A summer wedding is perfect for using a marquee to host your wedding reception. But the options about size & style can be confusing. A marquee is a popular choice as it provides flexibility in terms of the size of reception you can hold & where you can hold it. Here is a guide to hiring a marquee & the kind of expense you can expect.



Erecting a marquee in your parents back garden will make for a nicely contained wedding reception, you won't have to worry about your mother's carpets getting ruined & you carry on the festivities well into the night without the restrictions on time usually imposed by a hotel. Whilst it isn't a budget option hiring a marquee can be more reasonable than hiring a more formal venue.

It maybe that you have found your dream venue only to discover that they cannot possibly accommodate all your guests. This is where a marquee will come into it's own & provide the ideal solution by allowing you to hold you reception in a marquee on the lawn at your favored venue. Another option is to look at the possibility of using the marquee as an extension of the building, allowing you to make the most of the existing rooms.

Don't however assume you can just erect a marquee at your favored venue. You will need to check with them first as some will not allow it or have the facilities available. Some venues may also be able to put you in touch with a reputable marquee that have used before or will organize the whole thing for you.

If you want to have your reception at home a marquee provides the ideal solution, particularly if you don't have enough room within your house. A marquee can be constructed to any size of shape & can be erected to fit within your gardens perfectly. As with all suppliers connected with your wedding, ring around a few companies to gauge an idea of prices & what they offer. Another advantage of having your reception in a marquee at home is that you can personalize it however you want without being tied to a specific wedding package. There is also no need for transport at the end of the day - just fall straight in to your own bed!

Although marquees come in various shapes & sizes, there are two basic types: a traditional style with center poles & guide ropes & the modern metal framed type which gives a clear span. Traditional marquees are often favored for their aesthetic qualities, the modern version does allow for a large clear area, with no poles getting in the way of the dance floor & no ropes for people to trip over.

One disadvantage is that you will have suffer the disruption of the marquee being erected & taken down after the wedding. You will also need to provide cooking facilites, toilets & possibly heating. Unless you are happy with guests using the bathroom in your own home, you may want to hire port-a-loos as well.

A typical marquee for around 100 guests can cost $2500, remember this won't include other elements such as flooring, lighting & linings. Flooring is recommend even if you have a nice even lawn, as you can never be certain of the weather & a floor will prevent your lovely lawn from being ruined. The most economical choice is coir or coconut matting although if your ground is very uneven a wooden floor is more practical. If you have the budget you can even have carpet or a suspended wooden floor.

A marquee will offer you a huge blank canvas when it comes to deciding on your color schemes so you can be as subtle or as dramatic as you like with the risk of your chosen decorations being in direct conflict with the surroundings. The only color scheme to be careful of is an all white scheme as a white marquee with white linens, white flowers & white decorations can be overpowering & appear as a huge mass of white.

A marquee lining will create a dramatic look, as it will co-ordinate the ceiling area with the rest of the marquee & will hide the metal frame. Linings are a must have for metal framed tents although they are not always necessary with a traditional marquee. A typical lining will consist of swathes of ivory fabric although some companies may also offer tinted panels to co-ordinate with your color scheme.

Lighting is an important consideration with a marquee & particularly so to create an ambient atmosphere. Uplighters & chandeliers add elegance & soft light. If your location has fabulous views choose a marquee with windows to take full advantage. Other extras which are often overlooked include: a separate tent for catering - make sure you hire one with sufficient space for your caterers & how much power they will need torun ovens etc; heating also should be considered as evening temperatures can drop quite dramatically.

If you fancy something a little different, look at hiring something more unusual. Indian style canopies or medieval style tents are two options you could consider. If your budget is tight or space is limited, think about hiring a gazebo instead, these are smaller than a marquee & offer the perfect solutionfor an intimate gathering without a sit-down meal.