Rustic wedding on a budget: 9 levers for the tent and the decor

This is the biggest lever, because the structure is priced per square metre. The table above shows it for 80 guests: from 80 m² for a meal at rectangular tables to 120 m² with a dance floor, which, with the grid's marquees (90 m² and 120 m²), is a difference of €360 to €480 excl. VAT on the structure alone.

Ask yourself two questions before requesting a quote. Does the ceremony take place under the tent (0.65 m² per guest, chairs side by side) or outdoors, at the foot of a tree? And is the dance floor needed all evening, or only after dessert? An outdoor ceremony and a standing cocktail on the grass avoid paying for floor area at a moment when nobody sits down.

On the site's grid, the marquee runs from €12 to €16 excl. VAT per m², the stretch tent from €17 to €22 excl. VAT per m². For 100 m², that gives €1,200 to €1,600 excl. VAT for a 10×10 m marquee, and €1,700 to €2,200 excl. VAT for a 10×10 m stretch tent.

The marquee therefore costs less per m² than the stretch tent, which has the advantage of curved shapes and a softer fabric in a natural setting. The choice depends on the ground and the mood: the article on choosing between stretch, marquee and aluminium sets out the differences. For a rustic wedding, the structure mostly needs to blend into the landscape.

Flooring is a major line in the site's quotes, with a median of €2,040 excl. VAT. It depends on the ground: on dry, level lawn you can sometimes do without, on soft or sloping ground it becomes a matter of safety and comfort. Ask the technician's opinion during the visit rather than cutting blindly.

If flooring is needed, compare the options. On the site's grid, wooden cassette flooring runs from €10 to €12 excl. VAT per m², floating flooring from €3.5 to €5.5 excl. VAT per m² and a dance floor from €10 to €14 excl. VAT per m². Covering a whole 100 m² tent with wooden cassettes comes to €1,000 to €1,200 excl. VAT, whereas a 4×4 m (16 m²) dance floor alone comes to €160 to €224 excl. VAT. The article on tent flooring and groundwork compares these solutions.

Lighting weighs little in the site's quotes: €465 excl. VAT as a median. Yet it does a lot for the atmosphere. In a rustic setting, string lights hung between the poles and a few well-protected candles are often enough. Check with the hire company what the structure can carry and what power supply is needed before buying or borrowing equipment.

Watch the flames: a candle under fabric calls for precautions. The safest option is LED candles for tables close to the fabric, and asking the hire company for its instructions.

Inexpensive rustic decor plays on material and setting: branches, seasonal flowers, raw wood, linen, jars and lanterns. The principle is to choose few materials and repeat them, rather than multiplying objects.

Part of it can be made yourself, with volunteer guests the day before. Allow time on set-up day and for clearing away, because handmade decor takes time.

Furniture is a heavy line when hired: €2,351 excl. VAT as a median across 15 quotes that included it. A rustic wedding tolerates mismatched tables and chairs, benches, straw bales covered with cloth or farmhouse tables. Borrowing from relatives or hiring from a neighbour or an estate costs less, provided you have a way to transport it.

Check, however, that the furniture fits in the area you calculated, because the sizing grid assumes standard tables and chairs. Benches and farmhouse tables take up different space.

Quotes itemise transport by trip. On the site's grid, one structure trip runs from €200 to €310 excl. VAT, with €260 excl. VAT as a median across 79 quotes. A structure, flooring and furniture do not necessarily travel together: ask how many trips your quote includes.

Ground that is accessible to lorries, with a clear path to the pitch, avoids handling lines and surprises on set-up day. Do not assume: ask the hire company during the visit.

A wedding is prepared months ahead and summer weekends go fast. Booking early leaves time to compare calmly, which helps keep to budget. The article on the booking timeline gives the calendar.

Always compare quotes like for like: same area, same flooring, same lighting, same transport. A cheaper quote that forgets the flooring or the transport is no longer cheaper at the end. The article on wedding tent hire prices details the lines.

On your own land, the service-public page on garden outbuildings states that a temporary installation of 3 months or less is exempt from planning formalities, this period dropping to 15 days in certain protected areas (listed sites, surroundings of historic monuments, areas set by the municipality). The page says to consult the municipality's local urban plan and to ask the town hall about these areas.

A wedding tent stays a few days, well within these periods, but the local rule may differ: a call to the town hall before signing avoids a last-minute block. This article does not replace the town hall's opinion, which remains your point of contact.