How much space does each guest need under a tent?

Allow 10 sq ft per guest for seated dining and 5 sq ft per guest for standing or cocktail-style events. A dance floor adds about 200 sq ft, a bar about 100 sq ft, and a buffet line about 100 sq ft.

Planning tool

What size tent do I need?

Q: What size tent do I need for 100 guests?

For 100 seated guests plan about 1,000 sq ft. That is a 20' x 55' Standard (1,100 sq ft, seats 120) or a 20' x 60' Elite High Peak (1,200 sq ft, seats 120). If you also want a dance floor and bar under cover, add roughly 300 sq ft and move up a size.

Tell us how many people and how they will be sitting. We will size it against our actual inventory — including the space a dance floor and bar quietly steal from your guest count.

The short answers

Common guest counts

What size tent do I need for 100 guests?

For 100 seated guests plan about 1,000 sq ft — a 20′ × 55′ Standard (1,100 sq ft, seats 120) or a 20′ × 60′ Elite (1,200 sq ft, seats 120). Add a dance floor and bar and you need roughly 300 sq ft more, which is exactly the mistake that leaves people eating with their chairs against the tent leg.

How much space does each guest need?

10 sq ft per guest seated, 5 sq ft per guest standing. On top of that: a dance floor is about 200 sq ft, a bar 100 sq ft, and a buffet line 100 sq ft.

Do rounds or long tables fit more people?

Long tables. Six-foot banquet tables pack tighter than 60″ rounds — expect roughly 20% fewer seats if you go with rounds in the same tent. Rounds are the nicer look for a wedding; banquets are the efficient choice when the guest list is tight against the size.