Carnal

Tents and party halls from Biel/Bienne

Carnal is a tent and party hall rental company at Rue Centrale 101 in 2503 Biel/Bienne. Its homepage calls it a "Spécialiste de la location de tentes et halles de fête" (specialist in the rental of tents and party halls) and says the whole team has been at clients' service for more than 25 years. It rents, erects and sets up tents and halls, rents the furniture and equipment to go in them, and states that it works "sur l'ensemble du territoire suisse" (throughout Switzerland). Its presentation page names weddings first: "Qu'il s'agisse d'un mariage, d'un cocktail ou d'un événement d'entreprise, nous avons forcément la solution pour vous" (whether a wedding, a cocktail party or a company event, we will certainly have the solution for you).

Size and setup

The rental page gives one figure that matters to every couple: "Nos tentes et halles de fête peuvent accueillir de 18 à 2000 personnes" (our tents and party halls can hold from 18 to 2,000 people). That covers a small family wedding in a garden and a very large reception. The site does not publish the dimensions of individual tents or halls, so the guest count and the layout go into the first conversation, and the team advises on the right choice. The presentation page says exactly that: depending on the client's needs and the number of guests, the team recommends the best option.

On setup, the rental page heading reads "Montage et aide au montage de tentes et halles pour vos événements" (erection of, and help erecting, tents and halls for your events), and the text says Carnal provides rental, erection and installation of tents and party halls. In other words, the company puts the structure up. Because the heading also mentions help with erection, a couple should confirm in the quote that erection and takedown are done by Carnal's team for their wedding, and on which days.

Rentals can be for a short or a long period, by the day or even by the hour, according to the rental page.

Equipment to fill the tent

The rental page lists the equipment Carnal rents alongside the tents and halls:

• chauffages d'appoint (auxiliary heaters)
• planchers (floors)
• podiums
• bars and bar tables
• lighting
• round tables with tablecloths
• chairs
• party tables in various sizes

For a wedding, the heaters and floors are the practical essentials: heat for the evening and a floor so that guests are not standing on wet grass. The podiums serve for speeches, a band or a ceremony, and the round tables with tablecloths suit a seated wedding dinner rather than rows of benches. The list does not mention kitchen equipment, a caterer's tent or catering itself, so a couple using an outside caterer should ask whether a separate area for food preparation can be added to the structure, and what the caterer needs to bring.

Events it serves

The rental page lists the occasions it rents for: private parties, trade fairs (comptoirs), birthdays, weddings, jubilees, construction sites (tiling, waterproofing), company parties, fundraising meals, football tournaments and village festivals. The range shows a company used to public events as much as private ones, which fits the upper end of its stated capacity. There is also a photo gallery in the menu, which is the place to see what the tents and halls look like, since the text does not describe them.

How a booking works

The homepage and the presentation page describe the process in the same order. First, a member of the team talks with the client to define the project precisely, and the homepage adds: "Nous nous déplaçons dans toute la CH afin de vous renseigner et d'analyser au mieux votre situation" (we travel throughout Switzerland to advise you and to analyze your situation as well as possible). Then the client receives a detailed quote, "gratuit et sans engagement" (free and without obligation), built entirely on the client's requests, since Carnal delivers only made-to-measure services. Once the quote is accepted, "un chef de projet vous accompagnera et vous tiendra informé de l'évolution de votre projet" (a project manager will accompany you and keep you informed of your project's progress), which the site calls support from A to Z.

The homepage adds three short promises: 25 years of experience, attentive customer service, and "C'est nous et nos prestations qui s'adaptent à votre projet événementiel, et non l'inverse !" (it is we and our services that adapt to your event, not the other way round). It also says the team respects the deadlines set.

Languages and contact

Under "Langues parlées" (languages spoken), the rental page says the team members speak German, French and Italian. English is not mentioned. The site itself is in French.

Contact: Carnal, Rue Centrale 101, 2503 Biel/Bienne, phone 032 322 28 12, mobile 079 250 38 74, email f.carnal@bluewin.ch. The site invites clients to call and talk about their event, or to ask for a free quote.

What the site leaves open

The site publishes no prices and no tent or hall dimensions. It does not say whether the on-site visit costs anything or whether travel is charged for a venue far from Biel/Bienne. It does not describe the tent walls, windows or appearance, beyond what the photo gallery shows. It gives no booking lead time, deposit or cancellation terms. And it says nothing about English, so a couple who speaks none of German, French or Italian should check how communication will work before relying on the project manager.

Who it suits

Carnal suits a couple planning a tent or hall wedding anywhere in Switzerland who wants a company that comes to see the site, quotes in detail, puts the structure up and assigns a project manager through to the day. The stated range of 18 to 2,000 guests covers almost any wedding, and the equipment list covers the essentials: heat, floors, a podium, a bar, round tables with cloths and chairs. For a Swiss-international couple where one partner speaks German, French or Italian, the multilingual team is a real advantage.

It suits less well a couple who wants published prices, an online booking, or English as the working language. The process is built around a conversation and a site visit, which takes time, so it rewards a couple who starts early.