From weddings on private land to full weekend celebrations, here’s how to plan outdoor wedding guest accommodation that truly works.
Outdoor weddings offer a level of freedom that traditional venues often can’t. Whether the celebration is held on family land, private property, or a rented field, couples have the flexibility to design a wedding that feels personal, relaxed, and entirely their own.
However, once the marquee, giant tipi, or stretch tent is booked for the ceremony and reception, one big question often follows: where will everyone stay?
Outdoor wedding guest accommodation can feel daunting at first — particularly when the wedding isn’t tied to a traditional venue with built-in bedrooms. But with the right approach, it can become one of the most enjoyable parts of the planning process, helping turn a single-day event into a full wedding weekend.
At Brilliant Bell Tent Hire, the majority of weddings we support are exactly this type: celebrations held on private or rented land, where guest accommodation plays a key role in creating a proper party atmosphere.
Why Outdoor Wedding Guest Accommodation Is Different on Private Land
When couples choose to host a wedding on their own land, family land, or a rented site, they’re often doing so to escape the limitations of traditional wedding venues.
Unlike dedicated venues — which frequently host weddings back-to-back and need guests to leave promptly — private land weddings allow couples to slow things down.
This difference has a big impact on accommodation planning.
Common challenges couples face include:
• No nearby hotels or limited local availability
• Guests needing transport late at night
• The celebration ending earlier than planned
• A lack of shared space once the party finishes
Without on-site accommodation, even the best-planned outdoor wedding can start to feel fragmented.
Providing guest accommodation on site changes the dynamic entirely.
Pro Tip:
If your wedding includes a marquee, giant tipi, or stretch tent for dining and dancing, on-site accommodation is what turns the day into a full weekend celebration. Guests relax more, stay later, and the atmosphere naturally becomes more like a festival than a formal event.
A few of our favourite set ups
How Bell Tents Make Outdoor Wedding Guest Accommodation Simple
Bell tent accommodation works particularly well for outdoor weddings on private land because it is flexible, practical, and visually fits the setting.
Rather than transporting guests to hotels, bell tents allow everyone to stay close to the heart of the celebration — just a short walk from the marquee or tipi.
Most couples choose one of two approaches when planning accommodation:
Option 1: Couple-managed accommodation
Couples start with an estimated number of bell tents and refine the details as RSVPs come in. We help adjust layouts to suit guest needs, whether that’s doubles for couples, twins for friends, or mixed arrangements such as one double with additional singles.
Option 2: Guest-managed accommodation via our booking portal (Popular Option for Wedding Couples)
For couples who want to minimise admin we have our Faff Free Booking Portal. We create a dedicated web page on our site for their wedding. Guests receive the link and book their own bell tent accommodation directly, choosing between furnished or unfurnished tents and selecting their preferred sleeping layout.
Both options keep accommodation organised without endless spreadsheets or last-minute changes.
Turning an Outdoor Wedding into a Proper Party Weekend
One of the biggest advantages of outdoor wedding guest accommodation is the atmosphere it creates.
When guests stay on site, the wedding naturally becomes more relaxed and sociable. There’s no rush to leave, no taxis to coordinate, and no pressure to wrap things up early.
Instead, the celebration continues into the evening, with guests drifting back to their tents when they’re ready. The next morning often becomes just as memorable, with guests waking up together, sharing breakfast, and enjoying the final moments of the wedding weekend.
This kind of experience is particularly well suited to private land weddings, where couples have the freedom to create something unique rather than following a fixed venue schedule.
Planning an Outdoor Wedding on Private or Rented Land?
If you’re hosting your wedding in a marquee, giant tipi, or stretch tent and want to turn it into a full weekend celebration, on-site bell tent accommodation can make all the difference.
Speak to Brilliant Bell Tent Hire to explore simple, stress-free options for outdoor wedding guest accommodation that fits your plans.
