmare. The vendor delivering the tent may arrive 10:00 AM while the vendor delivering the rental items going inside the tent makes his delivery at 8:00 AM. Dealing with as few vendors as possible simplifies setup and helps keep the pre-wedding stress to a minimum.
4. Focusing either too much or too little on budget - I've seen people who are planning a wedding overspend and saddle themselves with debt that they'll be paying off for years. I've also seen people so focused on saving money that they shortchange themselves for this once-in-a-lifetime event. This is the event that the bride has been dreaming about for her entire life. Make it special.
3. Waiting until the last minute - Deciding two weeks before your wedding that you should rent a tent and accessories is not usually enough time coordinate and reserve your rentals.
2. Expecting the best but not planning for the worst - Every bride envisions a beautiful wedding day, but sometimes it can rain on your wedding. If you're planning to hold the ceremony or cocktails outdoors without a tent, have a backup plan in place. The peace of mind alone will be worth it.
1. Spending more time planning the wedding than planning the marriage - Right now, the wedding seems like the most important thing in the world, but remember your marriage will last much longer than the wedding. So, spend time planning for the wedding and the marriage and both can be a success.
What mistakes have you made? What mistakes have you seen? Share them in the comments.
Want to avoid making mistakes? Contact us and let us help you through every step of the process.
What is the difference between a frame tent and a pole tent?
This article is part of a series of posts with further explanation on many of our frequently asked questions.
Many people wonder what the difference is between a frame tent and a pole tent. This article will be a bit more technical than most. So, I'll do my best to make it easy to understand.
Pole tents, also known as tension structures are an evolution of the earliest type of tents. The forerunners to modern pole tents were the big top circus tents of the past. They have one or more high peaks in the center. Their structure comes from the fabric itself. They can be installed quickly with no need for beams to support them. Many of today's pole tents are engineered to withstand up to 70 mph sustained winds and 90 mph gusts. Pole tents are the most economical type of tent that we offer. They are great for weddings, backyard parties and other events of all kinds. They have tall, graceful peaks and airy spacious interiors. Many people prefer this style over the more traditional square frame tent appearance. They can be installed on nearly any surface where stakes can be driven into the ground.
While pole tents fill the needs of most of our customers, there are some situations where only a frame tent will fit the bill. Frame tents, also known as clearspan structures or clearspan tents offer some unique advantages. Sometimes, tents must be secured with weights instead of driving stakes into the ground. In locations where a driveway cannot be penetrated or where underground utilities make it unsafe to drive stakes, a frame tent with weights is the perfect solution. Frame tents are much more flexible in the ways that they can secured. They can be installed on a deck, patio or even the rooftop of a building. Frame tents have other advantages as well. They have no interior poles. This is great for construction projects where machinery must work inside the tent or events where poles would obstruct the flow of people. Frame tents also work well as weather protection for a stage at a graduation ceremony or other outdoor event with a large audience. Lighting and speakers can be hung from the aluminum beams of the tent. The front of the stage can be completely unobstructed by tent poles. Frame tents can also be easily raised to a taller height to cover a stage or to allow machinery to enter the tent. Some people prefer the more modern, "Euro" appearance of a frame tent.
Still not sure which type of tent you'll need? Contact us and let our representatives find the best solution for your event. Whichever type of tent you choose, rest assured that Tents For Rent will provide you with a quality tent and excellent service to make your event successful.
Do you rent anything else besides tents?
While our name is "Tents For Rent", we rent so much more than just tents.
This article is part of a series of posts with further explanation on many of our frequently asked questions.
While our name is "Tents For Rent", we rent so much more than just tents. If you're planning to serve your guests a meal, we offer tables, chairs and linens. If your event is in the evening, we can install various types of lighting in your tent. We can even make your event completely self-sustaining with generators and restrooms. Is the temperature too hot or too cold? Let us make you comfortable with heating, cooling or fans. Is the ground too soft or uneven. Let us solve that problem with flooring, carpet or staging.
If you're planning an outdoor event, contact us to make your planning easy and let us provide all your rental needs.
How far ahead should I reserve my tent?
Reserving a few months ahead allows us to reserve just the size and color of tent and other rental items that you need.
This article is part of a series of posts with further explanation on many of our frequently asked questions.
We specialize in being able to serve customers at a moment's notice. However, most customers reserve weeks or months ahead of their event. Especially in our busiest months of May, June, July, September and October, this is important. Reserving a few months ahead gives you the widest selection of tents and other rental items.
If you're not sure about whether you'll need a tent because you don't know what the weather will be like, you can reserve a tent ahead of time to guarantee that it will be available and then cancel it if the weather forecast looks favorable. For more info see "What if it doesn't rain on my event?"
However, if you do have a last minute tent need, call us at 717.733.9700 and we'll do our best to help you.
What size tent do I need?
The main factor in choosing a tent size is the number of guests
This article is part of a series of posts with further explanation on each of our frequently asked questions.
The easiest way to determine the proper tent size is to call us at 717.733.9700 or get a quote. However, if you'd like to plan a tent size on your own, here are the guidelines we use. The most important piece of information is the number of guests. Once you've estimated your guest count, you can move on to calculating the number of square feet that you will need in your tent. Take your number of guests times:
- 15 square feet for seating at tables
- 6 square feet for standing area or cocktail area
- 8 square feet for a wedding ceremony or guests seated at only chairs
- An additional 2 - 3 square feet for a dance area
- 25 square feet for people seated at a head table
Add those numbers together. If you need space for a DJ, coffee bar, gift table or another similar table, add 100 square feet for each. Now that you have a total number of square feet required, you can choose a tent size. Always round up in size and not down. Below is a list of our most popular tent sizes and how many square feet each tent has.
(tent size) - (square footage) - (number of guests seated at tables)
- 10x10 - 100 - 8 gests
- 15 x 15 - 225 - 16 guests
- 20x20 - 400 - 24 guests
- 20x30 - 600 - 40 guests
- 20x40 - 800 - 56 guests
- 30x30 - 900 - 64 guests
- 30x40 - 1200 - 80 guests
- 30x50 - 1500 - 100 guests
- 30x60 - 1800 - 120 guests
- 40x40 - 1600 - 104 guests
- 40x60 - 2400 - 160 guests
- 40x80 - 3200 - 216 guests
- 40x100 - 4000 - 264 guests
- 60x60 - 3600 - 240 guests
- 60x70 - 4200 - 280 guests
- 60x90 - 5400 - 360 guests
- 60x100 - 6000 - 400 guests
- 60x130 - 7800 - 520 guests
- 80x100 - 8000 - 536 guests
- 80x130 - 10400 - 696 guests
- 80x160 - 12800 - 856 guests
- 80x190 - 15200 - 1016 guests
- 100x90 - 9000 - 600 guests
- 100x100 - 10000 - 664 guests
- 100x140 - 14000 - 936 guests
- 100x180 - 18000 - 1200 guests
- 100x220 - 22000 - 1464 guests
If you have any questions during planning, don't hesitate to call us at 717.733.9700 or email us at tents@tentsforrent.net .
Where can I find pricing information?
This article is part of a series of posts with further explanation on each of our frequently asked questions.
One of the first questions we get when people contact us is, "what is the price?" Everyone is looking for the best value. However, there are many variables in tent pricing. We have a wide range of tent sizes. Any rental of up to three days does not increase the price. However, renting longer than three days will increase the price incrementally. Also, your distance from our location can change the price as well. For this reason, we don't list our prices on our website. As a starting point, 80% of the weddings we serve cost between $350 and $5,000 total. This includes delivery, installation, all the accessories, removal and tax.
As you're comparing and looking at tent rental prices, remember that value is about more than just price. A great tent company provides:
Knowledgeable, courteous, professional staff
Excellent customer service
Quality tents that are designed to handle all types of weather
A company that has been in the business long enough to understand the industry well
Good reviews from other customers
A company the cleans and maintains their tents regularly
Prompt response to your inquiry
Integrity
Flexibility for last minute changes
Friendly, experienced installation crew.
Someone on call 24/7/365 should any issues arise.
For an exact quote for your event, please fill out this form or call us at 717.733.9700.
Do you deliver and install the tents and accessories?
The short answer is, "yes." We are a full service company. Our goal is to make your event as easy and stress-free as possible.
This article is part of a series of posts with further explanation on each of our frequently asked questions.
The short answer is, "yes." We are a full service company. Our goal is to make your event as easy and stress-free as possible. Our pricing includes delivery, installation and removal of all your rental items except for tables, chairs and linens. In order to save you cost, we give you the option of installing those. For a nominal fee, we can install them as well. Our pricing is transparent and straightforward. Get a simple, easy to read price quote today.
We have a large delivery are (see the map below). If you are outside of this area, please contact us for special delivery arrangements.