WEDDING MARQUEE HIRE FAQs

A wedding day is one of the most important days in a couple’s life and it is important that everything goes well and it is important that they secure a marquee company that they have full confidence in.

A chat on the phone or a meeting should give a good indication of the relationship that would be formed over the months running up to the big day.

It is always wise to find out about previous marquee weddings they have provided and get examples of where they have worked and perhaps ask for venues or clients who would provide a reference.

Most marquees are heated using indirect heaters which sit outside and blow warm air through ducts and are thermostatically controlled. We include heating in our quoted price and therefore we adjust the number of heating units supplied dependent on the size of marquee, time of year and weather forecast thus ensuring that a marquee can be adequately heated at any time of year.

A variety of lighting effects are available. We include a modern white globe chandelier as standard but can provide a range of lighting effects including colour changing LED entertainment lighting, fairy lighting, uplighters, brass chandeliers all from our own stock.

Access to water is normally required for use by the caterer and if a luxury toilet trailer is required; however this can be as simple as running a hose from a local water supply.

We don’t own toilets but have many years experience so can make the arrangements on your behalf. If budget allows or weddings are in the colder months then it can be wise to have the toilet trailers housed within the marquee. This area can be a simply marquee roof or can be fully finished as an integrated part of the function area.

Standard finish for a wedding marquee is a wooden floor, windows, doors, softly pleated ivory lining, lighting and heating (with a carpet being down to personal choice). After that the additional decor opportunities are endless.

We are also happy for clients to add their own extra decor such as lanterns, bunting etc. We can also recommend some venue dressers that can assist with internal dressing of both the marquees and tables.

We are often asked “how much is a marquee wedding?” but it is impossible to answer this question. Each marquee is individually priced dependent on size required, internal finish, associated equipment and location. However, with a few basic details a quotation can be supplied very quickly.

Very often it can be possible to secure some special deals either early or late season. Thanks to email it is very quick and easy to supply a quotation so anyone considering a marquee wedding should ask us for a quick marquee wedding quote to get an indicative price.

Assuming that financial implications are not a barrier then a marquee is right for your day if:

• You have a special place in your life and want to get married there.
• You want a venue that can be completely tailored to your wishes and style.
• You would love to become involved in all aspects of venue theming and design, furniture options, ancillary services – all choices not necessarily available at a hotel venue (a good marquee company will gladly assist you with this).
• You want to have the flexibility to change the size of your function space as your plans evolve.
• You have confidence in your marquee supplier e.g. respond to enquiries quickly, are happy to answer any number of questions, have previous experience and are happy to supply referees.

All our marquees are modern Clearspan Style and come in a variety of sizes. Our smaller 6m and 9m wide units are built up in 3m increments and have an internal eaves height of 2.4m. This is the most common size for family events and are ideal up to guest numbers of around 120.

Our lighting and heating requires very little electricity and this can normally be drawn from a nearby building/house. However, depending on the catering requirements, a generator may be required.

Within our quotations we always allow to undertake any necessary power distribution.

We have many years experience of sizing wedding marquees and we like to ensure that there is enough room to accommodate all guests throughout the day/evening in case the weather is inclement and everyone is inside at all times.

Through discussions about guest numbers for both day and evening and an understanding of what the marquee is to be used for e.g. ceremony only; ceremony then drinks, dinner, dancing; dancing only, we can work out how much space will be required.

We would normally recommend that the dance area is kept clear throughout your event so that it can be used for the ceremony, or drinks reception, or buffet layout.  Using the whole area for dining and clearing furniture for dinner afterwards can leave space very tight if the weather is particularly bad and may have an effect on the guests enjoyment of the wedding.

We offer both clear PVC windows and solid glass windows in both our smaller and larger structures.

Our clear PVC windows are what we call “panoramic” as they are a full square panel to maximise the view.

Our solid glazing offers a high quality finish and needs to be used in conjunction with our suspended flooring systems to ensure a perfectly flat and level platform. We can offer windows which open to offer ventilation in our larger structures.

There are a variety of upgrades available to the internal finish e.g. star cloth ceilings, a range of chandeliers, entertainment/dance floor lighting, Pea Lamp Roof Canopy, LED Uplighters, carpets, coloured swags and overlays.

More major upgrades would be the inclusion of additional function areas e.g. a separate ceremony area/marquee, chill-out areas, night club area.

A marquee wedding opens up a large number of opportunities to have a bespoke venue in a location of your choice. The client can tailor the internal decor to their taste including carpet colour and furniture choice and can have a choice of caterer.

Yes, there is no reason for marquees not to be used throughout the year, however it is always wise to respect the weather and look at the site factors.  If a site is particularly exposed to prevailing winds then it is always best to have a Plan B in place as a contingency.

A marquee can be erected almost anywhere although a flat, level, grassy site with good vehicle access is ideal and would be the most cost effective. It is still possible to install marquees on difficult sites since specialised flooring systems and trackway can combat most site issues although there would often be cost implications.

We will endeavour to install a marquee to meet the needs of the clients.  Over the years we have had some challenges e.g. using our steel sub-based floors to build over outdoor ponds or on particularly sloping sites.  A quick site visit can normally assess the feasibility.

Nowadays marquee heating is so effective that it is possible to keep guests warm throughout the colder months.

We do not charge per heating unit supplied (only for the amount of fuel used) so in the colder weather we put in more heaters, spread throughout the marquee and a back up unit is always on site.

It is difficult to advise on how early a booking needs to be made. Peak summer dates can sell quickly but most marquee companies are able to service several weddings each weekend.

If you have received a quote and are considering a date then it would be wise to keep the marquee company informed as they can always let you know when a date is selling out and give you the chance to secure it if you wish.

Early and late season dates are often available at much shorter notice.

Our lighting and heating requires very little electricity which can normally be drawn from a nearby building/house.

However, depending on the catering requirements, a generator may be required. We would always recommend a second generator as a stand by unit due to the importance of a wedding day. Within our quotations we always allow to undertake any necessary power distribution.

Yes, nowadays all types of ceremonies including religious, celebrants and registrars can be held within a marquee. Even if you are planning an outdoor ceremony, we can allow enough space within the function area to accommodate your ceremony should the weather be inclement.

Simple bar counters can normally be incorporated into function areas but a feature bar area may need additional space which can be incorporated as a bar/chill out area.

We tend to supply tables and chairs (although some caterers prefer to do that) but linen, tableware, glassware etc is normally looked after by the caterer. Should you wish to organise your own furniture and tableware we are happy to advise.