OUTDOOR WEDDING FAQ'S.
With 15 years of experience in marquee hire for weddings and events we have put together some of the most common questions we encounter to help you plan your event. We love talking to you in person, but we know sometimes you like to have an overview and equip yourselves with enough information to start planning your own event, your way.
Why Hire a Marquee.
Why should we hire a marquee for our event?
Essentially outdoor weddings and events can give you more flexibility and customisation. You are in the great outdoors and although it doesn't always play ball, when the sun shines in England there is no better place to be than outside. You may have more privacy at an outdoor venue. Some venues hole more than one celebration on the same day which might detract from the focus of your event. It may not be your first thought but being outside or in a natural canvas marquee provides great lighting for photos, which will ultimately help form part of your memories and keepsakes. You also have the flexibility to change the size of your function space as your plans evolve, which in static spaces this isn't always an option. There are lots of advantages to holding your wedding or event in a marquee and we are here to help you in choosing what is right for you.
If you want even more info, you can read our Blog on The Top Ten Reasons to Choose a Marquee Wedding
How much will it cost?
We are on a budget and want to get an idea of costings first.
We are often asked “How much does a marquee wedding cost?” The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Every marquee is priced individually, based on factors such as size, interior fittings, additional equipment, and the event location. With just a few key details, we can put together a tailored quotation for you in no time. The more information you can provide, the more accurate we can be.
If are wondering about budgeting for your wedding or event, you can read our Blog on A Guide to Budgeting for a Dream Wedding or Are Marquee Weddings more Expensive?
How far in advance should we book a Marquee?
Is there a timescale to confirming?
We recommend booking your marquee at least 9–12 months in advance, especially if your wedding or event falls in the busy summer season (May–September) or over popular dates like bank holiday weekends. This gives you the best choice of marquee styles, sizes, and extras. That said, we’ll always do our best to accommodate shorter notice bookings if we have availability. Once you’ve received your quote and are happy to go ahead, we work on a first come first serve basis - so if anyone else enquires for the same date or structure we will let you know so that you can confirm. Your booking is only fully secured once we’ve received your deposit payment and a signed hire agreement. We’ll then be on hand whenever you need us to answer any questions, draw up plans or add bits to your hire as things progress. All the fine details can be sured up closer to the event date.
What is included in the hire?
Do quotes include setup and takedown and delivery?
Standard hire of our large structures includes setup, takedown and matting flooring. All extras are quoted separately but this is outlined on any quote we provide. We offer a full range of extras, so you can choose as much or as little as you need. Options include lighting, heating, furniture, bars, garden games, staging, and much more. We usually supply you with a brochure of extras so that you can see what we have. For anything we can't offer we have made some great friends over the years who we can put you in touch with. We never recommend others for monetary gain, we recommend them because we know them and we are confident they will provide a great service.
If you want to see our range of extras, click through our flipbook to see what we have to offer.
Do you offer site visits?
Do you offer advice on the suitability of our chosen site?
Yes, we love coming to meet you in person and provide a free, no-obligation site visit. This allows us to check access, ground conditions, and space requirements, and to discuss your ideas in person. It is alway the best way to make sure everything will run smoothly on the day. We can offer advice, not just on site suitability but also positioning and how to guide the flow of guests. During the summer months it is harder for us to get to you due to our workload, so we often do initial assessments through google maps and with photographs provided by yourself and then if necessary complete a site visit at a less busy time of year.
If you are worried about the size of your site when planning a garden wedding, you can read our Blog on Considering a Yurt
What are the logistics?
How long do we have the marquee and how long do you need to set up?
For most weddings and events, we aim to install the marquee 1–2 days before your celebration. This allows plenty of time for us to set up the structure, flooring, lighting, and any extras and gives you or your suppliers time to decorate and prepare without feeling rushed. This is typically works out as Wed/Thurs/Fri are setup days and Mon/Tues takedown. We understand that some venues have constraints that need to be factored in, so just let us know what your agreement is with them so that we can advise you on our avaiability. How long it takes to setup each structure varies depending on the size and style of the structure and how many structures you require. Most installations take a full day, with larger ones running into two or three. We’ll agree the exact schedule with you in advance, so it works smoothly with your venue, other suppliers, and any access requirements.
Do we need to hire a generator and toilets?
Do you supply these?
It depends on your venue/location. If mains power, or toilet facilities aren’t available. If you are using a field then typically most services will have to be brought onto site. We don't supply these ourselves but from years of working in the industry we have some great contacts who will be able to help you out.
Some great suppliers of these, local to us are Any Occasion and Royle Flush
What do we do about the weather?
Do we need to worry about rain or wind?
Our marquees and structures are built to withstand typical UK weather, so you can celebrate with confidence whatever the forecast. All our structures are waterproof, we may just advise you to keep entrances closed when not in use to minimise ingress. If needed we can add another canopy to shelter a ceremony space to account for summer showers. For wind, we use strong anchoring systems and tensioned structures to keep the marquee secure. Extreme winds are less likely during the summer months in the UK, but safety has to be a priority. While extreme conditions are rare, it is useful to discuss a sensible “Plan B” during your planning stage so you feel prepared. In the rare event of high winds totally disrupting plans we have what we would need to do in our terms and conditions - you receive these when booking, so it is important to read them thoroughly. For cold or damp weather, we can provide heaters to keep everyone warm and cosy. For hot weather or sunny days, we can add canopies for shade or open sides to maintain a comfortable temperature inside the marquee. Our goal is to create a space where your guests can relax and enjoy your celebration, no matter what the weather does outside.
How do we know if we have enough lighting?
Can you provide lights for outdoors too?
We have a standard package of lighting which provides enough light to suit your marquee. On quotes we adjust the quantity to suit each structure so that you have enough. This consists of festoon lighting around the perimeter of the structure and up-lighters at floor level. If you want additional lights we can add fairy lights in the canopy for an additional charge. This can provide a wonderful atmosphere within the structure. For outdoor areas such as walkways, entrances, or garden spaces, we can supply weatherproof lighting to keep guests safe and add extra ambience. We’ll work with you to ensure your event has both style and practicality.
What about bars?
What does dry hire mean?
We can provide beautiful bar units as part of your marquee hire package, or recommend trusted local bar suppliers if you prefer a full staffed service. When you hear the term “dry hire”, it simply means you’re hiring the bar structure only, without any drinks, staff, or glassware included. This is perfect if you want to stock the bar yourself, run a bring-your-own-drinks reception, or hire your own bar team. If you’d rather have a fully managed bar service, we can connect you with experienced providers who supply everything, staff, stock, glassware, and licences, so you can relax and enjoy your event.
Some great suppliers local to us who can fully run a bar for you are, The Swig & Filly, The Sun Inn and the Curly Sisters
Can you liaise with our other suppliers?
Do you coordinate with florists, caterers or entertainment etc?
We are happy to work directly with your other suppliers to ensure everything comes together perfectly in terms of structure setup. Such as: catering tent placement or pulley installation for decor. We often work with planners, stylists and co-ordinators but we don't do the co-ordinating ourselves. We are just a cog in the wheel of your event, not the organiser. If you would like a co-ordinator we can put you in touch with some that we have come to know over the years. They are often worth their weight in gold when it comes to making things run smoothly.
Planning an event can be daunting, we have some friends who can help you out if you need it, over on our planning page.
Can you pitch on concrete?
We have astro turf, is this a problem?
Not really, our marquees and tents are designed to be securely anchored into the ground using stakes. Pitching on concrete or AstroTurf would involve drilling into the surface, which isn’t always possible or permitted, and we don’t currently have the specialist weighted systems required for this. If your chosen location has a hard surface, we’re happy to discuss alternative solutions or recommend suppliers who can provide the right equipment for those conditions.
Contact.
We're always happy to chat through your ideas or answer any questions so please do get in touch either via email or give us a call.
07952 373 383