A holiday party in a tent needs a connected plan for the tent, sidewalls, flooring, heat, lighting, furniture, bars and catering equipment, with somewhere for guests to leave their coats. For a December holiday party at a private home, we installed that setup over a brick patio and part of the yard. Here is what went into the job and how the pieces fit together when you need more room than the house can provide.
What kind of tent works for a holiday party at home?
Connected tents can extend a party across a patio and into the yard. The layout needs to account for where each tent will sit, how the spaces connect and how the tents will be anchored.
At this December party, we joined frame tents and high peak frame tents into one connected space. The setup included 2 frame tents measuring 30′ x 30′, a 20′ x 20′ high peak frame tent, 3 measuring 15′ x 15′ and 4 measuring 10′ x 10′.
Marquee frame tents measuring 10′ x 30′ and 10′ x 40′ served as connectors, with rain gutters between the tents. The tents on the brick patio were anchored with concrete blocks.
For a party that stretches across different parts of your property, think about the connected space as a whole. Dining, drinks and the entry all need a place within it. Our tent rentals are the starting point for putting that layout together.
Do you need flooring inside a holiday party tent?
Tent flooring gives the party a surface across the space you are using, and carpet adds a finished layer over it. When the tent extends beyond a patio into the yard, the floor is part of planning how those areas fit together.
For this party, we installed a raised modular tent floor made from 150 panels, each measuring 3′ x 6′, with 2,500 square feet of custom carpet over it. The floor was part of the initial installation, along with the tents, walls and heat. Tables, chairs, bars and the rest of the decor came in later, closer to the party.
That order matters to your planning: the space itself takes shape before the furniture goes into it. T3 rents carpet and other tent flooring, so the floor can be considered alongside the tent layout.
How do you heat a tent for a December party?
An enclosed holiday party tent can use tent heaters that stand outside and duct warm air inside. Sidewalls and heat work together, so they need to be considered as part of the same setup.
At the December party, clear and solid white sidewalls closed in the connected tents, and the clear walls let daylight into the dining area. We used 6 tent heaters rated at 85,000 BTU each, each with its own thermostat and a flexible duct running under the tent wall. T3 also rents 175,000 BTU tent heaters. Patio heaters and portable radiant heaters warm people nearby and suit an open-air area or a tent with its sides open. Our heated tent guide covers heaters, sidewalls and fumes in more detail.
What lighting and finishing pieces do you need inside the tent?
Bistro lighting provides overhead light, while drape helps finish the tent interior. A stage and tent safety equipment also need space in the layout alongside the furnishings.
This setup had 35 strands of bistro lighting overhead and 58 panels of sheer drape, each 10′ tall by 4′ wide. T3 rents bistro lighting for tent installations.
We also installed an 8′ x 12′ stage. If your party needs a stage, account for its position while arranging the tables and other furniture.
The tent safety package included fire extinguishers secured to tent legs, lighted exit signs and no smoking signs. Those are part of the tent setup, alongside the lighting and interior finishes.
What tables and chairs work for a mix of dining and standing?
A holiday party can combine seated tables with bar-height cocktail tables, giving dining and standing areas their own furniture. Table height matters as much as the size of the top when you are deciding how each area will be used.
For standing areas, this party used 15 cocktail tables with 36″ round tops at 42″ bar height. T3 rents cocktail tables with 30″ and 36″ tops, in bar height or seated height. The 36″ top is 6″ wider than the 30″, which makes a difference when drinks and small plates share the table.
The seated furniture included 11 round solid wood tables measuring 36″ across at 30″ tall, 12 round tables measuring 48″ across and 22 wood tables measuring 6′ long. We supplied 122 chiavari chairs with cushions: 78 clear and 44 gold.
When thinking through your furniture, distinguish between a place to sit down and a place to set down a drink. This job used both, with different table shapes and sizes across the connected tents.
What should you rent for the bar?
The bar setup includes the bars themselves, glassware and nearby surfaces where guests can put their drinks. Start with what will be served, then work through the pieces needed to serve it.
At this party, we supplied a Fireplace Bar and 2 white bars with herringbone inserts. The Fireplace Bar is built with a fireplace front, making that detail part of the bar itself.
The glassware included red wine glasses, white wine glasses, champagne glasses, martini glasses, double rocks glasses and footed highball glasses, delivered in racks. Naming the drinks you plan to serve helps make the glassware list concrete, rather than treating all glasses as interchangeable.
The bars and cocktail tables should also be considered together in the layout. One provides the serving point, and the other gives guests a surface for drinks and small plates. T3’s bar rentals include the pieces used to build that part of the party.
Where do guests put their coats?
Rolling coat racks and hangers provide a place for coats within the party setup. Give that area a position in the layout along with the entry, tables and bars.
For this December party, we supplied rolling coat racks with 200 hangers. The entry also included red velvet ropes on chrome stanchions.
At a party held at home, the coat area is another use of space to account for while deciding what happens inside the house and what happens in the tent. The racks and hangers are separate rental pieces, so consider both when working through the arrival area.
What rental equipment will the caterer need?
Catering rentals depend on what the caterer needs to cook and hold the food for your menu. Work through that equipment with the caterer before completing the rental list.
For this party, the kitchen equipment included a double convection oven, a pass-through warming cabinet and a 50 lb propane fryer. Those pieces supported the catering side of the setup, separate from the tables, chairs and glassware used by guests.
T3 rents kitchen equipment for cooking for a crowd, including double convection ovens and pass-through warming cabinets. Getting the caterer’s equipment needs into the same plan helps connect food preparation with the rest of the party rentals.
What should you tell T3 when requesting a quote?
Tell us the party date, guest count and where the tent will go. Describe the patio and yard space, along with your plans for dining, drinks and catering.
T3 delivers and installs. Request a quote and a person from our team will follow up to put the setup together with you.
