Don’t Forget These Marquee Wedding Details
Planning an outdoor marquee wedding involves a lot of planning, logistics and details! You are basically creating your own event space in a field or garden, so you have to bring everything with you to set up a working kitchen, reception space and facilities for your guests.
But don’t be alarmed, we are experts at planning marquee weddings, so we have all the inside knowledge when it comes to making sure nothing gets forgotten on your big day!
Choosing the right time of year for your wedding
It’s not like choosing an indoor venue where you can pick any date you like - you need to think slightly more practically if you're having a tipi or marquee outdoors. For summer weddings you want to make sure you choose a structure with sides you can raise or open-sided tipi’s. This will enable you to cool down the tent during the day so it doesn’t get unbearably hot inside! On the other hand, if you are opting for an autumn or spring wedding, it can get cold in the evenings, so a marquee with sides is a must. Top Tip: portable heaters and blankets for your guests are a great option to make sure they are comfortable all evening.
Choosing your Marquee Location
Whether you are choosing summer or autumn for your wedding, planning the perfect location for your marquee is the first thing you should be thinking of. Your venue may be able to help with this, or if it is your own property then definitely take note of our top tips!
Find a flat area of land so that it is easier to add flooring that is level.
Position your marquee taking into consideration the scenery and background you want to have in your photos.
Choose a location not too far away from the toilets and car park.
Leave enough space behind the marquee for your generator and for the suppliers entrance.
Don’t use an area that gets waterlogged when it rains! Find a higher position or different location - don’t compromise on this!
Choose a site that can give access to vehicles so that your suppliers can unload equipment, furniture and decor close to your marquee.
Logistics and planning
The reason why planning a marquee wedding takes such a lot of coordinating and scheduling is its lack of infrastructure. Your venue will probably have no water or electricity, so you need to plan everything starting with the basics.
Hiring a generator is almost a must! Even if it is there as a back up - the last thing you want is no lights and no music at your reception!
Toilets can be used without a direct water supply as long as you think of this beforehand and hire toilets that are capable of this. Working out how many toilets you need for the number of guests and also where to place them at your venue is just one other aspect of wedding planning that we can take off your hands!
Parking is a big one that can get overlooked. Nearly every guest will be arriving by car, so you need to offer them suitable parking near your venue.
Lighting
Adding adequate lighting in the car park is for safety as well as helping guests find their car at the end of the night. If you are having your wedding in the countryside, you’d be surprised just how dark it gets at night! This also applies to the toilets - adding lighting to guide your guests to the facilities is a good idea so nobody gets lost in the dark.
Security is a must
Whether that's locking up the marquee, hiring cameras or a even a security team. Your marquee will house expensive equipment & furniture in the days before & after your wedding, so you don't want anyone to take advantage of an unmanned marquee.
Easily forgotten extras
Portable heaters and blankets for the evening
Fans and bottles of water for summer weddings
Extra toilet roll - can never have too much!
First aid kit including anti-histamine, bug spray, insect bite cream. This is really handy to have if you are having a countryside location as those pesky wasps always seem to find someone!
Floor mats for your pathways to the marquee and to the toilets. This will help the ladies shoes not get stuck in the grass and prevent muddy paths appearing.
Book cleaners for the next morning so you can hand back your hired furniture and decor in a good condition and leave the site as you found it.
Back up plan
We are here to create your backup plan, draw maps for your suppliers and guests, send out parking information and alternative routes to travel to the venue. Creating a back-up plan for bad weather, late suppliers, ill guests or anything else is our job! Along with planning every detail of your marquee wedding, we don’t get surprised on the wedding day because we have thought and planned for every eventuality!
Ultimately choosing a marquee wedding involves more planning than an indoor wedding, but they are my favorite! You can personalise every aspect of your day, and feel truly in the countryside with nature. If you would like a stress-free planning journey to your dream marquee wedding, get in contact with us today.