5 things every couple planning a Tipi Wedding should know

1. LOCATION

Finding your dream venue may be quite a long process or it may take no time at all. Many couples look within a radius of their church or their home. The top places that people put tipis include…

 

  • Your own land
  • Established wedding venues
  • Pub gardens
  • Land owned by local farmers
  • Land owned by a local sports club
  • Campsites

 

And there’s no harm in enquiring at venues that do not normally host weddings.

2. HOW MANY TIPIS DO I NEED?

This almost entirely comes down to how many people you’d like to invite so working on your guest list should be one of the first things you do to work out how much space you need.

 

SEATING CAPACITY

1 tipi: 30 people + small dance floor or up to 64 people (dining area only)
2 tipis: 40 – 120 people
3 tipis: 100 – 160 people
4 tipis: 120 – 180 people
5 tipis: 180 – 250 people

3. WHAT EXPERIENCES DO I WANT?

What is your day going to look like? You don’t need to know all the answers now but a rough idea will help you work out what services you need from your suppliers, which is also important budget-wise.

 

Would you like the ceremony to be at the same site or will it be at another site? Would you like to sneak off for photos after the ceremony? Would you like your guests to go into the reception venue while they wait for you, or would you like drinks to be served outside where they will welcome you? Will you have a sit down meal or will it be a hog roast or BBQ? Will entertainment be music and dancing or will there be outside games?  Are you into a weekend long Glamping fest or will everyone go back to their accommodation at the end of the night?

 

It is worth noting that furnishings inside the tipis will affect the amount of floor space you and your guests will have. If you are unsure what is possible, check out our Tipi Floor Plan articles.

4. TIPIS ARE SUITABLE FOR WEDDINGS ALL YEAR ROUND

Tipis are strong, nordic structures created to survive the Scandinavian winter. They are incredibly versatile and our team will monitor the weather in the weeks leading up to your event so that they are set up appropriately for whatever the weather holds.

 

The sides of the tipis can be lifted up so that the space flows outside. In cooler weather, we can do the same but use our All Weather Entrance kit as a panoramic window panel so you’re protected from the cool breeze but can still see out (more info on Tipi Price & Layouts Guide linked at bottom of page). We’ve worked at just as many wonderful winter events as we have summer events, and it’s easy and affordable to hire a thermostatic marquee heater to ensure that the tipis will be snug and cosy whatever the weather outside.

5. PHYSICAL SPACE REQUIREMENTS

A Giant Hat Tipi is a nonagon with 9 poles. It is 7.2 metres tall and 10.3 metres wide (diameter) with the sides down. With the sides lifted, it is 13 metres wide. Because of their curved sides and sloping roof, tipis can fit snugly into gardens and orchards. Tipis can be pitched fully on hard standing driveways, using our hard-standing kit, but we cannot pitch a tipi on part grass, part patio.

 

For 2 tipis, you would need a space of at least 23 x 12 metres (to accommodate for the entrance).

 

If you are not sure whether tipis would fit into your space, take some measurements and send them across along with a Google Maps satellite image of the area. If we think it’s possible and you’re happy with your quote, we’ll come out for a site visit and take some measurements to check.