Party Rental Checklist — 50, 100, 150 & 200 Guests

Every rental quote we send starts the same way: how many guests, what's the event shape, where's the venue? The guest count sets the skeleton — tent size, chair count, table count — and everything else gets layered on top. This is the by-headcount breakdown we use internally. Four guest counts, four complete rental lists. Plus the things we routinely tell couples they don't need to rent despite what the wedding forums say.

Always Verify With the City & Venue

Permit rules, approved tent footprints, capacity caps, and fee schedules change year to year. Before you book anything, confirm current requirements directly with the venue and the permitting municipality — we can't be responsible for rentals that don't match a current permit. This guide reflects what we've seen on-site; the permit desk has final say.

Key Takeaways

If you only read this section

Per-guest rental cost drops with scale. A 200-guest wedding is cheaper per head than a 50-guest one.
Chairs are the one category you never under-order. 10% extra is our minimum.
Dance floor becomes worth it around 80 guests. Below that, floor space beats floor size.
Sidewalls are cheaper than weather anxiety. Rent them even in July for peace of mind.
Skip the arch, skip the aisle runner, skip the cocktail napkins. Three of the five least-used rentals we send out.

01The short answer

50 guests: 20×20 tent, 55 chairs, 6 tables, no dance floor, one bar. 100 guests: 20×40 tent, 110 chairs, 12 tables, 12×12 dance floor, one bar. 150 guests: 20×60 tent, 165 chairs, 17 tables, 15×15 floor, two bars. 200 guests: 40×80 tent, 220 chairs, 22 tables, 20×20 floor, two bars plus lounge.

The pattern: chairs scale linearly (always 10% over guest count for breakage, late arrivals, and ceremony-flip flexibility). Tables scale in a step function. Bars and dance floor scale non-linearly — one bar works surprisingly far, two bars become necessary around 140 guests.

0250 guests — the intimate wedding list

At 50 guests, everything fits under a 20×20 marquee if you're tight or a 20×30 if you want room to breathe. The full rental list:

1 × 20×20 marquee tent (ceremony + dinner sequential, no simultaneous) or 20×30 for dinner-only
55 chiavari chairs (5 spares)
5 × 5ft round tables (10 guests each) + 1 × 6ft banquet for head table
2 × 6ft banquet tables for catering and gifts
50 place settings (ceramic plate, flatware set, wine glass, water glass)
Linens — ivory or white, plus napkins
1 bar (6ft banquet with skirt) + 1 bar back
String lights across the tent ceiling
No dance floor — guests dance on grass or patio
No heater in July/August; 1 propane heater April–May or Sept–Oct

Micro-weddings under 40 guests have their own rental rhythm — tighter seating, smaller tent, often no dance floor — and we're happy to quote that down to a two-hour ceremony-only footprint if that's what you need.

03100 guests — the most common wedding size

100-guest weddings are our busiest bucket. Most of our Lower Mainland weekend work lives here. The default list:

1 × 20×40 marquee (dinner) or 20×60 if adding dance floor
110 chiavari or fanback chairs (10 spares)
10 × 5ft rounds + 1 × 8ft banquet for head table
3 × 6ft banquet tables for bar, gifts, DJ
2 cocktail tables for cocktail hour
Linens for all tables + 110 cloth napkins
1 bar + 1 bar back + ice wells
12×12 dance floor (optional at this size)
String lights + 4 uplights on tent corners
Sidewalls (2 of 4 sides, for wind protection)
1 propane heater in shoulder seasons

04150 guests — where the complexity jumps

Between 100 and 150 guests, the event shape changes. You need two bars instead of one (or a long bar with two stations), the dance floor becomes non-negotiable, and the 20×60 tent is now the minimum. Full list:

1 × 20×60 marquee (dinner + dance) or 1 × 20×40 ceremony tent + 1 × 20×60 dinner tent
165 chairs (15 spares — larger weddings see more breakage)
15 × 5ft rounds + 2 × 8ft banquets for head table
4 × 6ft banquets for bars, gifts, DJ, cake
4 cocktail tables
Linens + 165 cloth napkins
2 bars (or long double-station bar) + 2 bar backs
15×15 dance floor
Lounge cluster (sofa + 2 chairs + coffee table) for cocktail hour
String lights + 8 uplights + DJ uplighting
Full perimeter sidewalls
2 propane heaters in shoulder seasons

05200 guests — the full production

200-guest weddings are a different kind of event. You're now in full-production territory — likely a 40×80 tent, a dedicated lounge area, and a 2-hour setup that becomes a 4-hour setup.

1 × 40×80 marquee or 1 × 20×60 + 1 × 20×40 parallel config
220 chairs (20 spares)
20 × 5ft rounds + 3 × 8ft banquets for head table
6 × 6ft banquets for bars, gifts, DJ, cake, photobooth, card table
6 cocktail tables
Linens + 220 cloth napkins
2 bars (or triple-station island bar) + 2 bar backs
20×20 dance floor
Lounge area (2 sofas + 4 chairs + 2 coffee tables)
String lights + 12 uplights + full DJ lighting rig
Full perimeter sidewalls
3 propane heaters in shoulder seasons, 2 industrial fans in July/August

06What you don't actually need

Five rentals we see on Pinterest checklists that we quietly steer couples away from:

Rented ceremony arch — florists bring better arches than rental companies; let your florist handle it.
Rented aisle runner — they slip, they wrinkle, they photograph badly. Skip.
Rented cocktail napkins — caterer usually includes these; buying is cheaper than renting for something disposable.
Gold chargers — if you have a tight budget, the charger plates add 8% cost for 2% visual impact. Skip first.
Dance floor lighting packages over about 80 guests — the DJ's lighting rig covers it.

07The rental-cost-per-guest math

Rental costs scale non-linearly with guest count. A 50-guest wedding costs around $30–40 per guest in rentals (tent, chairs, tables, linens). A 100-guest wedding drops to $25–30. A 200-guest wedding drops to $20–25. The reason: the tent is the biggest single cost, and doubling guests doesn't double the tent.

That's useful when you're deciding whether to cut the guest list. Cutting from 150 to 100 doesn't save 33% of the rental cost — it saves about 25%, and you lose the goodwill of inviting people. Cut the menu before you cut the guest list.

08A sample 100-guest order

Concrete example — 100-guest wedding in a Fort Langley barn, August:

1 × 20×60 marquee, sidewalls, floor-load
110 × fanback garden chairs
10 × 5ft rounds, 1 × 8ft banquet for head table
3 × 6ft banquets for bar, gifts, DJ
Linens (ivory rounds, burlap runners)
1 bar + bar back
12×12 dance floor
String lights across tent ceiling
Crew of 3, Friday afternoon load-in, Sunday morning teardown

09Next steps

Pick your guest count bucket, start with the list above, then adjust based on your venue and event shape. Send us the rough numbers and we'll turn it into a live quote within a business day.

Text or email 778-990-7983 or welcome@foreverpartyrentals.com. If you're not sure which bucket you're in (60? 85? 130?), we'll walk through the math with you — we'd rather get it right than quote you the wrong size.

"The mistake at every guest count is the same — over-renting the visible stuff (arches, accent decor) and under-renting the invisible stuff (sidewalls, extra linens, back-up chairs). Budget for the boring rentals first." — Forever Party Rentals Team

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