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Picture of a white lined marquee with round tables with white table cloths, limewashed chivari chairs, white napkins folded into fans, table centres of gold fish bowls with a pink flower and bottles of wine all layed out ready for a wedding. In the backgr

Making The Most of Your Marquee Wedding

Without a doubt marquee weddings are growing in popularity, after all they can be erected on pretty much any area of land, whether it's a larger back garden, a farm or in the grounds of a venue. They're a great blank canvas (literally) for your wedding day vision. There are a few things you need to be aware of though when planning your marquee wedding, and we're going to look at some of them, which will help you make the most of this fantastic opportunity.

First up, positioning. A good marquee company will know the best location for their marquee and how much additional space it needs around it. Trust their judgement if they make suggestions on this. Top tip - they'll want to avoid uneven surfaces, boggy areas (ie at the bottom of a slope), they may ask for grass to be cut, and the area must be accessible for their delivery vehicle.

Marquees (especially the ones with clear roofs) are like conservatories, they get hot in the summer and cold in the winter, so make sure you have the flexibility to open/close panels of your marquee, and have heating/cooling equipment available if needed.

Check with your caterers, but make sure you're provided with an attached kitchen/prep area - if you're having a sit down meal, even at an established venue, the caterers will need this, and they should tell you what facilities they need in this area. If you're having food trucks, still consider this, at the very least a little storage area for you, your entertainment, and guests (ie like a cloak room for weddings in colder months) will help things stay uncluttered.

It may seem obvious to some but do NOT leave any food uncovered/unsealed in a marquee over night or for any length of time - it's outside, animals and bugs will get to it and you may poison your guests!

Have your cake delivered and set-up as close to your wedding breakfast time as possible, it'll help avoid it melting in the heat or attracting the bugs. This is especially important the taller your cake is, if you don't want it falling over in the heat. If it must be delivered early, make sure your cake can be kept separated, and stacked a bit later in the day, or have access to a large fridge so that you can bring it out later.

Often linens and other soft fabrics (like fake flowers) can feel a little damp after being left out in a marquee overnight, don't panic, it should soon 'dry' out and shouldn't be damaged as a result. If you have super delicate fabrics or any concerns that something could get ruined if it gets damp, then avoid leaving it in a marquee.

A biggie - if you're having your marquee put up in the grounds of a venue, check what the venue will and won't do for you. Many venues will say if they aren't providing it, it's not their responsibility, which could mean if you set up your chairs outside for a ceremony and want them moved back inside the marquee for your wedding breakfast, they might refuse to do the move for you.

With a bespoke marquee you need to decide on everything from lighting to flooring as well as what tables and chairs you want and everything comes at a cost, but be careful what you cut as you may regret it later. Solid flooring can feel unnecessary, but your guests will thank you for it if the ground is uneven in anyway as matting cannot correct for dips and troughs in the grass.

Final tip. Don't forget about the area outside your marquee, make the most of this space where you can. Many marquee companies will have outdoor seating options like picnic benches, plus patio heaters, fire pits, etc as well as further lighting options like festoon lights. That way your marquee is gorgeous inside and out.

For more hints and tips on how to make the most of your marquee wedding get in touch today. X