A handy guide for booking your Big Day in a Marquee!
So I absolutely LOVE a Marquee Wedding…
However, there are DEFINITELY more elements to consider when planning a Marquee Wedding. A lot of the elements that a Wedding Venue would already have, need to be added to a Marquee… for examples, tables, chairs, glassware etc. But don’t feel daunted… I’m here to help! In this Blog Post I’ll cover the things that most people forget about!
So let’s start at the beginning… WHERE are you going to host your Wedding and place this Marquee?
Venue Ideas:
- Country House Grounds
- Home/Family Garden
- Local Club (i.e. a Cricket or Rugby Club – remember this will have to be outside of their Sports Season!)
Remember to ask these places if they require a LAWN DEPOSIT. This is just in case of damages and ill most likely be refunded to you at the end – I’ve been doing this for 9 years and I don’t know anyone who’s actually lost theirs!) Also bear in mind that if you are looking to hire somewhere, you will need to have it the day before and day after too for Set-Up & Tear Down.
Next, what TYPE of Tent would you prefer?
- Sailcoth
- Tipi
- Kata Tent
- Yurt
- Chinese Hat
- Traditional
- Frame Marquee
- Capri Marquee
- Dome Marquee
- Geo Marquee
Overall Style & Design:
Have a Chat with your Event Dressers and Marquee Company about what sort of Design you are going for, is it more:
- Rustic
- Festival
- Glam
- Country
I particularly love a floral chandelier for decoration!
You also need to consider:
Flooring:
- Carpets (This usually comes with a ‘peel-off’ layer – but bear in mind that if the external area is muddy, your guests may end up tracking this in, so if you go for a White Carpet… it won’t stay white for long!
- Wood
- Coconut matting
- Walkways – to and from the nearby building… such as bar area, toilets, venue etc. This will stop the girls in heels sinking into the grass, stop the grass from becoming boggy and will keep the marquee floor cleaner!
Furniture:
- Tables: Long or Round? Farmhouse style or standard Function Tables? (Farmhouse style tables don’t need to be covered so will look more rustic but a standard function table would need tablecloths)
- Chairs (What style? ‘Chiavari’ Chairs are usually the most popular!
- And how about a ‘Chill-Out Area’ inc. Sofa’s, or maybe even Barrels, that double up as additional decor to fill your function space but also can be used for Drinks Tables!
Layout:
- Are you leaving a designated area for your Drinks Reception to take place or will everyone be heading straight to their tables. Always have a Good Weather / Wet Weather Plan in terms of layout… yes, hopefully your drinks will take place outside, but it’s raining, where will everyone go? As always with Wedding Planning, it’s always best to pray for the best, but PLAN for the worst!
- Where will your Top Table and additional tables be placed. When thinking about Top Table placement, bear in mind, the view behind you for photos and also your ‘entrance’ into the Marquee.
- Make sure to leave an allocated space for your Band/DJ to set up. Will this be a raised area?
- For your Dance Floor , you don’t necessarily need to leave space for this to begin with, as tables can be cleared after the meal to make space for this, but if you have the space available from the start… it does make things much easier!
Lighting:
- Festoon Lights
- Fairy Lights
- Chandeliers
- Remember to think about plug point placement!
- Candles (Real or Battery Powered? – check with your Venue and Marquee what is allowed!)
Heating:
- Heater for the Winter
- Aircon for the Summer (remember that the temperature will drop at night though!)
- Who will keep an eye on these? It’s quite hard to gauge how hot/cold it will be – adding a lot of guests into one room, and constantly opening the sides – it’s VERY fiddly to keep the temperature right!… so make sure you assign someone to this job and that they are shown how to use the system.
- Fire pits (who will light these and keep them burning?)
Set Up:
- Apart from Tables & Chairs you may also need to add:
- Crockery
- Cutlery
- Glassware
- Linen
- Salt & Pepper Cruets
- Ice Buckets
- Corkscrews & Bottle Openers
- Napkins
- Sauces
Amenities:
- Toilets – Are these available at the location or do you need to hire Porta-loos (you can get posh ones don’t worry!)
Staff:
As you can see already, there’s a lot of things to keep an eye on with a Marquee Wedding. Ask your Marquee Company how many staff are available to be there on the day, or is it jut for Set-Up and Tear Down. Staffing is easier if you have your Marquee at a Venue (e.g. a Country House) as they already have staff there to assist with things like Set Up. Yes, Tables and Chairs will be done by your Marquee Company, but other items like Favours, Placecards, Stationary, Ice, Wine, Candles, rolling up the sides if it gets too warm… and any other jobs that need to be done on the day etc.) If you’re booked at a local club, they will probably have staff to run their own bar, and any other suppliers that you book (e.g. Food Trucks) etc. Will have their own staff, but double check with your Caterers that they have enough Waiting Staff to assist with Service or Food (inc. someone to stay and serve any Evening Buffet Items / Cut Up your Wedding Cake etc.)
Again if you’re at a Club or somewhere without overnight staff, think about Security! Who will say in the Marquee the night prior (especially if you’ve already started to set-up everything!)
Music
You’ll be hiring a Band or DJ for the Evening, but what about for the rest of the day? You may be hiring additional singers etc. But if you’re doing your own playlist remember to think about speakers, devices etc. – see my full list of notes for your Wedding Day Music HERE!) Your DJ/Band may be able to do a full daytime playlist for you and set up a speaker for you earlier in the day for you to use. Remember to ask if they also have a microphone available for you to use for your Speeches!
Catering:
- Do you need an additional Catering Tent or will they provide their own? Food Trucks will have their own facilities on board however a hired catering company may need somewhere to prepare food etc.
- Will the food be served? Or will your guests to go up to the Food Truck to get their food? (If served, this brings us back to STAFF!… will they be provided by the Catering Company or do you need to seek assistance elsewhere?)
- If you’re hiring a Bar, or Prosecco wall etc. Consider where this will be set up, they may need to be located as close to a plug as possible for any mini-fridges, or have access to a sink/tap.
- WATER for your tables (& also Soft Drink Options). Couples always remember the alcoholic drinks for their guests but quite often forget to provide a soft drink or alternative option for the kids/non-drinkers. For your water, also remember you will need Jugs – and where the glassware will be hired from (catering company or venue?)
- Cleaning / Clear Down – the day after, if you have the marquee for a little while longer, why not invite all your family over for a brunch with juices & pastries etc. And they can all help you with the clear down. (OR find out if this needs to be done the night of the Wedding and make sure you have staff assigned for this).
Extra’s:
- Blankets/Cushions for your guests.
- Any additional folding tables needed for cake/sweets/guestbook/cards & gifts/ reception drinks (+ any table cloths for these!)
- Is there a noise limit / time limit for the area?
- Cables – There will be lots of them, with Bands/DJ’s/Lights/Caterers… so make sure you have Covers for them so no one trips!
- Generator: How many hours can it stay on for? AND MOST IMPORTANTLY… What to do if it goes off? At the majority of Marquee Weddings I have done, the Generator has gone off! Now this is NOT A PROBLEM AT ALL and is usually a great laugh for the guests / a good story to tell later on! As long as you have someone on-site with you who can get it back on straight away you’re absolutely fine, this is usually my most important role at a Marquee Wedding!
I know this will sound biased but my BIGGEST Recommendation would be… Hire an ON-THE-DAY-WEDDING COORDINATOR!!! – As I’m sure you can tell by this point, the sheer amount of set-up required plus someone to actually run the day and make sure things go smoothly (e.g. announce the speeches, make sure all guests have food/dietary requirements sorted, keep staff correct, cut your cake, keep you on time, take care of any finishing touches and just someone to be there if things go wrong i.e. generator).
Head to my page of Wedding Services to see how I can help you with your Marquee Wedding, I offer full planning services, you can hire me as an On-The-Day Wedding Coordinator. OR you can simply book a 1 Hour Consultation with me to check you haven’t forgotten anything and make you your very own personalised wedding document filled with Suppliers Details, Timelines, Catering & Decor Details, to keep your team right on the day.
I know this list can sound a bit daunting… but your Marquee team is there to guide you and you have me too if you need me!
Marquee Weddings are BEAUTIFUL and SO worth the extra effort!
Happy Wedding Planning Lovelies,
Lots of Love,
Mrs T x
