After contacting 6 vendors, The Tent Merchant clearly became our top choice. No other vendor was even a close second, for the following reasons. (All other vendors were deficient in one or more of these areas. Every other vendor was deficient in the first. Scary!). 1-COMPETENCE- The Tent Merchant asked all the right, necessary questions to safely, legally, securely erect a tent and visited the venue early on to ensure they were prepared. Beyond safety, they had the best variety of tent sizes,features and embellishments. They also had varied tablecloths available from basic polyester (the only thing available from all other vendors) to cotton, linen, and luxurious textured fabrics. They offered more sizes of linens and tables than others as well. 2-TRANSPARENCY/INTEGRITY: Immediate, clear, unchanging prices and no "surprise" small print. By FAR the best contract terms. No required NON-(or partially)REFUNDABLE deposit on a tent until 10 days prior to event (when weather is more clear), yet guaranteed tent availability! (Others required tent deposit up front: a guaranteed loss if you don't need it). The weather forecast led us to forego the tent, but even after the 10 day deadline, TM assured "we'll do everything we can to take care of you". We had nearly daily communication that final week, with immediate responses, updates and support. 3-Word-of-mouth RECOMMENDATION by a local event planner, who also sent me a link to the 2025 Santa Barbara Independent Wedding issue, in which The Tent Merchant was a recommended vendor. Yelp and Google were sources for others. Concluding, every detail was efficiently and thoughtfully fulfilled as promised, and on time. I am grateful for the professionalism, competence and integrity of this company. I can't recommend them more highly. They will capably support and fulfill your vision with excellence, they will be available, encouraging and honest, and they will have your back from start to finish. read more

From the well informed, very helpful staff to the tremendous selection of items for your party or your home, the Tent Merchant has it all. This is the second birthday party I have used their services for and was completely satisfied both times. I could not recommend them more highly. read more

We had an amazing experience planning our wedding with The Tent Merchant. The staff was responsible and flexible and we felt taken care of from start to finish. We were planning our wedding from 3000 miles away and everything was made as easy as possible for us. We would absolutely work with them again on any event we do in the Santa Barbara area. read more

We hired Tent Merchant for all of our wedding rentals, and Yessenia and the team were wonderful to work with from start to finish. Yessenia was one of the most responsive and professional vendors we worked with--always organized and so easy to communicate with. We met with her twice in person at their showroom near downtown Santa Barbara to select our rentals, and she guided us through the process step by step, making what could have been an overwhelming experience feel effortless. During our second visit, she even set up a full mock table with our chosen items so we could see everything together and make adjustments before the big day, which was incredibly helpful. Everything went perfectly on our wedding day, and we couldn't be happier with how it all came together read more

The Tent Merchant - Party Supplies Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The office staff were very friendly and accommodating, they made sure we got the equipment we needed for our event. The delivery was on time and the employees were very helpful. We appreciated the service we received. read more

Huge shout out to Jill and team at Tent Merchant! They provided all of the rentals for our Santa Barbara wedding and we could not be happier with their service! Jill made the rental process so easy, even when we changed the plan on her a few times. She was patient and so helpful, and the whole team at Tent Merchant was prompt and made the set up and tear down process so easy! We highly recommend working with Tent Merchant for your wedding/event in the Santa Barbara area. Thank you Tent Merchant team! read more

We had an absolutely amazing experience with The Tent Merchant. We got married DURING the week of Santa Barbara's insane, record-breaking, freeway-closing rain and needed a tent and dance floor incredibly last minute. Mackenzie was an absolute dream to work with. She had an emergency at work and was still helping us scramble to get everything we needed. The workers on the day-of were so fast, efficient, and kind. I felt SO BAD they were in the rain, but made sure to tip them (tip your vendors!). All-in-all, they made what could have been an incredibly stressful situation a breeze. Thanks, Mackenzie!! read more

I highly recommend The Tent Merchant in Santa Barbara, CA! We came from out of town for our daughter's wedding, and we stopped by to pick up some tables and linens for the rehearsal dinner. Nicole Symer, their Event Specialist, was amazing! She helped us to update our order very efficiently and with wonderful grace and charm! I conduct team building sessions worldwide, and I work with top executives and their employees in a wide range of industries; Nicole would be a hugely valued asset to any or all of them! read more

Tent Merchant was *incredibly* accommodating in helping us coordinate a last minute large tent for our all-outdoor venue. They truly went above and beyond to help us execute it seamlessly on a time crunch. Absolutely fantastic customer service. read more

From start to finish, working with The Tent Merchant for our wedding was a pleasure! Long-distance wedding planning is not an easy task but Lilly was absolutely wonderful in guiding me through my selections and had saint-like patience dealing with the many times I changed my mind and requested various quotes. Everything went off without a hitch and I know that wouldn't have been possible without their dedication to organization and professionalism! read more

The Tent Merchant - Party Supplies Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

At the last minute we realized we needed chairs and linens for our daughter's wedding rehearsal dinner which was taking place on December 30th. After calling a couple other places with no luck, we found the Tent Merchant. They were extremely helpful and happened to have everything we needed. In addition, they were able to deliver it which was a major blessing since we didn't have a vehicle large enough to haul the chairs. I would definitely use them again! THANK YOU TENT MERCHANT!!! read more

I've worked with Tent Merchant before for larger events and had positive experiences, but this year for Thanksgiving I rented a table, chairs, and table cloth to host some family members. Over the phone, the woman told me she'd put me down for a table cloth that went half way to 3/4 of the way to the floor. When I got it home the table cloth went maybe two inches past the edge of the table on all sides. When I called to resolve this the woman on the phone was pretty unpleasant - immediately telling me they can't swap it out and insisting that they would never advise the length a table cloth would go to the floor. I was offered no refund, no replacement, but could spend more than half of what I've already paid for a different colored table cloth that could go underneath this one. She continued to insist that the person I spoke to previously would never have advised me on tablecloth lengths so I couldn't help but tell her "well I'm mot lying. Someone told me that" to which she replied "I'm not saying you're lying, but sometimes people just don't understand" she also made a rude comment about 'if I'm able to afford it' after I said I didn't want to pay extra for the tablecloth I should've received originally. I feel very disrespected and will not be using their services again. read more

Recommended to us by our wedding planner, their rentals were exactly what we wanted. They basically provided all the tables, chairs, table settings, glasses, and extras for our wedding. Everything was clean & put together. Delivery and pickup were seamless. read more

The Tent Merchant - Party Supplies Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Tent Merchant went above & beyond for our beach party that involved a complex setup. When the tide changed & we were worried the tent was in danger, they sent a staff member to investigate on site. So professional-- event went off without a hitch. They worked with me on the price -- it was a little expensive but pretty much made the event. I would definitely recommend them & plan to use them again for events. read more

The Tent Merchant - Party Supplies Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The Tent Merchant worked with us and gave us a full refund in 2016 when we had to cancel our wedding due to the Sherpa fire, so we knew when we finally got to have our dream wedding in 2017 that we would choose them! Some things can get a bit pricey (it is Santa Barbara), but their service was fantastic, the gentlemen that delivered everything were so great, and their supplies were just what we wanted. read more

After checking out caterers for our wedding, we had heard from both kitchens that Tent Merchants was the way to go. Boy where they right! The woman that assisted us helped with every aspect of things we needed for the wedding. She was honest about things that would be better for us to buy vs rent, and was so kind. The Tent Merchant was supposed to close at 2 and they gladly stayed open to help us and let other people come in and browse even though it was almost 230. One more bonus, she has worked with both caterers and had an idea of what they would ask us to rent. Great prices on items, amazing customer service and they had snacks for their guests! Also payment plans as well. Such a great rental place! read more

We used The Tent Merchant for our daughter's wedding on July 31, 2021, which was originally scheduled for March 2020, but because of Covid had to be rescheduled. They were very gracious and flexible in working with us during this time, with many revisions to our order, and held our order until we could reschedule. Their staff is extremely helpful, and they have lots of different decor to choose from. It was delivered precisely as we were told it would be. I highly recommend The Tent Merchant. read more

I loved the way our linens looked for our wedding. The linen brought the color scheme together and was exactly what I pictured it would be. read more

The Tent Merchant - Linen from The Tent Merchant - Party Supplies Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We rented a tent and dance floor for a wedding. I had asked them to center the dance floor in the squares on the ground and marked the center. They turned the floor so it was not in the center along the lines, my ocd kicked in and i was annoyed the entire wedding. In addition, they tried to pick up the items at 130 pm, during the wedding, when pickup was 5 pm. read more

As a wedding planner in Santa Barbara, I know that a rental company can make or break an event. Tent Merchant has exceeded my expectations on every event we have worked on together. Their showroom is spectacular, they accommodate my clients every step of the way, their delivery/install team works efficiently and the quality of their product is always spot on. I would highly recommend them to anyone planning a wedding in the Santa Barbara or Santa Ynez area! read more

I am a wedding and event coordinator who does over 30 events each year. I work with dozens of rental companies. Tent Merchant has always been flexible, responsive, professional and thorough. I'm going out of my way to leave them a review because they installed a tent for my Bride at the last minute (ordered less than 24 hours before the ceremony and finished installing an hour before guests arrived) and did a beautiful job. They were efficient, helpful and team-players during such a time crunch. They worked in the rain and did it with a smile. Their commitment to helping make my Bride's Big Day as perfect as possible was evident and appreciated by every vendor involved. I plan to refer Tent Merchant to all of my Brides for their rental equipment needs. read more

They were terrible. They didn't set up like they were supposed to, just dumped everything and left. There were burnt out bulbs in the lighting they put up and the table lanterns were left in a box in the corner with no candles. They talked to me like I was stupid as well. Don't hire these people unless you want your event to be a nightmare! read more

I worked with Tent Merchant to host a small dinner party at home for a special occasion. I love how easy the process was! The website is simple and their inventory is wide, with many contemporary options. The team was very responsive and quick to provide a quote, revised quotes, and answer questions about specific items. I chose to pick up and drop off on my own. Everything was packed with care and just as I ordered. Both pick up and drop off were efficient and seamless. read more

The Tent Merchants were awesome! We hired them for our wedding in Santa Barbara at the Polo Club and were so pleased with the service we received. Lilly helped me through the process and was amazing to work with. I was planning my wedding all on my own and felt overwhelmed in the process, but Lilly was very responsive and provided all of the support needed to make sure everything went smoothly. We rented a black and white checkered dance floor (which was gorgeous), linens, heaters and string lights from The Tent Merchant. I wanted the lights done in a certain way and Lilly was very accommodating with my requests. Everything turned out perfectly! read more

Super service, easy to get in and out. One thing I noticed, the resin chairs looked like they'd been through a war. Some of them. And they're pricier and heavier to lift. But the people here are very helpful and friendly. read more

Beware working with them. They added some hidden charges. They made a mistake taking one of our table cloths instead of theirs then charged for that. Most astoundingly, did a bad job draping a space, was asked to return to correct it, said they would do so happily, then charged for that, and then two days later sent an invoice for it. Disturbing business practice and plainly not good customer service. read more

The Tent Merchant provided the decor for my wedding last summer & everything turned out so beautifully. They have an amazing selection of everything you could possibly need to throw a fabulous wedding or any other sort of event. The prop house is such fun to wander through & see all the different creative little areas to get inspired. The staff is very knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. My husband & I were so lucky to have their services for what was a truly amazing evening. So very thankful to John, Sherine & the rest of the crew. read more

Tent Merchant helped us create a beautiful Thanksgiving celebration for our extended family. The show room is just gorgeous, and Sherine and staff were so helpful and gracious. Pick up and drop off was a breeze (even in the rain!), but I love that delivery is also offered for a reasonable fee. Great selection, wonderful people...I will look to Tent Merchant for ALL future gatherings. Thank you! read more

TM was pleasant to work with for the most part. But we were shorted 13 champagne flutes at our wedding. When we complained, the business manager was rude. She brushed us off and said they would need to count their entire stock to confirm. We received a refund pretty quickly, which is appreciated, but no apology was ever given for the inconvenience and for the fact that TM didn't fulfill its contract. I understand mishap happens in businesses, but I think TM should treat their customers more politely. read more

As a wedding planner in the Santa Barbara area I have had the opportunity to work with Tent Merchant on numerous weddings & events! We have also been able to watch as they have increased their inventory to stay current and have developed a really beautiful selection of unique event rentals & furniture. This always gets us excited because we love working with products that have never been seen before! Their service is always spot on, and their staff is responsive, friendly and helpful! We look forward to working with them many times this year and will continue to refer them to our friends in the industry! read more

I've worked with Tent Merchant for the last 2 years and I cannot say enough about them. I rent from them probably 3-4 times a month and they are always on time and deliver exactly what I need. Jamie is amazing at what she does and always has great advice when it comes to my more "decor heavy" events! Highly recommended! read more

The Tent Merchant was so great to work with! They made ordering our linens and china so easy. Our caterer (UCEN catering at UCSB - also amazing!) gave us suggestions on what to order, so that helped a ton too, and The Tent Merchant accommodated us perfectly. We had some last-minute additions that we realized we needed 2 days before the event, and we got them added on without issue (and were super thankful!). Everything was delivered and picked up and we knew up front all of the charges so we were able to make informed decisions on what we wanted. They were in email communication with us from start to finish. We aren't local so they even mailed us a sample of the slate blue linen to help us decide on napkin color, which was most helpful! We had a great experience with The Tent Merchant and would recommend them to anyone. Thank you for making our day extra special! read more

The Tent Merchant - Party Supplies Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

As a wedding/event planner in Santa Barbara, I've worked with The Tent Merchant for over 10 years - and I recommend them every time! Their staff are friendly and helpful, and they have worked at every event space in the Santa Barbara/Santa Ynez area. If you have questions about how to make an event space the best it can be, The Tent Merchant can help. They have high quality rentals at a reasonable price, and a large inventory which is most helpful. I adore working with Kirsten and the entire TM staff! read more

I work as an event planner with a local catering company and I frequently work with The Tent Merchant when planning events. I am always satisfied with the overall experience working with their team. Their staff is quick to respond to my phone calls and emails regarding new rental inquiries which I greatly appreciate. I would recommend The Tent Merchant as an attentive and thorough rental company who are easy to work with for an event of any size. They also have a wide variety of inventory to choose from which is an added bonus. read more

Had a wonderful experience with The Tent Merchant! They were a breeze to work with, even with an insanely complicated event such as a from-scratch wedding. From the bar to chandeliers, glasses and tables, TTM went out of their way to make us happy. They even ordered new blush glasses that would work well for our event. Don't hesitate, these guys are the best in town! read more

I rented 8 umbrellas in an emergency situation for a wedding this past Monday. My mother went to pick them up on Friday 7/14/17, they were in terrible condition and she at least asked if all the bases could match colors (wonderful will call workers accommodated her). We got out to our wedding site and within 10 minutes were mandatorily evacuated due to a fire. I called the gentleman Nick Perocco (whom I had been in contact with) at the Tent Merchant to tell him our situation as it was unfolding. He was so amazingly sweet and kind and completely understood our unfortunate circumstance and our need to return the umbrellas (HE IS THE EPITOME OF CUSTOMER SERVICE). He offered a full refund since we had no wedding venue and no need for the umbrellas, and felt very badly for us. I was so thankful for his sincerity and understanding of our unfortunate situation. Unfortunately this changed within ten minutes. The owner, Sherine Leenhouwers, called and told me that she would NOT be refunding me. I told asked her why not since Nick was very understanding and told me that he would cancel the order and refund me. I told her that yes, she would be refunding me because that is what one of her employees said would be happening. She said he did not tell me that, basically calling me a liar over $363. Come on! I was evacuating all of my wedding items and she was YELLING at me on the phone (mind you she was on speaker phone the whole time with twelve people listening). She also told me that my mother caused problems by asking them to make the umbrellas matching. Um, what? In all honesty I lost my cool and hung up on her; she is the ONLY human drama I have had this whole wedding. Let me tell you, we will spread the word like wild fire to NEVER have any friends, family or contacts use them EVER AGAIN. Sherine Leenhouwers was rude, inconsiderate and terrible to me. I was honest with my CC company and let them know Sherine Leenhouwers' behavior and what had happened and they refunded me. Terrible customer service on the owners part. Absolutely unfortunate, too, since we know some pretty amazing people all over SB, Montecito and Ventura and would have loved to send business there in the future. read more

We used these guys for our wedding chairs! I ordered them pretty last minute and they were still able to accommodate us and with a reasonable price ! They dropped the chairs off right on time and picked them up as well. They were very easy to communicate with and I would definitely recommend them ! read more

I don't been know where to start! John and the tent merchant team was amazing. Together with my planner Percy, John helped create his magnificent gorgeous space that made the Fess Parker, which is already a gorgeous venue, even more magical. His creative eye is amazing, and he helped me put together a space that was truly something out of my dreams. He was easy to work with, gave me the best prices, sent me the CAD worksheets showing the layouts, and helped make my dreams a reality. read more

The Tent Merchant - The gorgeous mandap and gold tent, bringing beachy elegance to fruition - Party Supplies Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I honestly would give them a zero if I could. I needed tents and heaters at the last minute for my wedding in Godric Grove for potential rain. When I called, this girl I made it come off like it was an inconvenience to rent only heaters from them like it was not worth the business. Then when I called the second time the same girl again came off like that and I politely called her out on it. She was like "no no thats not what I meant!" But then when she further tried to explain things to me she still came off in the end that it wasn't worth their services. So I called a third time because she still didn't invoice me the price (which I was only doing because between them and another company they were the most affordable and familiar with the site) this other girl picked up and helped me but said I should still be with the sales associate that helped me and she would call me back. I shortly after got a call from a man who probably is the owner or manager and told me they don't do night rentals at Godric Grove. You're kidding me right? He went on to explain it wasn't safe for their workers to be out late in the dark, late the wedding was over at 8? I told him it was fine there was another rental company that didn't see this as an issue. This happened 4 months ago and it still rubs me wrong how poorly they handled a potential business transaction. And as a rental company for weddings to say you don't do evening weddings? I can't even remember a wedding I have been to that doesn't go on through the night. My friends that are getting married I tell them to stay clear from this place. read more

Tent Merchant was absolutely wonderful in providing all of our rentals for my daughter's wedding. Joey was a delight to work with throughout the entire planning. She communicated promptly to my requests, worked professionally with the other vendors to make sure that every detail was put in place. I appreciated her input on some cost saving options as well. The entire event was beautiful! They went above and beyond in creating beautiful lighting which was not an easy task, and all set up was done on schedule and with ease. I truly appreciated working with a rental company that was so professional. It couldn't have been any better! read more