Planning a wedding marquee-where to start?

Congratulations! You are engaged and looking forward to making plans for your happy day. You may already have your heart set on celebrating your wedding in a marquee or just exploring options, but either way you may be wondering where to start.

We find the easiest way to talk prospective clients through the process is to break down the elements of your wedding marquee hire into key areas, much less daunting! In this blog we are focusing on the marquee site with with all the associated practicalities and considerations. It's a pretty big key element to get right so deserving of a blog on its own.

Where can I have my wedding marquee?

This is probably one of the first considerations most couples will have. You or a family member may have a garden or land suitable for the marquee to be sited, or you may have found a venue such as a restaurant/public house/village hall/self catering cottage that is either already known for hiring out land for marquees or may be approachable to this. Or perhaps you have access to farm land or the grounds of a local sports club.

Even if you don't quite have a site sorted you can still start contacting suppliers for initial quotes and if we can help with location ideas we certainly will.

Is my site suitable for a marquee?

Whether you are planning your marquee at home, in a field or at a venue such as the grounds of a hotel there will be similar questions to ask.

Is the site large enough to accommodate the size of marquee?

You will need to know what size is recommended for your number of guests to fully answer this, we have some example sizes on our wedding marquee page or you can just call or email for advice or a full quote and plan. Our clearspan marquees are secured straight into the ground, so no guy rope space is required although there does need to be some working room around the marquee.

As well as the main marquee you may need additional space for a catering tent or food van, fridge van, toilets or generator, so all this will need to be taken into account as well. What you need will depend on your size of wedding and what services may be on site already of course.

Is my marquee site flat enough?

This is a question we are asked a lot and even a seemingly flat looking field is never totally flat! We have an interlocking wooden floor system that is laid directly onto grass. This does take out a few lumps and bumps whilst following the contours of the ground. So as long as there are no major slopes or large dips in the ground it should be ok and we offer free site visits to assess the site fully.

Can I have my marquee on a hard standing surface?

If the site you have in mind for your wedding marquee is not grass, perhaps its tarmac, concrete or stone there are certainly options available. Depending on the surface we may still be able to use our stakes or bolts. If this is not possible we are able to weight using concrete or water weights. These obviously have logistical implications such as transporting to site or access to water for example but these can be included in the planning.

What else do I need to consider with my marquee site?

In terms of practical considerations for your suppliers, access to the marquee site will be a key factor. Access in terms of large vans to get to site to set up the marquee, as well as other suppliers you may have such as caterers, entertainment and toilets for example. But also for your guests, where can they park, how long is the walk to the marquee site?

And of course how will you make your entrance!

Your site may be very straightforward, a large flat field with easy access, parking for guests, space for all services, or it might have a few challenges in terms of size and shape.

Either way we have a wealth of experience and a talented team who will be able to advise what is achievable to help your dream wedding marquee venue. Take a look at our gallery and contact us for advice or a detailed quote and floorplan.

Thanks for reading!