Wedding Rentals in Bellingham, WA

Most weddings need six things from us: seating, tables, linens, somewhere to dance, cover from the weather and, away from a venue, restrooms. Here is what each costs to rent.

One rental price covers chairs, tables, linens and tents for up to 3 days, for example delivery the day before your event and pickup the day after. Restroom trailers are priced per day and photo booths per 2 hours.

The tent comes first for an outdoor wedding. Your seated guest count sets its size, and the dance floor, buffet and bar come out of the same floor space. A 20x20 seats 32 at round tables. A 20x40 seats 64 with nothing else in it, or about 48 with a 12x12 dance floor; if you need a buffet too, it can go in a pop-up beside the tent. A 20x60 seats 96, or 72 with a 16x16 floor. Compare the wedding tent sizes and prices, or start from one of our three tent packages: Garden party (20x20, 32 guests), Reception (20x40, 48 guests and a 12x12 floor) and Grand reception (20x60, 72 guests and a 16x16 floor).

Ceremony seating. Count one chair per guest. As a planning figure, a 20x40 tent holds about 96 chairs in ceremony rows. If the ceremony and the dinner are in different spots, either rent a second set of chairs or plan who moves them: chair and table setup is included only when your order says so.

Space for the rest. Take floor space out first for each of these (planning figures): about 3 to 4 square feet per dancer, 80 to 100 square feet for a buffet, 100 to 150 for a bar and 50 to 100 for a DJ. Our tent size and seating guide does that math by guest count.

Backyard and Farm Weddings

A wedding at home or on a farm needs the things a venue already has: cover, restrooms, power and level ground. Plan those four first.

Cover. A frame tent with sidewalls on the weather side. Our tents keep rain off, but the fabric isn't guaranteed waterproof. If sustained winds of 20 to 25 mph are forecast, sidewalls come down; at about 36 mph sustained, guests leave the tent. Patio heaters ($35, propane not included) are for open-air areas only, never under or near a tent.

Restrooms. A luxury restroom trailer saves guests a trip to the house. As a planning figure for a 4 to 6 hour reception, the 2-stall ($1,000 a day) suits about 100 to 150 guests and the 3-stall ($1,300 a day) about 150 to 225. With food and drinks running all evening, plan on about 80 to 120 and 120 to 180. Each door opens to a private single-person room with its own sink. Neither trailer is ADA accessible. We fill the water tank on site, stock toilet paper and paper towels, and empty the tanks.

Power and water. A trailer needs a standard outdoor outlet within about 100 feet, ideally on its own breaker, a garden hose within about 100 feet, and a level spot reached by a route at least 8 feet wide (9 feet for the 3-stall) with about 12 feet of clearance. With no outlet in reach, a generator ($155 a day) runs one trailer. String lights need an outlet too, so tell us where yours are.

Level ground. Stakes go into a lawn or field; weights go on a deck, patio, driveway or gravel, and both are priced by site. A dance floor needs a level base, so tell us about any slope. One couple wrote about exactly this:

A 48-guest backyard reception, priced. Here is a sample list at today's rates, before delivery, staking or weights, and tax.

Venues That Allow Outside Rentals

Many halls and parks let you bring your own rentals, but each sets its own rules, so ask the venue first about rentals and tents, outside vendors, load-in times and insurance. We're insured and can send a certificate of insurance to your venue on request. These two city-run venues say in their own rental rules that you can bring outside vendors: Marysville names caterers, DJs and event specialists; Mount Vernon's packet allows a licensed caterer.

• Hillcrest Park Lodge, Mount Vernon. A city-owned lodge and garden booked through Mount Vernon Parks. The lodge comes with 150 chairs, so start your list with linens, tables and extras rather than seating. The packet doesn't mention tents, so ask the city before planning one. More on our Mount Vernon page.
• Marysville Opera House, Marysville. A historic hall the city rents for receptions and parties. It seats about 100 to 150. More on our Marysville page.

For Whatcom County, our wedding venue guide lists 34 farms, barns, parks and halls, with guest counts, tents and restrooms for each, and a planning guide for open-land venues.

For Skagit farms and barns, our Skagit County page covers what a farm site needs.

Wedding Rental Checklist and Timeline

Book the tent, dance floor and restroom trailer as soon as you have a date and a rough guest count, then lock in final numbers before the 14-day deadline.

Before you send the quote request, check:

• Seated guests, and whether the ceremony and dinner share chairs.
• Floor space for the dance floor, buffet, bar and DJ.
• Tablecloth length: a 120" round reaches the floor on a 60" table; a 132" pools about 6 inches.
• At a home or farm: restrooms, the nearest outlet and hose, and where the truck can park.
• Sidewalls for the weather side, and heaters placed in the open air only.
• The optional damage waiver: 10% of the rental, non-refundable, and it doesn't cover misuse or loss.

Planning something smaller? The same rentals cover backyard and birthday parties and corporate and community events.

Wedding Rental Questions