Marquee and Tipi Hire for Weddings in Sussex

Tribeca describes itself as based near Lewes and hires giant 'hat' tipis, which can be used alone or with up to four linked together, plus smaller Midi, Naked, Kung and Nimbus tipis. It also hires bell tents so that up to 150 guests can stay overnight, and covers Sussex, Surrey, Kent, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and London.

It is clear about the space you need: one giant tipi is 11m across, plus room for the crew to build it; two need an area of 21m by 11m; three in a line or curve need 31m by 13m, or 20m by 20m arranged in a triangle. It usually puts the tipis up on the Wednesday or Thursday so they are ready by Friday lunchtime, and collects them at about 11.30am the morning after the wedding, weather permitting. The deposit is non-refundable.

Ground Control has its office in Billingshurst and its warehouse in Pulborough. It hires clearspan marquees, which can be linked to separate catering tents, and runs its tipis under a second name, Sussex & Surrey Tipi Hire, with large 'Big Hat' Nordic tipis and smaller 'Mini Hat' ones that can be joined together. The tipi side covers roughly 50 miles from the warehouse.

Its marquee prices include the PVC cover, linings, flooring, chandelier lighting and Georgian window walls (side panels with a window pattern). Furniture, service tents, delivery and toilets cost extra. The tipi prices are described on its own site as a rough guide and subject to change. Set-up is usually between Wednesday and Friday and take-down between Sunday and Tuesday; a build typically takes a day. It offers free site visits for venues it hasn't worked at before.

ABC Marquees, the trading name of ABC Structures Ltd, works from Basepoint in Shoreham-by-Sea and mainly covers East and West Sussex, Surrey, Kent and Hampshire. It hires clearspan marquees in 3m steps of width, smaller tents and canopies, linings and furnishings, and also hires out bars. Its wedding packages go up to 110 guests.

Its price guide gives rough examples rather than fixed prices, and delivery is charged per mile on top. For a single marquee with linings and a floor it usually allows one to two days to put it up, and most marquees come down in a day. It offers a free site visit.

TentStyle works only in stretch tents, which it hires and sells, including heated and semi-permanent versions. Its site says the tents can be fixed to buildings or trees and put up on uneven ground or on hard standing (a solid surface such as concrete or gravel).

Its 2026 price guide is based on a 72-hour hire, Friday to Monday, and says all hire costs are subject to VAT and a delivery fee worked out for your site. Furniture, lighting, staging and dance floors are add-ons. Small tents can go up in an hour or two; for a medium or large tent with flooring, lighting and furniture it usually allows a full day.

Founded by Katherine Hudson and based at Henfield, the Arabian Tent Company hires a wide mix of tents: frame tents, traditional pole marquees, canvas bell-shaped 'Pearl' tents, stretch tents, clear marquees, glamping tents and wooden gazebos. It also dresses the inside with themed interiors, lounge furniture and props, and delivers within 100 miles of its base.

Its frame tents include coir matting (a coconut-fibre floor covering) and lighting in the price. Its price page doesn't say whether VAT is included, and some rows on it are hard to follow, so only the clearest figures are given here; ask for a written quote.

Sussex Marquees, based in Nutley, hires traditional pole marquees in 40ft (about 12m) widths, chino-coloured stretch tents and catering marquees, across East and West Sussex, Surrey and Kent. It doesn't publish prices and quotes for each wedding, and it takes bookings up to two years ahead.

Its traditional packages each come with a 20ft x 20ft catering marquee, linings, matting, festoon lighting (strings of bulbs), an 18ft x 18ft parquet dance floor, tables and Chiavari chairs (slim, light chairs often used at weddings). It suggests allowing 15 square feet per wedding guest, plus space for a dance floor. For a Saturday wedding it can normally let you keep the marquee for a second day on the Sunday.

James Marquees is based in Battle and works across an area it describes as Worthing to Dover and up to Dartford. It hires clearspan marquees 3m, 6m, 9m or 12m wide and any length, with the option of clear roof panels, along with linings, flooring, lighting, furniture, heating, toilets, bars and dance floors.

It doesn't publish prices or guest numbers, so you'll need to ask for a quote. It usually puts the marquee up between one and three days before the wedding and takes it down one to two days afterwards.