Marquee Weddings - Five top tips for planning a marquee wedding at home

If you have the space, planning a marquee wedding at home is just beautiful.  There’s so much flexibility, you essentially get to ‘build’ and decorate your own wedding venue.  But with flexibility comes more decisions and a lot more work.  A marquee wedding at home can seem like an easier option but there are lots of elements to planning a successful wedding at home.  You will need to consider the type of marquee, lighting, heating, catering, electricity, parking and toilets to name a few.

Here’s our tips for planning a marquee wedding at home:

ONE - SPACE

Hire a marquee that is slightly bigger than you think you need.  Space to seat your 100 guests for dinner is great, but make sure there is enough room for a bar, the all-important dance floor, additional lounge seating areas and enough space to make it comfortable for your guests to celebrate the whole day. Sometimes having dedicated marquees to each element of your day can work really well - when we work on full weekend weddings, often with three days of celebrations planned, we’ll create multiple locations for the guests and our couples to enjoy.

TWO - DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Research is your best friend. You really must do your research; there are lots of different types of marquee structures and you want to make sure you’ve chosen the best marquee for the event and for the space available.  When planning a marquee wedding at home, this should be the first thing you will be looking at, so ensure you consider the location, the size and the style.  The options are vast, do you want a simple white frame marquee, clear walls and ceilings, a selection of giant hat tipis connected, a geo dome or perhaps even a big top.  Consider where it’s going, what purpose it is filling. We’ve worked in a range of structures and have often adapted plans to ensure the tent suits the space your working in, perfectly - maximising views, avoiding trees or event rivers and ponds, accentuating key features from the garden - you want to harmonise with the space you are working in.

THREE - BOUNDARIES

If the marquee is going up in yours or a family members garden, paddock or field, consider what you will do with regards to the main property or any structures that are also on the land.  We find our clients typically close and lock their private home and it becomes off limits.  But sometimes stables, barns and outbuildings can be utilised for back stage areas, or even incorporated into the design of the whole event. It’s another potential benefit of having your marquee wedding at home, but if the boundaries aren’t established, the benefits are soon outweighed by the challenges.

FOUR - GET HELP

Get some help on the day of the wedding at least, making sure you have someone that is willing (and able) to take charge of things. They will need to be a main point of contact for all suppliers and also ready to lead the decision making on any issues that weather or various other external factors can throw your way. Who will secure the marquee at the end of the night, who is in charge of switching off the power on the generator, who is securing the site - there are potential risks involved and you won’t want your guests or family having to take on that responsibility during your wedding celebrations.

FIVE - THINK LOGISTICALLY

Logistics are key with a marquee wedding, one slip up and you could have crockery being delivered to an empty field, days before your marquee has even arrived. As a basic starting point you need the marquee to go up a few days prior to the wedding date, then decor and furniture can be added and tables laid etc. afterwards. It will also give you a few days to anticipate any potential weather issues for the marquee. Wind and rain should not be posing any kind of threat to your wedding day, even in a temporary structure!

BONUS TIP

If you have the space and freedom, then why not consider making the most of it and hosting a late breakfast or lunch the following day - we love planning full weekend weddings, with casual welcome suppers, wedding Saturday’s and then a Sunday of relaxation, reflection and excellent food & drink.

We absolutely love planning a private marquee wedding, they are some of the most exciting events we have worked on, there’s so much scope to get creative when you start with a simple area of grass! Over the years they’ve become our ‘speciality’ in many ways. We love supporting couples as they truly create their wedding day from the ground up.

If you’re thinking of hosting your wedding at home and you’re feeling like a professional opinion would help you decide whether it’s possible, or you need some support planning, then please just give us a call or email, we’d love to have a call or meeting with you - there’s nothing better than discussing wedding plans over a glass of something special - do get in touch!