Introduction
Building a beautiful bell tent village for your wedding is exciting — but working out how many tents you’ll need can feel overwhelming. Guest lists change, families mix with couples, and some friends happily share while others prefer their own space.
At Brilliant Bell Tent Hire, we offer two easy booking options to take the guesswork out of planning your guest accommodation. Whether you want to manage guest numbers yourself or prefer everything handled automatically, this guide shows you the best way to get the right number of tents for your wedding.
Option 1: Group Booking — You Organise the Numbers
If you prefer to coordinate your guests directly, this option is ideal. Many couples choose this when they want full control over tent allocations and village layout.
Bell Tent Sizes & Realistic Sleeping Capacities
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4m bell tent — sleeps 2–4 adults
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5m bell tent — sleeps 2–6 adults
How to Work Out How Many Tents You Need
Break your guest list into natural groups:
Couples
Usually prefer their own space.
1 tent per couple
Families
Often share, especially with younger children. 1 tent per family
Friendship Groups
Commonly share to save costs and make it more fun. 3–4 adults per tent, depending on comfort
Solo Guests
Some prefer their own tents, others don’t mind sharing. Start with 1 tent per 2 solo guests, unless they request otherwise
This method works brilliantly when you’re manually asking guests who wants to camp and how they’d like to share.
Option 2: Guest Booking Portal — We Handle Everything
If you want the simplest, least admin-heavy solution, our Guest Booking Portal makes planning effortless.
How the Portal Works
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We create a personalised online booking page for your wedding
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You share the link with your guests
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Guests book and pay for their tent directly
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We provide you with a clear overview of bookings — no chasing and no spreadsheets
Why Couples Love the Portal
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No manual calculation of tent numbers
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Guests choose who they share with
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Payments and booking details are handled automatically
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Perfect for large or festival-style weddings
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Accurate tent numbers with zero guesswork
If you want a hands-off approach, the portal is the easiest and quickest way to plan your bell tent village.
Top Tip: Start Talking About Guest Accommodation Early
Whether you’re coordinating guests yourself or using the booking portal, sharing accommodation information early helps your bell tent village fill smoothly — and gives guests plenty of time to organise themselves.
Add the glamping details or booking link to your:
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Save-the-dates
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Wedding website
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Invitations
This ensures guests know exactly how to book and what to expect.
Which Booking Option Should You Choose?
Both systems work beautifully — it just depends on your planning style.
Choose Group Booking If:
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You like to stay closely involved
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You want to decide tent allocations
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You are paying for all the tents.
Choose the Guest Booking Portal If:
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You’d like to remove as much admin as possible
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You have a large or mixed guest list
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You don’t want to chase guests for decisions or payments
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You want guests to choose their own sharing groups.
- You want guests to pay for the tents themselves.
Many couples use a hybrid approach — estimating numbers manually, then activating the portal for final bookings and payments.
You can also book a tent or two for yourself and close family and then have a portal as well.
Ready to Plan Your Wedding Bell Tent Village?
Whether you’d like to organise your guest numbers yourself or take advantage of our Guest Booking Portal, we’ll help you build a beautiful bell tent village that fits your wedding perfectly.
👉 Get in touch today to chat through your guest list, venue, and the best accommodation setup for your big day.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Wedding Bell Tents
How many bell tents do I need for my wedding?
Most couples book one tent per couple, one per family, and one tent per 3–4 adults in friendship groups. If you use our Guest Booking Portal, guest numbers are calculated automatically.
What size bell tents are best for wedding guests?
Our 5m bell tents are the most popular, sleeping 2–6 adults comfortably. We take care of all the tent sizing for you. They will be a mix of 4m and 5m depending on your booking numbers.
Can guests book and pay for their own tents?
Yes — with our Guest Booking Portal, guests can book and pay directly, making the process completely hassle-free for you.
Do you handle tent setup and pack down?
Absolutely. We handle the full setup, styling, and pack down so everything is ready before guests arrive.
How do guests know which tent they are in?
Each tent has there own Chalkboard showing who has booked.
Can guests choose who they share a tent with?
Yes. Guests choose their own sharing groups through the portal. If you’re organising manually, we can help plan the most logical setup.
What’s included inside the bell tents?
We have fully furnished tents and Naked tents. Each furnished tent is styled and includes beds, matting, lighting, crate table, bunting, and decorative touches.
How early should we tell guests about the bell tents?
We recommend giving guests the information early — ideally on Save the Dates or your wedding website — so they have time to organise and book.
Can you help us design the layout of the bell tent village?
Yes — whether you’re using the portal or coordinating manually, we’ll help design a practical and beautiful bell tent layout suited to your venue.
Written by the Brilliant Bell Tent Hire team
Creating stylish, comfortable bell tent villages for weddings, festivals, and outdoor events across the UK.
Bringing people together under canvas — one tent at a time.
