You’re standing in a sunlit backyard, picturing your guests laughing under a crisp white tent while a string quartet plays in the corner.

That vision can be a reality, but over the years we’ve seen enough 200-person weddings turn into miserable events.

After renting out hundreds of tents from our wedding tent rentals, we can tell you the issue comes from making the wrong decisions especially with the tents.

To help you out, here are 7 wedding tent tricks that will ensure that your special day is a success:

Place your tent on the right ground

Most couples call us about the tent itself, then act surprised when we ask about their yard. The ground is where your entire event lives or dies, and you’ve got to know what’s underneath the grass.

If you have a sloped yard, if there’s a septic tank somewhere, if the ground gets soggy when it rains, these are not minor details you figure out the day before.

You should always take time to know the grounds where you will be having your big event.  Stand at different points and notice where water collects.

If there are low spots, water will pool there once you cover the ground with a tent and funnel hundreds of people onto it.

We once had a situation where the bride confidently told us her yard was “basically flat.” During the rehearsal dinner the night before, a storm dumped an inch of rain and created a small lake exactly where her cake table was supposed to go.

You don’t want to have a similar experience.

In addition to this, you also should check with the city or your county about utilities, sewage, and underground infrastructure. You do not want your tent company finding a water main three feet below the surface while they’re anchoring the tent.

We see couples skip this step because they have the impression it is unnecessary, then spend a fortune rerouting the tent footprint at the last minute.

Don’t be one of these people. Take time to understand your ground and anchor your tent on even ground.

Get a large tent

Your instinct will be to rent the smallest tent that technically fits everyone so that you don’t spend a fortune. Don’t do that.

Always rent for comfort, not just headcount. You need at least 15 square feet per person if you want people to feel comfortable and have a great time.

If you’re doing a cocktail hour with a dance floor, add more. You also should get more space if you’ve got elderly relatives who move slower and need more personal space.

A tent that feels spacious changes people’s mood and behavior. They stay around. They dance. They don’t spend the whole night thinking about how hot they are.

Don’t forget the cooling systems

Having a tent without climate control on a warm day is like wearing a down coat in July. The sun beats down on all that fabric, and even if the sun isn’t directly overhead, the residual heat from the afternoon just sits there.

To keep your guests comfortable also rent fan systems or air conditioning if you’re getting married during the hot months of the year.

Don’t convince yourself it’ll be fine. It won’t be fine.

People will complain, your elderly guests will suffer, and you don’t want them to remember your wedding for the bad things they went through.

Rent tents with sides

You have about a 50/50 chance of rain if you haven’t specifically checked the forecast for your region’s weather patterns in that month.

Even if the forecast looks clear, weather changes, and over the years we are yet to come across a couple who regretted having sides. But, we regularly encounter plenty who do regret skipping them.

Tent sides protect your guests from wind, blowing debris, and obviously rain. They also make the tent feel more contained and elegant.

Without sides, the tent feels like a canopy, and that makes a psychological difference.

Guests sense the difference in how special the space feels.

Sides also give you more control over lighting because you’re not competing with ambient outdoor light.

For a great experience, get clear or semi-clear sides for an airy, garden-wedding vibe.

You should consider getting opaque sides if you want a more dramatic, intimate feeling.

The beauty is that the sides come at a small extra cost. Some companies won’t even charge you when you have already rented the tent from them.

Avoid peak wedding season and weekends

If you’re getting married on a Saturday in June or September, you will be renting your tent and other party supplies during peak season when every event in your area is happening at the same time.

At this time prices go up, available inventory goes down, and your vendor is stretched thin. The setup crew might be tired from having multiple events the previous weekend.

This means service quality might be compromised.

If you have any flexibility, get married on a Friday or Sunday. Rent during May or October when the demand isn’t too high.

Renting off-peak saves money and often means better service because your vendor isn’t juggling five weddings that same weekend.

You’ll also have more tent and flooring options, and your rental company is likely to give you’re the attention you deserve.

Ensure the tent is well lit

After the sun goes down, an unlit tent feels dim and slightly depressing, regardless of how magical it looked at 6 p.m.

Your eye adjusts to outdoor light differently than indoor light, and tent fabric diffuses light in a way that makes spaces feel darker than they are.

If you haven’t planned lighting, your photographer will be working with shadows, your DJ’s setup will be dim, and your guests will navigate a buffet in half-light. You don’t want this.

You need to ensure that your tent is well lit.

You do this by having string lights strung across the tent, uplighting on the poles, having spotlights on the dance floor, and thoughtfully lighting on the entrance.

Plan your lighting at the same time you’re planning the tent, not as an afterthought.

If you aren’t sure about the lights to go for, ask your party tent rentals Clarksburg what they recommend for your tent size and layout.