Elite Tents | Tipi Hire

In the Spotlight

Beautiful and unique. When asked, most brides are looking for just that when planning their wedding day. 

That’s because typically speaking, a wedding day should be a memorable occasion personally tailored to the tastes and interests of the bride and groom, even when incorporating the use of traditional customs within the event.

A wonderful and ingenious service on offer that is certainly beautiful and unique has to be the tipis that are available to hire via Elite Tents. A major contrast to the typical bricks and mortar of a church or reception room, the tipis available from Elite Tents are stunning and easy-to-install temporary structures capable of turning any location into your location.

Founded in 2010, Elite Tents has already managed to develop quite a dazzling reputation amongst the industry in a short space of time. Starting with only three tipis, the Elite Tents team has gone from providing tipi hire to small events to large weddings and other events with large volumes of attendees.

For those concerned that a tipi may not be the most secure structure to withstand the unpredictability of the English weather, rest assured that the finest materials available have been used in the creation of the tipis Elite Tents leases to its customers.

Elite Tents tipis are sourced from manufacturers in Scandinavia and Indiana that are well-established specialists in the tent and sailcloth industry, ensuring the most durable and resilient tipis that remain visually appealing and fitting to the environments they are used within.

The tipis are not limited to one design or one package either, with various competitive packages available including additional ceremony packages, fire pits, and seating also available to hire to name but a few of the incredible options available through Elite Tents.

Elite Tents will always be the number one choice for Kabooth, and all the clients for that they lease their products when it comes to outdoor events.

Up close and personal

How did you find the process of starting in the wedding industry?

When we started Elite we were the 6th tipi hire company in the UK and to be honest when you said tipi to most people they didn’t really know what we meant! However we held some open days, created some ads on Google and it didn’t take long for word to spread. Our first full season was 2011 and by the end we had bought another 3 large Kåtas and a smaller Kungsörnen tipi!

What was the biggest learning curve for you upon entering the wedding hire business?

We had two major leading curves in our first year – we had a Land Rover stolen off our driveway leaving us with tipis to put up and no way of towing our trailer, and then we had a drunken rugby guy decide to climb up the poles and fell through one of our brand new canvases!! We learnt very quickly you need contingency, it means you know that even if there’s an issue we will never let our couples down. We have contingency tents, vehicles, furnishings and even a staff member on standby in case someone is sick last minute.

What separates Elite Tents from their competitors?

I think that our customers would say that we are not simply a wedding supplier but an integral part of their day. We have regular catch ups with them, help and advise them with whatever they need even if it’s nothing to do with tents.

You see whilst for every lovely couple putting together an outdoor wedding is a new and sometimes overwhelming job, we have helped close to a thousand couples and so we usually have an idea, a supplier or a solution to whatever they need. And that’s the bit we love… creating the memory. We end up making friends with many of our couples and our team members have been invited to quite a few weddings!

How can couples go about booking your services? How far in advance should they book?

Booking is easy. We take a deposit to secure the date and create a contract outlining whatever has been ordered. To be honest almost all contracts get changed and updated along the way as plans and ideas develop but we are used to that. We do a bespoke floorplan for every couple and fine tune it until it’s perfect.

We recommend booking as soon as you’re sure you want to book with us since we will not compromise on our level of customer service so will only do a maximum number of bookings each weekend. Once they are full we won’t shoehorn anyone in incase it impacts our couples. So if you want us to help with your wedding best get it booked sooner rather than later!

What advice would you give to those planning a wedding and looking to hire a Tent Marquee for a Wedding or other event?

The key is to ensure that you have confidence in your suppliers. If you shop only on price you may get your fingers burned. Always check reviews, look at companies house to ensure that your chosen supplier is solvent (you’d be surprised how many wedding suppliers disappear along the way) and if you’re paying a hefty deposit make sure to check where it is being kept. No supplier should be spending your money until after your big day. This might sound a bit scary but with over 12 years experience we have had to help brides who have been let down all too often! 

Is there anything that you’d like to mention about your services or the wedding hire process that many people forget to mention?

Yes, be yourself. Make your own choices. Some brides especially are influenced by their family and friends and end up trying to please too many others, forgetting about themselves. Work out what is important to you as a couple and then talk to your suppliers to get them to help you realise your dream. Our website has lots of ideas and suggestions in the ‘Planning Hub’ to get you started so that’s always a great place to start. 

Lastly, just for fun, what gets you on the dancefloor at a wedding? Is there a particular song? A particular drink? Or is it a lot of arm twisting? 

It’s got to be dancing Queen I’m afraid! I’m a lady of a certain age and I’m my opinion there’s nothing as good as an Abba song to bridge the gaps between children to grandmas…. Love it!! 

If you want to know more about Elite Tents Ltd. You can also find them on Facebook as well as Instagram.  also like them mentioned in the interview check out the reviews, I am sure I have seen a few on their YouTube.

Looking for more ideas have you thought about your nighttime DJ you need to find one who can get the dancefloor moving.

How about adding a touch more magic to your night with a Close-up Magician? Amaze your guests while your away having your photos or have them wowed during the night’s festivities.