Graduation Party Tent Check List

As the season approaches for graduation and commencements, there are several items that a renter must consider. Hopefully, this check list will make you're party planning go smoothly and allow you to enjoy the celebration rather than stress over the details. Of course, please visit us at www.oneiltents.com to view our full product assortment and party options.

1. Do I need a permit? - Depends. If your tent is less than 400 sq. ft. (20x20), you generally do not need a permit. Check with your local building department and fire department to be sure of their requirements.

2. How large of a tent should I rent? - Depending on the number of guests and how you'd like to use the space, different tent sizes can accomplish different atmospheres. For a good guide of spacing requirements, please see the seating arrangement page on our website at http://www.oneiltents.com/pages/seating.aspx.

*** It is important to keep in mind that depending on the size of your space, you need to allow some extra room on the perimeter for stakes to be driven to secure the tent. For example, if you have a 20x20 space, we may be able to only set up a 15x15 tent when allowing for the stake line along the perimeter.

3. Can I cook or grill under the tent? - ABSOLUTELY NOT. According to the 2009 International Fire Code,     Outdoor cooking shall not be located within 20 feet of tents. (2404.15.6)

4. Should I rent a pole tent or a frame tent? - Depends. Pole tents are generally less expensive than frame tents but there are certain benefits for each. A pole tent is great if you don't mind center poles partially obstructing your event space. Also, pole tents MUST be staked into the ground for proper set up. Frame tents offer no obstruction throughout the event space and do not have to be staked. Frame tents can be secured using water barrels or concrete ballasts. Depending on your situation one may be a better option than the other.

5. Do I need to rent lighting? - Depending on the time of day for your event, the answer may be no. Of course night time events should be properly lit for the safety of your guests. However, if its a daytime event, odds are you probably don't need to rent additional lighting. If you're looking to add a little flare to your tent, string lights and Christmas lights always look nice.

6. How soon should I be placing my order? We would recommend placing your order as soon as possible. Placing your order early guarantees that our full inventory selection will be available for you to choose from. As we get closer and closer to the event date, supplies go quickly. Also keep in mind that all orders for linens must be placed at a minimum of two weeks ahead of time.

I hope this guide is helpful. If you aren't sure about the size of the space you have available, please call our office at 614-837-6352 and we can schedule a time for one of our representatives to give you a free on site consultation.

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Graduation Season

As Spring turns into Summer, graduation season is approaching and O'Neil Tents & Party Supplies is moving into our busy season. This time of year, O'Neil takes hundreds of calls from people looking to plan their son or daughter's graduation party and we are more than happy to help.

Some customers know what they would like for their graduation parties like tents, tables and chairs. Some customers need a little more help. At O'Neil Tents & Party Supplies we pride ourselves in helping you find the right rental equipment solutions for your specific needs. O'Neil recognizes there is no "cookie cutter" party. Each party is unique and is treated accordingly.

O'Neil Tents offers free site evaluations to all of our customers. Sending our professionals to your site does a couple of things. First, we can help you plan out your event space. We can find potential problems like low hanging tree limbs or sprinkler systems that might interfere with setting the tent up. Second, we can help you think of items you might have overlooked like coolers, trash cans, or linens.


Graduation Party Planning Tips from the Pro's:

Think about the drive way as a tent location.

All too often, we send our professionals out to a job site to measure for a party and the slope of the customers yard is not conducive for a tent. If you have this same problem, don't be discouraged! Most drive ways are big enough to accommodate tents. Another benefit of the driveway is that they are very flat. Tables and chairs can sit on drive ways without wobbling like they do in the grass sometimes.

Plan to seat about half of your expected guests at one time.
One of the first questions we will ask our customers is how many people will be attending your celebration. This serves a couple of purposes: First, it helps determine necessary tent size; Second, it helps to figure how much seating is needed. During high school graduation season, there are typically a handful of parties on the same day and guests will be coming and going throughout the day. In our experience, you shouldn't need seating for more than about half of your guests at any one time.


Call before you dig.
The utility companies have been using this slogan for years to warn their customers about the dangers of digging without knowing what's under the ground. We ask that you use do the same thing before we install our tents. Some of our tents require staking into the ground for tensioning. Our stakes sink roughly two and a half feet into the ground. This is deep enough to reach irrigation, electric or cable lines. Save the head ache and call before we stake. Click this link for the correct contact info for Ohio customers.


Keep the hot stuff hot and the cold stuff cold.
Our customers are pretty good about remembering coolers for events. All too often though hot food is over-looked. We've all been to parties where the hosts are serving light hors d'oeuvres and they taste fantastic right when they are hot out of the oven. After some time though, the hot food gets cold and loses flavor and texture. Most times, a good portion of the appetizers get thrown out because they've become un-appetizing. Avoid this common trip up and think about renting chafers for your function. Chafing dishes will help keep the quality of your food consistent over a longer period of time.


Keeping these tips in mind as you plan your next function might help you avoid some headaches down the road!