Planning your wedding day is undeniably one of the most wonderful moments of your life. However, the excitement of creating a personalised and unique celebration can also be accompanied by a fair share of stress. Fear not! Our experts are here to provide you with invaluable tips on how to plan a marquee wedding that not only reflects your style but also ensures a seamless and stress-free experience.
How to Plan a Marquee Wedding
- Assess Your Budget
- Choosing a Suitable Date
- Pick Ceremony Details and Work Out Timings
- Selecting The Right Wedding Marquee
- Securing the ‘Extras’
- Styling and Decorating Your Marquee
- Don’t Forget to Weatherproof!
- Book Your Caterers
- Book Wedding Transportation
- Make Your Seating Plan
Marquee weddings have become increasingly popular due to providing couples with a dynamic and versatile canvas to personalise their special day. The appeal of marquee weddings lies in the flexibility and freedom these temporary structures offer, allowing couples to break away from traditional venue constraints and embrace unique settings that resonate with their vision.
Efficiently planning your marquee wedding is crucial to avoid incurring unnecessary extra costs and to optimise your budget for a truly fantastic celebration. Thorough marquee wedding planning allows you to anticipate potential challenges, such as unexpected weather changes or logistical issues, ensuring that you have contingency measures in place without breaking the bank. By carefully managing your budget, you can allocate resources wisely, ensuring that each aspect of your celebration, from the choice of marquee to catering and decor, aligns seamlessly with your vision.
1. Assess Your Budget
One of the key things to do first when planning your marquee wedding is to set a budget, as this will influence all your choices along the way. Break down the budget by priority, considering which aspects you want to spend the most on and where you could save money. Marquee weddings are a much more budget-friendly option compared to traditional venues for the reception. By opting for a marquee wedding, you not only have the flexibility to personalise your space but also potentially save on costs, allowing you to allocate your budget more efficiently for other aspects of your special day.
2. Choosing a Suitable Date
Selecting the right date for your marquee wedding is a vital decision that often involves a balance between personal preferences and practical considerations. Interestingly, the most popular wedding date of 2023 was Saturday, 27th May, providing couples with an enchanting option for their celebration amongst the blossoming warmth of late spring.
However, it’s essential not to feel constrained by trends or the notion that weddings should exclusively take place in warmer months. Winter marquee weddings are becoming increasingly popular, offering a unique and magical atmosphere. At Lewis Marquees, we offer winter-ready wedding frame marquees, meticulously prepared to withstand all elements, and boast airtight construction, stability, and snow-loading capacity. This ensures that your celebration remains cosy and enchanting, even in colder temperatures!
Embracing a winter wedding also opens up exciting possibilities for seasonal food and drink, allowing you to curate a menu that perfectly aligns with the unique charm of the season, making your marquee wedding a truly memorable and distinct experience. Once you have a date in mind, move on to the next steps with confidence.
3. Pick Ceremony Details and Work Out Timings
When planning a marquee wedding, choosing ceremony details and working out timings is an important step in creating a seamless and memorable event. Begin by envisioning the atmosphere you want to create during your ceremony, whether it’s a romantic sunset affair or a bright midday celebration.
Once you’ve decided on the vibe, carefully select ceremony elements such as vows, readings, and any cultural or religious rituals that hold significance for you and your partner. After establishing these details, work out the timings to ensure a smooth flow throughout the day. Consider factors like the duration of the ceremony, transition times between events, and any potential breaks for photographs or guest activities. A well-thought-out timeline ensures that your marquee wedding unfolds with grace and allows you and your guests to fully enjoy every moment of your special day.
4. Selecting The Right Wedding Marquee
When selecting the right marquee for your dream wedding, it’s essential to consider the various factors that align with your vision and practical needs. Explore the many options available, ranging from traditional wedding marquees to modern frame wedding marquees, and even specialised winter wedding marquees designed to withstand colder temperatures.
The look you aim to achieve guides this decision, but it’s equally crucial to consider practicalities. Evaluate the number of guests you plan to invite, ensuring ample space for comfort and flow. Determine if your wedding is child-friendly and if you’ll be incorporating entertainment, as this impacts the layout.
Also, when planning your marquee wedding, ensure to factor in the extras you envision, from lighting and sound systems to dance floors, to enhance the overall experience and create an atmosphere that resonates with your unique style and preferences.
5. Securing the ‘Extras’
Securing the extras for your marquee wedding is a crucial step in ensuring a magical and unforgettable celebration. As you plan your marquee wedding, it’s essential to recognise that there are often overlooked details that contribute significantly to the overall experience.
Our guide for planning a marquee wedding highlights the importance of not just the obvious elements like lighting, furniture and sound systems but also those small yet impactful extras. Consider essentials like a coat rack to avoid cluttering tables, a first aid kit, fire pits or blankets for outdoor warmth, and extra toilet rolls for added convenience.
6. Styling and Decorating Your Marquee
Decorating your wedding marquee provides an exciting opportunity to infuse your celebration with personal touches and creative flair. Begin by choosing the style of your marquee, considering factors such as flooring, lighting options, and the arrangement of tables and chairs. Whether opting for round tables, long trestle tables, cross-back chairs, or chivari, each choice contributes to the overall aesthetic.
Think beyond traditional seating arrangements and consider lounge or outdoor furniture for added comfort during drinks receptions. Attention to tableware, from crockery to glassware and cutlery, is essential, with a suggestion to invest in beautiful table settings to captivate your guests.
The generous height of marquees offers ample space to include floral arrangements, soft lighting, and hanging installations, adding a touch of warmth and intimacy to the surroundings. This allows for a practical and aesthetically pleasing transformation of the space, enhancing the overall atmosphere of your wedding celebration.
7. Don’t Forget to Weatherproof!
Ensuring your marquee wedding remains weatherproof is essential, especially if unexpected showers decide to make an appearance on your special day. There are practical measures you can take to keep you and your guests dry and comfortable.
Consider incorporating clear roof panels, sidewalls, or a tent to shield against rain and wind. Strategically placing umbrellas in and around the marquee can also be both functional and stylish, providing an elegant solution to unexpected drizzles. We at Lewis Marquees offer thermostatically controlled heating, ensuring your guests stay warm and comfortable, regardless of the weather conditions!
8. Book Your Caterers
Booking your caterers well in advance is a crucial step in planning a successful marquee wedding. Time is of the essence when securing catering services, and planning allows you to check availability and ensure your preferred caterer is available on your chosen date. In the past, some couples have even added pagoda marquees as a separate tent specifically for caterers, streamlining the food service process.
When considering the logistics, it’s important to contemplate the location where caterers will be serving food, ensuring accessibility, ample space for queues, and availability of electrical or gas hookups for cookers. These considerations are crucial when planning a seamless catering experience that not only delights your guests but also aligns with the unique requirements of your marquee wedding.
We recommend consulting with your wedding marquee venue so you have valuable insights into these logistics, ensuring a well-planned and executed catering service for your special day.
9. Book Wedding Transportation
When planning wedding transport for your marquee celebration, meticulous consideration is key to ensuring a smooth and memorable transition between venues. Begin by determining the logistics of transporting the wedding party, considering factors such as the distance between the ceremony and reception venues.
Whether it’s a classic car, a vintage vehicle, or a stylish limousine, choose transportation that aligns with the overall theme and style of your marquee wedding. Make sure to book your chosen transport well in advance to secure availability and communicate with the transportation service to coordinate arrival and departure times, parking arrangements, and any specific route details.
10. Make Your Seating Plan
Crafting a seating plan for your marquee wedding is a strategic and essential step in ensuring a harmonious and enjoyable celebration. Begin by assessing the size of the marquee, considering the available space and how many guests can comfortably fit. Account for additional elements like a dance floor, ensuring that the layout fosters a balanced and inviting atmosphere.
As one of the final steps in planning a marquee wedding, the seating plan is influenced by various factors, including the number of tables needed and the desired configuration. To make planning your marquee wedding more efficient, utilise helpful tools and apps, such as Table Tailor, to streamline the process, allowing for easy adjustments and seamless organisation.
Collaborate with your venue and caterers to ensure the logistics align with the overall vision of your wedding, creating a well-planned seating arrangement that enhances the overall experience for you and your guests.
Booking Your Marquee Wedding
In conclusion, planning a marquee wedding is one of the most exciting events, allowing couples to craft a celebration that is uniquely theirs. Despite the potential stress, our expert tips ensure a seamless and stress-free experience in preparing for your special day. Efficient marquee wedding planning not only optimises your budget but also ensures that every detail, from the marquee selection to the decorative elements, aligns seamlessly with your vision, making your celebration a true reflection of your style and a moment to cherish for a lifetime.
At Lewis Marquees, our wedding marquees bring a touch of luxury and style to your special day, ensuring a stress-free and enjoyable wedding planning experience. No matter your vision, we’re dedicated to turning it into reality. Contact our team today, and let’s get started!
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