How to Choose the Correct Size Tent for Your Event
When planning an outdoor wedding or party, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is choosing the right size tent. It’s more than just making sure your guests have a place to gather—it’s about comfort, flow, and functionality. This guide will help you determine the best tent size for your event, based on key factors like guest count, seating arrangements, and planned activities. Once you’ve narrowed down which size you’ll need, you can skip to our guide for selecting the right type of tent.
You could start with tent size guidelines, but that’s just a quick jumping off point. Here are a few common tent sizes and what they can accomodate before we get into more details like flow and function. And remember to round up when in doubt- a tent that’s too small will feel cramped, while a tent with extra space gives room to breathe, decorate, and dance.
Tent Size Seated Guests Standing Guests (cocktail)
20' x 20' (400 sq ft) 30–40 guests Up to 60 guests
20' x 40' (800 sq ft) 60–70 guests Up to 100 guests
30' x 60' (1,800 sq ft) 120–150 guests Up to 180 guests
40' x 80' (3,200 sq ft) 250–300 guests Up to 400 guests
2. Once you have a general idea of how much each tent size can hold, get a more accurate estimate for your event by starting with the guest count. The number of people attending is the foundation for your tent size decision. Here’s a quick reference for how much space each guest typically needs.
Seated at round tables (with space to walk): 10-12 sq ft per person
Seated at long banquet tables: 8-10 sq ft per person
Standing cocktail-style (minimal seating): 6-8 sq ft per person
3. Consider the event style: seated vs. standing. The layout will dramatically affect your space needs.
Seated dinners will typically need room for guest tables and chairs, buffet stations for food, a dance floor, bar, cake table, and decor.
Standing events can be more flexible and space-efficient, but you’ll still need to consider high top tables, lounge seating, bar and food stations, and entertainment areas.
A good rule of thumb is to calculate 50% more square footage beyond seating requirements in order to accommodate extras.
4. Time to add in special features. Many events will have extra needs beyond seating that will require additional square footage. Don’t forget to allow space for aisleways and service paths.
Dance Floor - 2-4 sq ft per guest (9x12 for 30 dancers)
DJ - 100-200 sq ft
Buffet Station - 100-200 sq ft
Cake Table, Gift Table - 50-100 sq ft
Lounge Area - 100-200 sq ft
5. Don’t forget about weather when planning your tent size. If the weather is very hot and muggy outside, you might want to add space for fans or cooling units. Additionally if it is rainy, you’d want to be sure each side has clearance for tent sidewall panels to reach the floor.
Remember, when in doubt, bigger is better for your guest comfort, especially when you have additional needs beyond seating to account for. The best tent size for your wedding or party balances your guest count, event style, and layout needs. If you’re still unsure, we are happy to speak with you about your needs and what size will work best for your event! Give us a call today at (919) 578-2426.