Cotswold Tipis FAQS
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General
The Cotswold Tipis team truly care about you having the best support throughout your event planning journey.
Our team has been creating and running our own events since 2009 so you can trust that you are in good hands and that our experiences will ensure a smooth and seamless service.
We started setting up our tipis for other peoples event in 2018 and we absolutely love creating magnificent venues for the most special occasions.
Our nordic tipis are built for all seasons and make fantastic winter event venues.
Our All Weather Entrance with wooden doors create a cosy entrance and keep the elements out, while thermostatic marquee heaters provide an effective heating solution.
View our Tipi Weddings or Tipi Parties page for our prices and packages, or get in touch to build your own custom quote.
Give us a call on 01453 367667 or drop us a line to check availability for your event date.
We offer a free site visit with all tipi bookings. This is where we meet you, view the tipi site and access and hear more about your plans.
If you have any concerns about the suitability of your land for tipis, or are worried
Our tipis are Kata Giant Hat Tipis.
1 Tipi is 10.3 metres in diameter (sides down) and 13 metres in diameter (sides lifted).
2 Tipis requires a space of 22 x 13 metres.
3 Tipis requires a space of 22 x 22 metres (triangle) or 32 x 13 metres (line).
We have a 5.5 metre diameter Nimbus Tipi, which has a canopy but no sides.
This can be used as a bar or small outdoor shelter.
Yes, get in touch with your dates and to discuss your requirements.
Looking for a venue
Yes, you can find an article here of venues in and around the Cotswolds.
You may also find your ideal venue at FieldLover.com.
Ideally, weekend hires would be set up on grass but setting up on hardstanding is possible. Please get in touch with us to discuss your event.
Our Hardstanding Kits are perfect for setting up on hardstanding/concrete and have been used at longer term hires such as the Gloucester Quays Christmas Market. Concrete ballasts are required to be booked separately.
Ideally we would be able to park our 4×4 + trailer and luton van next to the tipi site, but it is not unusual for us to have to walk the equipment through.
Depending on the distance and the size of your booking, a surcharge may be added to your delivery fee if we have to carry the equipment more than 30 metres or across difficult terrain.
The tipis are fine on a slight slope but if you have any concerns about the suitability of your venue, please get in touch.
No it’s shouldn’t be a problem. If the tipi will obstruct the public footpath, you may need to create a temporary footpath diversion.
We will check for overhead cables in the area where the tipi will be set up, and we also need to know if there are any underground cables or water pipes in the area where the tipi will be set up.
If underground cables or pipes are present, these must be marked by the landowner before we arrive on site.
Set up and take down
The tipis will be set up between Wednesday and Friday, with the aim to handover to you no later than early afternoon on Friday.
If your wedding is on the Friday, we will set up on Wednesday or Thursday.
We aim to arrive between 8.30am and 10am, depending on how far we will be travelling. Our team will call you in the morning of the set up with an updated ETA.
No, as long as we know where the tipis will be set up and where any installed furniture will be, eg. fire pit, bar, dance floor and All Weather Extension.
We do ask that you are present in the afternoon for the handover. This is when we show you how to operate the lights, what to do with the fire pit at the end of the night, how to open and close the ventilation hood above the fire pit and anything else you need to know.
We usually take down the tipis on Monday or Tuesday. If your venue requires the tipis to be taken down on a particular day, please let us know.
No, please just ensure that personal belongings and equipment belonging to other suppliers have been removed prior to our arrival.
We will need access to a toilet.
Access to power and water is preferable but not mandatory.
Booking
The deposit is 30%, unless the event is within 6 weeks, in which the full amount is due upon booking.
The remaining balance is due 1 calendar month before the event.
Once you have requested to book, we’ll send you an invoice where payment can be made by card online.
If you would prefer to pay by BACS, please let us know.
Yes you can. Just drop us an email if you’d like to add something to your booking and we’ll add it on, subject to availability.
We recommend booking Extras as and when you know you need them. We have limited of certain items, for example we only have one Mini Tipi, so best to reserve Extras sooner rather than later.
You can view our Extras List here.
We expect table and bench numbers to fluctuate as you won’t have your RSVPs back at the time of booking.
We recommend that you let us know as soon as possible if your tables numbers increase so we can ensure these are reserved for you.
Final numbers will then be confirmed before your final invoice is due (1 month prior to the event).
We ask you to only book what you need, then you can add to your booking as your plans develop.
We have a limited supply of equipment so cancellation fees may apply if you cancel items from your booking.
Our T&Cs are here – https://cotswoldtipis.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/
Deposits are non-refundable in the event of cancellation.
If bookings are cancelled within 6 months of the event date, 80% of the booking cost is due at the time of cancellation.
Our full T&Cs can be found here – https://cotswoldtipis.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/
Our next step is to arrange a site visit. This is when we meet you at the venue to discuss your plans in more detail, view access and come up with a site plan. The next time we’ll be back at the venue will be on your tipi build day.
Tipi capacity, layouts and entrance options
1 Tipi will stand 100 people, or it will seat up to 64 people.
3 Tipis will stand 320 people, or it will seat up to 150 people.
Additional space can be created by using our All Weather Extension.
We recommend having a look through our Floor Plan articles here to see different options for internal tipi layout ideas and table layouts.
Check out this Tipi Entrances article here to see photos and illustrations of where you could creeate your entrance.
Yes, however fewer people can be seated when using round tables.
We recommend 2 tipis for up to 70 people, or 90 people when using an All Weather Side Extension.
View Tipi Floor Plans with Round Tables here.
Yes, let us know what you would like and we’ll send one across that you can also edit to create your ideal space.
Power
Yes, we require you to provide access to power for our LED lights.
We also require power if we are providing a bar fridge or PA Package.
Of course! Go to the Suppliers section on the Personal Extras page to find suppliers listed by location.
This varies from event to event as it depends on the power requirements of all of your suppliers (tipis, caterers, band, toilets, bar etc).
If you have your suppliers booked in, drop them an email and ask them for their power requirements in watts and also cables or plugs. With this information, your generator provider will be able to check that they are providing you the right size generator and the correct distribution.
If you haven’t yet confirmed your suppliers and want a quote, we recommend getting a quote for a 25KVA Generator or 30KVA Generator.
You will need to confirm power requirements with your Generator Provider once your suppliers are booked in.
If you are hiring a generator, please ask your generator provider to provide us a 16A cable.
As we are usually the first on site, we cable inside the tipis for any electrical equipment we provide. We do not provide power distribution for other suppliers.
Power usage
All lighting: less than 1KVA
Bar fridge: less than 1KVA
PA Package: less than 6KVA
We can look at your power outlet during the site visit. It should be fine if the power is only being used for lighting and a small bar fridge, and if the power isn’t being run too far.
If other suppliers also need power, it may not be enough for everyone.
Toilets
Of course! Go to the Suppliers section on the Personal Extras page to find suppliers listed by location.
1 + 1 Unit: for up to 100 people
Includes 2 cubicles; 1 mens and 1 womens.
2 + 1 Unit: for up to 200 people
Includes 2 womens cubicles, 1 mens cubicle and 2 urinals.
The floristry and decoration section
Lit candles are only allowed in the tipi in glass jars.
A cleaning fee for wax spillages, if any, will apply.
One of the fantastic things about tipis is that they already have a lot of character with their cathedral like ceilings and handwhittled exposed wooden poles. However there are plenty of opportunities to decorate!
Others before you have wrapped bunting or greenery around the circle of connecting poles (about 10ft off the floor), or suspended floral displays from the ceiling. The entrance lifting poles are also a great feature to decorate with floral displays should you wish.
Please note that no nails, pins, tape or similar intrusive fixings may be used on any part of the structure or furnishings. Nothing must be affixed in anyway directly to the canvases or the structures.
It is a hoisting rope system with a carabiner on the end. You can attach the carabiner to wires on your floral hoop or decoration, then use the pulley hoist the decoration into place. The carabiner can be lowered to the ground for attaching – no ladder required.
You can use a pulley to suspend decorations in the centre of the tipi.
You can wrap or suspend decorations from the horizontal poles, which are around the full circumference of each tipi and 10ft high (ladder required).
You can also suspend decorations from the horizontal pole between 2 tipis. Where 2 tipis connect, a horizontal pole supports the canvas.
Please note that no nails, pins, tape or similar intrusive fixings may be used on any part of the structure or furnishings. Nothing must be affixed in anyway directly to the canvases or the structures.
The circumference is approximately 18 metres and the poles are 8-9cm in diameter.
Length:
It is 3.7 metres from the base of the main pole to the point that they join with the horizontal poles.
Pole diameter:
At their widest part (the base) they are roughly 12-13 cm in diameter and at their narrowest (where they join with the horizontal poles) they are 10cm in diameter.
The lifting poles are about 150cm long and 9-10cm in diameter.
Rustic Tables are 200 x 75cm.
Round tables are 5ft 6 in diameter.
Poseur tables (oil drums and wooden barrels) are 50cm in diameter.