Thinking of a tipi wedding for your special day and not sure how to go about planning an outdoor wedding? With our step-by-step guide to planning a festival wedding, we can help to make the planning process as easy, as possible. From choosing the perfect location or venue, to selecting the right tipi size, our ultimate tipi guide covers everything you need to know to make your dream outdoor wedding a reality!
No.1 : Planning & budgeting your tipi wedding
Congratulations, you have decided to have an outdoor tipi wedding and you definitely won't regret it.
Tipis are THE No.1 choice for the ultimate, authentic festival experience - informal and relaxed, impressive to look at, and naturally rustic & atmospheric inside.
There is something magical about tipis, especially at night with twinkling fairy lights, cosy fireplaces and festoon lighting.
Having a tipi festival wedding gives you the opportunity to be as fun and creative as you like, you can basically choose everything you want from live music to catering, bars, props and entertainment.
Not sure where to start? Keeping everything in one place is definitely helpful when planning a wedding. Using an excel document is a popular choice (especially with our couples) and can help you keep track of your budget, suppliers, guest lists, schedules, and table plans. This provides a clear and simple overview of your wedding planning progress. Also, don't forget to check out our tipi wedding blog posts, with lots of advice and supplier suggestions from our couples.
BUDGET - The bulk of your budget will go on hiring the tipis and catering, so make sure you have enough set aside for these and stick to your budget if you can. Our advice would be to get the big parts confirmed upfront and deal with the smaller elements later.
D.I.Y WEDDINGS - Planning a festival wedding can be an enjoyable process - you basically have the freedom to express yourself! Remember the suppliers that you choose should be well versed in setting up outdoors during the summer.
Many of our couples love the planning process and want to be as hands on as possible. You can also enlist family and friends to help, who enjoy being part of the planning process. If planning isn't your thing, perhaps look into a wedding co-ordination or planner on the day (and set up day) of your wedding.
GUEST NUMBERS - Knowing the rough number of guests (both daytime and evening) and the type of wedding reception you would like i.e. a more formal affair, where everyone is seated at the same time or a more relaxed affair, where guests may not all be seated at the same time. This will help determine the number of tipis required.
Also, try to decide what you would like inside your tipis, from tables and chairs to bench seating, wooden bar for dry hire, fireplace, dance-floor, mirror ball, lighting etc This way we will be able to send you a bespoke quote for your wedding with a breakdown of costs.
We will also need to know the location, as we will factor this into the quote, which leads us on nicely to outdoor wedding venues....
No.2 : Outdoor weddings & venue hire
SAY 'I DO' IN NATURE - Giant tipis offer a unique, non-traditional style with their classic natural beauty and eye catching design, blending in perfectly with the natural surroundings. We work with some stunning outdoor venues and locations in the South East, many of these are featured on our website, who host festival style weddings during the summer months.
If you or your family/friends are lucky enough to have a garden, or field big enough to host a wedding reception, then the chances are you will be saving a good part of your wedding budget on venue hire.
However, if you don't have a D.I.Y wedding venue on tap, you will need to look at booking an outdoor venue or field/land.
BLANK CANVAS VENUE HIRE - When you hire a blank canvas venue, you are basically hiring an empty field and will need to bring in all your suppliers and a power source.
This sounds complicated, however it's relatively easy, as most outdoor wedding suppliers are very well versed with setting up outdoors each summer.
If your suppliers are local to the South East, chances are they will have worked at your venue, and with us before. We have a list of recommended suppliers too, which will make this much easier for set up, especially if we work with them on a regular basis.
Outdoor wedding venues can usually be usually be hired from Thursday or Friday, through to Sunday morning - giving you the weekend for your wedding and the hire cost can differ depending on what's included - some venues may have toilet/shower facilities etc.
Factors to be consider when choosing an outdoor wedding venue:
What you are looking for exactly in terms of the vibe for your wedding? Is the field big enough to host a large festival style wedding or perhaps a woodland for an intimate ceremony, or tipis overlooking a lake etc.
As a tipi supplier, we can set up tipis in any location - fields, woodland or private gardens/manor houses and farmland.
ACCESS & LOCATION - Factors to consider when choosing your venue - is it accessible for large vehicles and trailers, does it have parking for guests, are there suitable places for guests to stay nearby, or is there space for glamping?
Festival style weddings take place in fields in the picturesque countryside, so they will be rural.
EXPOSED V SHELTERED VENUES - A more exposed venue may have amazing views, but will be more prone to weather conditions, such as strong winds and rain (especially near coastal areas and on the top of hills/South downs), so this will need to be considered.
Does the venue have a plan B for unexpected weather conditions? A sheltered venue would be more intimate and private, possibly with woodland surrounding the field, but with less panoramic views.
GARDEN WEDDINGS - If you are planning a garden wedding, we always arrange a site visit to check that your garden dimensions and ground surface are suitable and that there are no overhead cables or pipes underground. If you are using your own field, start prepping early with regular cuts to keep it maintained and ready for the big day.
GROUND PREPARATION - Ideally the ground should be flat for tipis and glamping, with no steep slopes/large bumps or holes. The field or grass should mowed/cut in advance, not the day or week before, as this will create excess grass which nobody wants on their wedding day, apart from the kids! Check with your venue a few weeks before, that this is being done for you and add this to your check list.
WATER SUPPLY - Some of your suppliers may need a water supply, so ensure that the field/outdoor venue has a water tap.
Venues featured in this blog include The Party Field, Knepp Castle Estate, Duncton Mill, Hawbridge Farm, Hartswood Estate and Whitefield Woodland Weddings.
No.3 : Summer season and date flexibility
The summer tipi wedding season typically begins mid-April and ends early October. If you can be flexible with dates and plan as upfront as possible, you will have more chance of bagging your premium choice of suppliers.
As the summer period is short, there are only a certain number of weeks in the wedding calendar. We may be able to pencil a date for you, but do keep in touch with us and don't sit on quotes for too long, as your date will get snapped up!
WHAT HAPPENS IF IT RAINS - The good news is that our tipis are waterproof and there is plenty of room inside for guests if the heavens do decide to open. Rain is manageable as long as you are prepared. Check with your venue what they have planned for wet weather too, especially entrance areas for vehicles.
Positive note on wet weather - Rain showers bring everyone together and the tipis offer a cosy shelter and retreat - although undercover, you can still enjoy the countryside or garden views outside. Your guests will spend more time inside and on the dance floor. It's the ultimate festival experience!
No.4 : About the Tipis
Giant tipis are not only spacious and substantial, but also reliable and robust, making them perfect for any outdoor event. With the versatility to add on extra tipis, you can accommodate any guest list. And let's not forget the photo-worthy beauty of our tipis against a beautiful natural backdrop - just look at how incredible they are at night-time too!
HOW LONG DOES A TIPI SET UP TAKE? - Tipis are giant in nature, so ensure you allow enough time for the set up - typically 1 x giant hat tipi = half a day to erect, 2 x giant tipis with furniture inside + matting/lighting = 1 day and 3 - 4 giant tipis = 1.5 days to construct and fully furnish. If you are providing glamping as an option for guests, allow more time for this too, depending on number of tents. We generally aim to start setting up midweek for a wedding, so that it is ready for you by midday on Friday, to start dressing and adding personal touches etc.
Also, please be aware that we cannot move the tipis once they have been constructed, so it is advisable that you are present at the beginning of the initial set up stage!
VENUE FLEXIBILITY - Check with your venue to ensure they have plenty of flexibly for set up and take down for tipi and festival style wedding set ups.
TIPI DECOR & EXTRAS - When planning your tipi wedding, it can be difficult to work out upfront exactly what you require in terms of extras and decor. Don't worry though, you can always add on or adjust quantities of furniture and decor extras nearer the time, subject to availability.
Choosing your tipi interiors carefully will give your tipi wedding that added wow factor. You can style the tipis with our collection of stylish rattan and Moroccan inspired chill out lounges, rustic bars, vintage rugs, hanging lanterns and oak barrels.
Don't forget to think about outdoors too with times including rustic wedding arches, colourful festival flags, festoons and fire bowls - all available to hire from our website.
TRUSTED SUPPLIERS - To make the wedding setup easier, we would advise that you consider our rated and recommended suppliers whom we work with on a regular basis, especially when it comes to generators and toilets/shower facilities.
Just talk to us about what you require and we can help find the perfect suppliers for you.
Suppliers - Tin Roof Pizza, Eat The Street, Eat Cake Love, Orange Beach Bars, Fern Cottage Floristry, Brighton Bell Tents and Sussex Party Bales
If you are looking for a photographer to capture the spirit of your wedding day, all the photographers are credited within this post and we also have a blog post dedicated to photographer recommendations here.
BROCHURE - Don't forget to download a copy of our tipi brochure too. This also has a handy check list, which is useful to refer back to.
No. 5 : Power & generators
Every outdoor event needs power, for lighting, catering, music etc. We can help you organize a generator with our regular suppliers who have a variety of compact and ultra-silent generators, that can be placed behind the tipi out of sight. To ensure that you get the right generator size, it's important to know what you'll need power for, such as what type of caterer you have in place, if you're having a band/DJ, and if you require sockets for toilets and showers, PA systems, outdoor bar, chiller trucks, etc. You can discuss this with your generator provider.
Some suppliers even have generators that come in colours, like this rather fetching pink one, we like to call "Barbie" from Grizzly Bear Events!
If your wedding venue does has a power supply, you will probably still require an event cable supplier to run electricity cables from the power supply to all of the additional suppliers such as catering, outdoor bars, toilets etc. so do check this with your venue.
No. 6 : Toilets and showers
WC HIRE - Toilet and shower facilities are an essential part of of your wedding and there are plenty of options available, from basic to luxury on the hire market. If you are planning on having a glamping area, it's always a good idea to have a stand alone port-a-loo stationed within the camp too. We can recommend suppliers we work with in the South East. Pictured - Nomadic Washrooms.
No. 7 : Accommodation
GLAMPING BELL TENTS - A festival wedding wouldn't truly be complete without a bell tent glamping village! Glamping is convenient for guests and also a fun and different way to spend a night or two under the stars. A wedding weekend will also give you the opportunity to spend quality time with loved ones. Our spacious bell tents, which can be booked via our sister business Brighton Bell Tents are a popular choice for festival-style weddings, especially in rural areas and we can also provide luxury honeymoon suites with real beds, dressing room pamper tents, and chill out lounge areas.
The booking process is simple too - we set up a personalized online booking page for guests to book their bell tents directly with us, so you don't have to get involved with bookings.
No. 8 : Lighting
OUTDOOR - Festoon lights are a fantastic way to add a touch of magic to your festival wedding. They can be hung in various ways to create a cozy and intimate atmosphere (especially if you are in a large open field), while also providing practical illumination.
Whether you want to light up your tipis, campfires, or glamping areas, festoon lights are definitely the way to go.
INDOOR - Tipi fairy lights wrapped around the wooden poles give a soft, magical ambience to the interiors - this really is when the tipis come to life, especially at dusk.
Decorate your tables with candles (we would advise glass candle vases where possible for safety) or LED candles, which are more practical and look just as real outdoors.
MIRROR BALL MAGIC - If you are having a wedding, there will be dancing, with a dance-floor, so a mirror ball is definitely a must-have for the ultimate retro disco feel.
We can supply the dance-floor, lighting and that all important mirror ball too.
No.9 : Wedding catering
Having a tipi wedding means that you there are no set menus or caterers in place, so you can look around to find your perfect catering service. This will give you many more options and flexibility on what you want. Try to make sure you sample food from your preferred caterer too - it's a hard job but someone has to do it!
CATERING OPTIONS - From self-service buffets to BBQs, outside food trucks, canapes or fine dining, there is plenty choice available for outdoor weddings. This will also be one of the main costs for your budget, so plan carefully.
STREET FOOD AND TRUCKS - Tipi weddings in their nature, are laid back affairs and most couples tend to opt for a similar vibe when it comes to catering. Buffets and street food trucks are incredibly popular and less formal than a sit down dinner. They also look fabulous in fields and in photos too, adding a quirky vibe to your big day! We can also recommend vegetarian and vegan caterers too.
Pictured above - Tun Tun Cafe
Take your pick from Indian, Mexican, roast dinners, tacos, paella, fish and chip vans, hog roasts, pizzas and grazing buffets.
Grazing buffets are a great pre-dinner snack choice. We can also provide wooden table- runners for grazing displays, which look amazing once filled with savoury delights!
Suppliers - Eat, Cake, Love, Eat The Street, Tun Tun Cafe, Punk Tacos, Paella Fella.
FINE DINING - If you are set on fine dining for your wedding, here are a few things you will need to consider, as this will add a substantial amount to your wedding budget.
No.1. You will need to hire a catering tent
No. 2. You will to hire cooking equipment, such as ovens and hobs if the caterer doesn't supply these within their budget.
No. 3. A fine dining caterer will require more power.
No.4. You will need to hire waiting staff to serve.
No 10 : Bar and drinks
From the drinks reception to table wines, celebration bubbles and an evening bar service, every wedding party needs a well stocked bar to keep guests happy and refreshed!
Outside bar - Chin Chin Mobile Bar. Photo - The Unbridled
Here are a few options to consider for bar service at your wedding :
D.I.Y. Bar
Full Bartender service
A Combination of 1 and 2 (you supply drinks for guests in the daytime with an evening bar service)
D.I.Y BAR - Bring your own drinks. Having a self service bar allows you to stock your own drinks for guests to help themselves. We can provide a wooden bar inside the tipis for dry hire (where you supply the drinks). This will be the most affordable option, but will take more planning upfront. You can offer wine, beer and soft drinks during the day.
Why not take advantage of the micro breweries in your area too, where you can shop local for craft beers. Some drinks companies will also supply glassware to hire alongside the alcohol, for example Majestic Wine offer this service.
Don't forget about soft drinks, including glass bottled water (ideally not plastic) on the tables and bubbly for the toast.
You will also need to keep drinks cool, especially on hot summer days, so look at options including big rustic ice buckets, ice baths or chiller trailers (which can keep food cool too). You will also need ice for drinks too and make sure drinks are chilled a few hours before too.
Will this be a free bar or will you be charging guests? If you are planning to operate a cash bar, then you will need to apply for a TEN licence from your local council - make sure you do this upfront (the process takes up to two weeks). You do not need a licence if drinks are free to guests for the wedding. If you are hiring a bar in with staff (ie.horse box bar), they should have a licence in place, so do check with them first and also talk to your venue too, if you are still unsure.
Bar staff - You may want to hire a bartender for the day or evening to serve and wash and collect glasses. There are companies who will hire bar staff by the hour, usually with a minimum of 2 hours.
Other things to consider when running your own bar are where you will store the drinks, for example behind the bar if you have enough room, on a dedicated table in the tipis or displayed in wooden crates. Just keep glass bottles stored away from the dance-floor and high traffic areas. You will also need items such as corkscrews, bottle openers, chopping board, sliced fruit and bins/towels + cleaning equipment and a bin for breakages, to keep your tipi tidy.
FULL BARTENDER SERVICE - Alternatively, you can hire a professional outdoor bar company, usually in the form of a horsebox trailer or stand alone bar with a bar tender service for the duration of your wedding. Some drinks companies can also offer personalised packages and bespoke cocktails /mock tails to make your wedding truly unique.
COMBINATION BAR SERVICE - This is where you provide your own drinks in the daytime i.e. welcome bubbly, wine, beer and soft drinks at dinner and then a bar service in the evening, hiring an outside bar company.
There are lots of fabulous bar options available from horse boxes to caravans and pop up bars serving a variety of drinks. Take your pick from gin bars to prosecco & cocktail vans.
Suppliers featured: Wild Box Events, The Little Langton, The Gin Inn and Orange Beach Bars
No 11 : Outdoor wedding ceremonies
As long as the venue has a civil ceremony licence, you can have a legal ceremony anywhere within the grounds. However, this will not apply to outdoor venues that do not have a licence in place, such as fields, woodlands and private gardens. Do check this with your wedding venue.
In the absence of a civil ceremony licence, many of our couples are married legally a few days before, or near to the venue on the day of their tipi wedding. This could take place either at a register office, a church or an alternative venue that can provide licences weddings. Popular choices near us in Sussex, include Brighton Bandstand, Lewes Registry Office and Brighton Town Hall.
Emma and James' garden tipi wedding ceremony featuring an incredible Elvis celebrant. Check out their fabulous ceremony video, featured here on our blog page!
Rebecca and Amy's beautiful boho outdoor ceremony at The Party Field in Lewes with views across the South Downs National Park.
Creating a beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony is relatively easy to achieve with seating options including hay bales, wooden benches or chairs for guests. Rug aisles are popular too for the ceremony and we can also hire our matted walkway, which you can decorate with lanterns and festoons.
Photos: D& J Photography
A rustic wedding arch decorated with flowers or plants, creates a beautiful backdrop and focal point for the ceremony. This impressive woodland arch (above) was foraged in the woods the night before the wedding by family and friends ~ a lovely surprise for the bride and groom, Lily & Dean.
No. 12 : Tipi decor
HOW TO DECORATE YOUR TIPI - The beauty of choosing a tipi for your wedding means that you have the option to be creative with ample space and height for some incredible decor!
With an abundance of rustic wooden poles, you can hang bunting, paper lanterns, Pom poms, macrame, drapes, feature lighting or festoons, mirror balls and even statement floral displays.
FLOWER POWER - Hiring a florist will definitely elevate your wedding to the next level with interior and exterior decor styling. Flowers are such a beautiful addition and help create colour, texture and that all important wow factor! Decorate your tables with flower jars, long flower meadows or eucalyptus /olive branch garlands. Make the most of the high ceilings in the tipis and wooden poles with hanging floral displays, vines or natural/dried foliage wrapped around the poles. Aim high, with stunning flower clouds or bunches of dried hanging flowers above the tables.
As there is SO much inspiration on Instagram and Pinterest, why not stick to a theme, such as boho, rustic country, retro, tropical, English country garden or festival!
Whether it's dried or fresh, you just can't go wrong with floral displays, they are so worth it.
Suppliers : Roccoco Florist, Rosaria Flowers, Darling Blooms, Rust Bloom, Fern Cottage Floristry.
WEDDING PROP HIRE - Adding those all important extras will help create focal points as well as comfort for you and your guests. From outdoor fire-bowls to festival flags, naked tipis, chill out lounges and wedding arches, rustic oak barrels, festoon lights and wedding signage - our extensive range of tipi extras will help you create a stunning backdrop to your wedding day from festival style to scandi/nordic, rustic country or elegant garden party.
OUTDOOR PARTY GAMES - Party games are popular at outdoor weddings, especially if you have guests glamping overnight and want to keep everyone entertained.
From crazy golf to coconut shys, croquet lawn games, giant Jenga, hook the duck or even bucking broncos, games bring a sense of fun and childhood nostalgia to your wedding day.
No. 13 : Tipi table settings
TABLE LAYOUTS - When we hosted our first open day, I was trying to plan the table layout and realized that visualizing this in my mind wasn't easy, so I could totally image what it would be like planning a wedding with over 100 guests to cater for. It can be hard to judge from images, however we do try to show as much as we can, via imagery and videos on our website and socials, but as every wedding or event is different - the number of guests invited, the number of tipis, or table layout preferences and so on, it's going to be up to you to decide on what works best. We have lots of suggested table layout plans on our website here which are relevant to the size of the tipis required for your wedding or event.
For larger weddings, with as many as 100 -120 guests, we would suggest a banquet style table layout with long tables. You may choose to have a top table (seats 6 -9 people) including the wedding couple, or be seated within the main banquet seating area.
Most couples prefer banquet style seating, as it's sociable for guests and allows for easier access and flow in the tipis, plus it has a rustic feel. For smaller, intimate affairs, you can place tables either in a clockwise position or within a square - a central fireplace works well with this layout.
Ideally, it's best to come along to see the tipis at one of our open days (we usually host one each year) and you can bring family and friends along too, so they can see how amazing the tipis are in real life!
TIPI TABLE DECOR - To decorate your wedding tables, hire in cutlery, crockery and napkins in bulk from specialist event companies which we can recommend. Alternatively, you could search for a vintage crockery supplier in your area, or purchase organic palm plates for your wedding reception.
Decorate tables with garlands, flower jars, table runners or, tablecloths if desired, flower clouds and candles.
No.14 : Live music and entertainment
If you are planning a festival style tipi wedding, the odds are music will play an important part within the proceedings. From daytime into dusk, music adds to the overall ambience and vibe of your wedding.
OUTDOOR MUSIC - As you are hosting your wedding outdoors, it's best to check with your wedding venue with regards to their sound restrictions, especially late at night. You may choose to have live music in the daytime, such as James and Sarah's wedding at Whitefield Woodland Weddings in Sussex. With an outdoor stage set up between the tipis and glamping village, this makeshift hay-bale stage provided the perfect backdrop for this epic WEDFEST!
Suppliers - Das Brass, Ceilidh Tree. Charlie Campey Photography and Jacques Lloyd Photography.
RECEPTION & CEREMONY MUSIC - Music can also be part of the wedding ceremony, or at the reception drinks. From brass band to solo performers and musicians, there are so many options with an outdoor wedding.
Kim and James's wedding, featured a ceilidh band who played outdoors at dusk with guests dancing under the moonlight.
EVENINGS - DJs and live bands are a winning combination for tipis at nighttime and bands can perform by the edge of the tipi dance-floor, or on a stage, which we can provide.
Jazz Orchestra? No problem! Ruth and David's tipi wedding featured The South London Jazz Orchestra.
No.15 : Adding the personal touch
MAKE YOUR WEDDING UNIQUE - It's those little (or big!) creative and personal touches that really make magical memories and a big impact on your guests at your wedding. They can be easy on the budget too!
Here are some of our favourites...
BOHO BUNTING - Handmade boho macrame bunting decorate the tipis at Chloe and Duncan's wedding festival at Knepp Castle Estate, West Sussex , as featured on our blog here.
TABLE PLANS WITH A STORY - Personalized table numbers were one of the fabulous little touches on the tables at Jessie and Jurrat's wedding, featuring key time lines of their relationship to details about their guests, such how many countries they had travelled from for the wedding. Click here to read their blog feature.
WEDFEST SIGNAGE - Giant festival wedding signage at James and Sarah's tipi wedding were a hit with the guests and make for great, fun photos . To see more images from this epic festival wedding, check out the blog post here.
Amy and Jack's wedding featured giant colourful mirrored signage outside around the camp-fire.
FESTIVAL FIREWORKS - How cool is this! 3D fireworks from Amy & Jack's festival wedding. The photographer 'Anna Pumer' took these through the glasses to illustrate the hearts.
QUIRKY & KITSCH TABLE SETTINGS - We loved these bright and bold kitsch wedding tables, decorated with Astro Turf runners, flower vases, vintage gnomes on display and paint your own gnome gifts for each guest.
FARM FEST - The ultimate accessory for a farm wedding... a giant tractor tyre table plan! Zoe and James' festival wedding at The Party Field in Lewes was a rustic delight with giant tipis, glamping, a giant fire-pit and colourful picnic tables and hay-bales.
FORAGED WOODLAND ARCH - As mentioned earlier in this blog post - how could we not include Lily and Dean's stunning wedding arch, foraged by their guests, the night before their woodland wedding as a surprise for the bride and groom!
WEDDING FAVOURS (and flavours) Katie and Louie's outdoor crisp bar!
FLOWER POWER - Recycled cans created an incredible Eco flower meadow at this tipi wedding.
BOHO FLORALS - Hayley and Ed's wedding featured some stunning boho pampas displays with dried florals on their honeymoon tent and a giant hanging pampas cloud in the tipis.
Thank you for reading our tipi blog on planning your very own festival wedding - we hope this has given you enough advice and inspiration for your special day!
To find out more about tipi hire for your wedding, please get in touch with us either by phone on 01273 517687 or email info@tribecatipis.co.uk
Click the button below to sign up for a copy of our Tipi Hire price guide.