Wedding Tent Rental in the Flathead Valley
Celebrate Event Rentals rents sailcloth, pole and frame wedding tents across the Flathead Valley from our shop in Bigfork, Montana. Our crew delivers, installs and strikes every tent, plans sidewalls and heat with you, and sizes it from our seating matrix, from a 10x10 for a small toast to a 60x90 for hundreds of guests.
A tent turns open ground into the room you pictured
Most weddings in this part of Montana happen on ground that was never built for a party: a family ranch, a lawn above the water, a meadow at the edge of the trees. A tent is what makes that ground work. It gives you a roof for dinner, a floor plan you control, and a place to put the band, the bar and the cake.
We have set tents in the Flathead Valley since 2009. That means we know how fast a clear evening turns cold, and we plan the walls and the heat for it before the truck leaves Bigfork.
The tent is also the start of a longer list. Once the size is set, the tables, chairs, linens, dance floor and lights all follow from it, and we rent every one of those from the same showroom. One order, one crew, one call if something changes the week of the wedding.
Quick facts
- Tent styles
- Sailcloth, pole, frame and Tidewater
- Size range
- 10x10 up to 60x90
- Largest dinner
- A 60x90 seats 432 at 5 ft rounds
- 100 guests
- Start at a 30x45 on 5 ft rounds, which seats 98
- Install and strike
- Our own crew puts up and takes down every tent
- Cold night heat
- Patio heaters, up to a 170K BTU propane unit
- Booking window
- 6 to 12 months ahead for June to September
What is a sailcloth tent, and why do couples ask for it by name?
A sailcloth tent is a pole tent made of translucent, sail-grade fabric with sculpted peaks and wooden poles. In daylight it reads soft and bright. At dusk the fabric glows from the inside.
It is the tent our destination couples ask for by name, and it is the first tent booked each summer. If you have seen a high, peaked tent with timber poles in a Montana wedding album, that is the look.
At night the tent takes its light from inside. String lights hung from the peaks and poles light dinner and the dance floor, and we rent them from the same lighting catalog as the rest of the order. If you want the glow in your photos, plan the toasts or the first dance for the last half hour of daylight.
Sailcloth tent vs frame tent: which fits your site?
Pole tents, sailcloth included, stand on center poles and staked guy lines. They need open ground around the edges, and they give you the tall peaks. A frame tent stands on its own frame with no center poles, so the floor inside is fully open.
- Open lawn or meadow: sailcloth or pole, with room for the lines.
- Tight lawn next to a house: a frame tent, with nothing in the way inside.
- Ranch ground, big guest list: a Tidewater, from our 59x39 plan for 152 guests to our 59x89 plan for 230.
- Lakefront: the style that fits the strip of lawn, with clear sidewalls for the view.
What size wedding tent do I need for 100 guests?
These are the approximate capacities from our tent seating matrix, all 15 sizes. A stage, dance floor, bar, buffet or gift table under the tent takes chairs away, so call (406) 837-3040 and we will size it with you.
| Tent size | Theater seating | Dining, 5ft rounds | Dining, 8ft rectangles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x10 | 20 | 8 | 8 |
| 10x20 | 40 | 16 | 24 |
| 20x20 | 80 | 32 | 54 |
| 20x30 | 120 | 48 | 78 |
| 20x40 | 160 | 64 | 96 |
| 30x30 | 180 | 72 | 96 |
| 30x45 | 240 | 98 | 144 |
| 30x60 | 360 | 144 | 192 |
| 40x40 | 320 | 128 | 192 |
| 40x60 | 480 | 192 | 288 |
| 40x80 | 650 | 256 | 384 |
| 40x100 | 800 | 320 | 576 |
| 40x120 | 960 | 384 | 576 |
| 60x60 | 720 | 288 | 448 |
| 60x90 | 1180 | 432 | 575 |
For 100 guests at a seated dinner with no dance floor, a 30x45 on 5ft rounds or a 30x30 on 8ft rectangles is the starting point. Add a dance floor and a bar and the tent grows: our drawn 40x40 plan seats 115 around a 16x20 floor. Our rental resources page has the matrix and the floor plans as PDFs you can keep.
Will a tent hold up to Montana weather?
Our tents are engineered for Montana weather, and our own crew installs every tent we rent. The season runs hard from June through September, and a clear summer evening here can still turn cold fast once the sun is down.
So we plan the walls and the air with you ahead of time. Solid sidewalls block wind and rain. Clear sidewalls keep the weather out while you still see the lake or the trees. Patio heaters, from umbrella and spiral flame models to a 170K BTU unit, keep the tent warm, and we plan cooling for a hot afternoon too.
Tell us what time dinner starts and when the party ends. We use that to decide how many heaters to bring and which walls to leave rolled up, so the tent feels open at five and warm at eleven.
What comes with a tent rental from Celebrate?
Delivery, install and strike
Our crew brings the tent, sets it, and takes it down after the party. That comes with every tent we rent.
Sidewalls
Solid or clear walls, planned for the forecast and the view. See them with the tents in the catalog.
Flooring and a dance floor
A floor under the tables or a dance floor in the middle, sized to the tent. Browse the flooring.
From first call to the last stake pulled
Tell us the site
Where the tent goes, how many guests, and what has to fit under it: dinner, a bar, a band.
Pick the tent
We match a style and size to your ground and your plan, using our seating matrix and layouts.
We install it
Our crew sets every tent we rent. Sidewalls, heat and lights are planned well before the day.
We strike it
After the party, the same crew takes the tent down and hauls it out. You host, we do the rest.
Tents you can book from our catalog
Tent rentals in the field
What couples said about their tent
Celebrate Events is a 10/10 reccomend. They assisted us with last minute rain changes and were able to provide us with a tent within 24 hours of the event. They really went out of their way to make sure the day went amazing. All the rental Iteams came in amazing condition and I am happy to say I will be using them again.
I had a great experience working with Celebrate for my wedding this past June! They were super accommodating and easy to work with as I constantly added and subtracted rental items. I found their communication spectacular and loved the final result of our tent, chairs, tables, dishware, and more.
Tent rentals across the Flathead Valley and Northwest Montana
Every tent leaves from our warehouse and showroom at 2855 MT-82 in Bigfork, at the north end of Flathead Lake. Our crew sets them on lawns, ranches and lakefront property all over the Valley. Tents in Kalispell are about 15 miles and 20 minutes away, and tents in Whitefish about 31 miles and 40 minutes. We deliver, set and strike in every town below, out to West Glacier at the edge of the park.
Outside these towns? Call (406) 837-3040.
- Where we deliver, set and strike
- Our showroom in Bigfork
- ZIP code and county lines
Wedding tent rental questions
How much does it cost to rent a tent for a wedding?
We price every tent for your date and site, with a clear number up front. Size, style, sidewalls, heat and the drive all go into it. Build a quote in our online catalog and a real person prices it.
What size tent do I need for 100 guests?
For a seated dinner on 5ft rounds, a 30x45 seats 98 and a 40x40 seats 128. A dance floor, bar or buffet under the tent takes space. Our drawn 40x40 plan seats 115 with a 16x20 dance floor, so we will size it with you.
What is the difference between a sailcloth tent and a pole tent?
A sailcloth tent is a pole tent made of translucent, sail-grade fabric with sculpted peaks and wooden poles. Both need room around the edges for guy lines.
Do you install the tent?
Yes. Tents are always installed by our team and engineered for Montana weather. Our crew delivers, sets and strikes every tent we rent.
What happens if it rains or gets cold?
We plan sidewalls, heating and cooling with you ahead of time, so the party goes on either way. Clear sidewalls keep the view while keeping the weather out.
How far ahead should I book a wedding tent?
Montana's event season runs hard from June through September, and sailcloth tents are reserved first. For a peak-season wedding, 6 to 12 months ahead is common.
Do you rent tents near Glacier National Park?
Yes. We deliver and set up across the Flathead Valley and Northwest Montana, including West Glacier, Whitefish, Columbia Falls and Kalispell. Call us about your site and we will tell you what fits.
Can a tent go next to a house?
Often, yes. A frame tent needs no center poles or wide guy lines, so it fits tight lawns near a house. Tell us about the yard and we will match the tent to it.
Plan the rest of the tent
From the Celebrate blog
Choosing Sailcloth Tent Style for an Outdoor Montana WeddingSailcloth tent styles for outdoor events in Montana: open, partly enclosed or closed in, and how to pick the setup that fits your venue, views and reception.
Weather-Resistant Sailcloth Tents in Flathead Valley, MontanaWeather resistant sailcloth tents for rentals in Montana: how they handle wind, rain, sun and cool evenings, and what to plan for a Flathead Valley wedding.
Planning a Tented Wedding: What Couples Should ConsiderWedding tent rentals in Bigfork, Montana: tent size, layout, weather, flooring, lighting and timing, the decisions that shape a tented reception, in order.