If you’re thinking about a marquee wedding at home, you’re probably already sold on its benefits. Having your own blank canvas to style and personalise to your taste and saying your vows in the luxury of your own home, make for a very special experience.
To help bring your dream wedding day to life, we’ve put together some practical wedding planning tips.
Space and location
Firstly, consider the availability of space you have at home and the location of where to put the marquee. Think about how many guests there will be, if they will be seated and what else needs to go inside the marquee e.g. dancefloor, bar and chill out area. If, for example, you were to have 100 guests seated at long tables, you’d require a marquee of approximately 9m x 18m to give you an idea of the space required. You also need to factor in additional space for a catering marquee to house all the kitchen equipment and catering staff.
With all the events we’ve planned, we would come and do a site visit to assess the space you have at home and would then come back to you with recommendations and plans of what the marquee would look like and possible layouts.
Access
Next, think access and logistics. The marquee company will need easy access to the garden to unload all the marquee equipment, most of which is brought in on trucks. In addition, caterers, musicians, photographers and other wedding suppliers all need to transfer their equipment to and from your wedding marquee so it’s a good idea to think about any potential obstacles in advance.
This is something we would look at with you when conducting a site visit at your property.
Car parking
Guests and some suppliers (e.g. waiting staff) will need to park their vehicles for the duration of the wedding. Think about the space you have for parking and how close it is for guests to be able to walk to the marquee.
If you don’t have enough room for parking, you could think about hiring a local space or asking a friendly neighbour if they might have space for parking. Ensure the parking area is well lit so that guests can walk back to their cars safely after the wedding.
Luxury loos
Luxury loo units are advisable for marquee weddings. These come on a trailer unit and are towed into position, so again access is key. Ideally you want to get the loo unit as close to the marquee as possible so that guests don’t have far to walk. In some cases the loo unit can be installed inside the marquee so that guests don’t even need to go outside.
Luxury loo units come in different configurations (e.g. 3 + 1 or 2 + 1) depending on the number of guests you have. For larger weddings, plan for one loo per 50 guests as a minimum.
The loo units come with paper hand towels, loo roll and soaps and simply require access to a power supply.
Power supply
Marquees need access to an electricity supply to power lighting, heating, entertainment systems and cooking appliances. Although you can sometimes connect these to your main electricity supply, portable generators, which are hired in are usually the preferred option.
Neighbours
If you have neighbours who will be affected by your wedding, make sure you inform them of your plans at least a few months in advance. Car parking, extra traffic and noise levels are all aspects that could impact them, so avoid any potential upset by being clear on the relevant details.
This is especially important if you’re planning fireworks as any neighbours with animals e.g. horses, may want to bring them in for the night.
Planning a marquee wedding at home is more complex than getting married in an established venue as there are lots of logistical elements to consider but hopefully this guide has given you a few things to consider.
If you’re planning a marquee wedding at home and need assistance with wedding planning, we would be delighted to have a chat and help you along the way.
Photo credits: Joseph Benjamin Marquees and D&P Luxury Toilets