Decorating the Floor of the Wedding Marquee

Planning the decoration for wedding marquees varies from decorating traditional wedding reception venues in that a marquee offers a blank canvas as oppose to an already (and often highly) decorated function room. Assuming you hire a clear-span framed structure (without interior structural poles) you also have an even, uncluttered space which provides limitless decoration possibilities.

If you start to plan your wedding decoration as soon as you know which type of tent you are hiring, you can ensure that it looks spectacular and accommodates all your wedding venue needs.

Wedding Marquee Budget

Your budget should include consideration for the marquee hire, table decorations, chairs, lighting, table cloths and flowers etc. You may also want to hire outdoor heaters depending on what time of year you are getting married, so ensure to include those in your budget.

Wedding Marquee Size

Ideally you should draw up a floor plan on a small piece of graph paper showing a scaled down version of your marquees floor space. Pencil in where you plan to have tables and chairs, the DJ or band and any other large items which will be fairly fixed in terms of their location inside the wedding tent. You will need to know how many guests you will be seating in order to ensure you order the correct sized tent, chairs and tables etc.

Wedding Marquee Location

If the wedding marquee is situated in large open grounds you might want guests to enjoy both the indoor space offered by the marquee as well as the outdoor space. If that is the case, the outside area might be just as important in terms of visual appeal and can be made to look especially enchanting with outdoor lights attached to the outside frame. If however, you are unlikely to be using the outdoor space, you could limit your decoration of the outside of the marquee to a few balloons, flowers and a banner to welcome guests via the main entrance.

Wedding Marquee Theme

Given that you have this beautiful blank canvas to work with in terms of decorating your wedding you could be quite adventurous and theme your decorations.

Wedding Theme ideas:

• Medieval banquet
• Hawaiian nights
• Turkish delights
• 60's - 80's theme
• Hollywood (or Bollywood) theme

If you are planning a themed wedding marquee, do some research on the Internet or in magazines for ideas of colours, fabrics, decorations and floorings. You may also want to let your guests know there is a dress code!

I.e.: For Hollywood themed marquee:

• Red carpet flooring up the centre isle
• Gold and silver style decorations on tables
• White table cloths with perhaps gold sequins scattered sparingly on tables
• Golden lanterns and glitzy wall decorations
• Posters of Hollywood stars on the walls
• Guests advised to dress to impress 'Hollywood style'

Decorating the Walls of the Marquee

Some wedding marquees are already lined or draped with a silky type of fabric. They can be coloured, patterned or plain. Unlined tents are plainer and less expensive. Lanterns, hanging decorations and sari fabrics can be used to liven up plain walls and ceilings.

Decorating the Floor of the Wedding Marquee

Carpet can warm up what might appear to be a colder wedding venue option, though it can be impractical and expensive. Matting is a more familiar marquee flooring option while a hardwood floor offers luxury, weather proofing and a dent in the wallet! If the floor below your marquee is hard, i.e. patio or concrete etc, you can manage without extra flooring and if it is sited on grass, as long as the ground is dry going without flooring can be an adequate an inexpensive option.

Decorating the Poles of a Wedding Marquee

Most marquees don't have supporting poles, but if they do you can decorate them by winding artificial leaves and flowers around them or a nice transparent, floaty fabric tied up with a giant bow.

Tips on How to Get The Best Wedding Marquee Hire Price

Not everybody has the spending power of wealthy superstars who may have high end marquees for a wedding party. So, exactly what can you do to enable you to get the best value on your marquee hire price? Below are tips to help you get the best marquee hire price.

1. Look Around

Obtain estimates from up to six suppliers to get an understanding of who seems to be offering the best prices. Nevertheless make sure you are assessing like for like. Select the marquee hire company very carefully to get a professional organization.

2. Avoid Peak Weekends

Lots of people choose to get wed in the UK on weekends in late May, June and July, which regularly coincide with popular public gatherings with a resulting scarcity of marquees, and for that reason higher prices. If you must have a summer marriage ceremony then go with August when good deals can be had. Or, why don't you have a spring wedding marquee in early or mid May? Or perhaps an autumn wedding, when October may be quiet for marquee hire firms. A marquee could be transformed for a winter wedding party when the most significant cost savings can be made on marquee hire prices.

3. Book Early

Marquee hire organizations really like to plan their timetable well in advance and have as many of the weekends for the next year as they possibly can planned early. For that reason, quite a few offer early booking discount rates in the event you book more than 12 months in advance. Not only can you find a very good saving on their normal prices but you will even secure your price and safeguard yourself from inflationary increases in fuel and labour. Make sure you read the small print to guarantee the cost you agree is fixed at the point of booking.

4. Book a Wedding Marquee Package and Keep to it

You will discover popular marquee sizes and permutations of accessories that lots of marquee firms offer as fixed wedding marquee hire bundles that will include the marquee, carpet, linings, swags and drapes, chandelier lighting, furniture, dance floor, chair covers and sashes, and table linen. Don't add extras on at the last minute. It is the entrance porches, separate bar marquees and outdoor furniture options that may bump up the price you pay for the hire.

5. Make Best Use of the Marquee Space

It is not unusual to have eleventh hour variations to your guest numbers which usually means additional people rather than less. It's not always needed to expand the marquee. You are able to play about with the marquee plan and fit an extra handful of dining tables within the dining area, or place them on the dance floor and take them away ahead of the evening disco starting. This way you will simply pay for extra furniture instead of extra bays to the marquee.

6. Don't Always Use the Preferred Supplier of a Wedding Venue

Regularly, wedding venues will point you towards their recommended supplier. But, mostly they are doing that to suit them, not you. If the marquee provider has frequently built there then a wedding venue can feel more comfortable. But, an experienced marquee hire firm are not going to think it is a disadvantage to be building at a new venue. They will do a complete site visit in any case, and also having a company that's wanting to build a relationship with an all new venue you can receive a much better deal. Ask the venue if you can use your own provider, almost all will certainly say, "yes," as it is their site hire fee they are interested in.

Consider most of these recommendations and I'm sure you will get a marquee hire price to fit your budget and if you have chosen your supplier properly you should have a problem free marquee wedding reception.

You can find easy to use, helpful information, tips and advice on marquee hire prices and how to plan and style a wedding marquee at www.myweddingmarquee.com. My Wedding Marquee is a site dedicated to helping you create a dream marquee wedding reception and providing all you need to know about wedding marquee hire.

Wedding marquees are probably perceived as a summer solution only

The choice of wedding venues is vast and varied these days with many venues now getting in on the act. Add to this the possibility of hiring a wedding marquee and you really do have carte blanche on location and styling. This article will look at what is available with wedding marquees and discuss some of the benefits, hopefully answering some questions for the undecided brides to be.

Modern marquees are metal framed structures which don't require any poles as per the more traditional marquee. Although the traditional marquees might provide a more nostalgic feeling, the metal framed clear-span marquees are much more contemporary and practical as there are no central poles taking up valuable space, not to mention getting in the way of furniture and guests.

Wedding marquees are probably perceived as a summer solution only, which is not the case. Yes, they are easier to construct in decent weather and on to dry ground, but modern equipment and methods ensures marquees can provide a warm, safe and dry party venue any time of the year. Flooring systems, heating, doors and hard walling all help create the perfect winter wedding.

There are many advantages to using wedding marquees as opposed to a hotel or similar venue. For many the idea of getting married at home is a dream and with a half decent sized garden it can easily become a reality. Don't get too caught up on the size of your garden though as you will be surprised at what a decent wedding marquee company can recommend and then go on to achieve. If you have a desire to have your wedding at home, seek expert advice first on what can be achieved before you rule your garden out for being too petite!

If you are going to have a wedding marquee at home you need to consider the construction and dismantle time as well as other facilities for your guests. Most reputable marquee companies will build and dismantle the marquee as quickly and professionally as possible with minimal disruption. Especially in the summer as they are keen to get the equipment on to the next job and happy couple! Equally, most good wedding marquee hire companies will advise on, recommend and even provide the additional services and equipment you will need such as temperature control, loos, furniture, decor and catering.

If you have a venue in mind but your guest list is growing you might like the idea of having a wedding marquee to accommodate the overflow. Or, you might absolutely love the setting of a venue, but aren't so keen on the set-up and facilities inside, so a marquee in the grounds would be perfect. Many venues allow this as a matter of course but might have a preferred supplier they use, so check that as well. The other point about venues is don't rule any out until you have found out whether or not you can actually get married there. The days of a church wedding and hotel reception are long gone and venues include race courses, museums, zoos, golf clubs, pubs and restaurants to name but a few! Many of which will include marquee hire within their package.

If you choose to have a wedding marquee and whether it sits nice and cosy in your back garden or takes up a tiny corner in the grounds of a grand stately home, you will certainly have more flexibility and choice in everything. This is obviously a personal thing as you may be someone who doesn't like to be overwhelmed with choice, but, if you are and have lots of fantastic and favoured ideas, then the idea of wedding marquees, Winter or Summer may be just up your aisle! http://www.marquee-sale.com/