Are you breaking away from the traditional mould and hosting your big day in a wedding marquee? If so, you won’t be disappointed as marquee weddings are classy and beautiful and they also provide a fabulous venue for celebrations.
As with all elements of your big day, however, success is all in the planning. Not to worry as we’ve put together the ultimate guide to everything you need to know and consider before booking a marquee for your wedding.
First up are the questions that you need to ask yourself…
How many guests will be attending?
Perhaps the most careful area of consideration you need to focus on is the size of the marquee you intend to hire. Don’t just go for the biggest or the cheapest, or choose a size at random.
Trust us, hiring a wedding marquee that is far too big or too small to cater for the exact number of wedding guests is an instant atmosphere killer. Speak to your marquee hire provider about the approximate number of guests you expect both for the sit-down meal and for evening celebrations.
They will then be able to advise (per square feet) the most appropriate size marquee.
Where would you like to hold the celebrations?
The hill over-looking the lake might seem like the ideal location for your wedding marquee but unfortunately it’s a no-go. Your wedding marquee must be installed on flat grass with easy access and, ideally, not too far from power sources.
You will need to find an area of the grounds of your private site or hire a site which matches these requirements.
Does the hire company provide toilet facilities?
Don’t make the critical mistake of not hiring toilet facilities, as this is not an area for cutting costs. No one will fancy making a trip indoors to the nearest building to use the toilet and it will lead to guests scattered everywhere except where you want them to be which is on the dance floor enjoying the celebrations.
Will the hire company be able to organise electricity?
Despite it being a key requirement, it’s quite easy to forget about electricity. It’s a given with most venues but when hiring a wedding marquee, you will need to check with your provider whether they will give and set-up a generator, whether this cost is included in your package or whether this is something you will need to organise separately.
A generator needs to be set-up by someone with electrical knowledge or expertise too so it’s not a job for a member of the bridal party.
What kind of decorations would you like?
One of the key attractions to hiring a wedding marquee is the ability to assert your own décor. Few venues offer the customisation opportunities as a marquee so get planning your decorations.
Consider lighting, colour schemes, wall covers, table covers, chair covers and flooring as you can put your own stamp on all of these elements.
Ok, now that we’ve got all of the questions that you should ask out of the way, let’s cover the types of marquees that are available for rent for your big day.
What types of marquees are available?
Solid Side Marquees – These structures are built to the highest standard and feature clear span structures, glass window panels, hard panels, and steel cassette floors. There’s a variety of different sizes available, making them an ideal solution for wedding parties of all sizes.
Soft Side Marquees – These are clear span aluminium modular structures that are also finished to an extremely high standard. Much to the delight of Irish brides, they can withstand variable weather conditions and they’re finished with wooden floors and white PVC.
Pagodas – This option is ideal for couples that are getting married in the open air and have a small guest list.
And that completes our ultimate wedding marquee guide!
We hope you’ve found some inspiration from our post and remember; marquees provide a unique and super stylish venue for your wedding celebration so cover the logistics outlined above and your venue will be one of the biggest highlights of your day.