5 great reasons to have a marquee wedding

Marquee weddings are so on trend! As a marquee wedding planner surrey, I get enquiries from couples who want to plan their own bespoke marquee wedding and that trend seems to be increasing as more and more couples look for unique ways to put their stamp on their weddings.

Planning a marquee wedding can be both a pain and a joy to pull off but, as you can see from the points below and the title, you know that I’m an advocate for marquee weddings and there are some great reasons to have one for your wedding .

Marquees are certainly a great alternative to finding a more, shall we say traditional wedding venue, as you start your wedding planning. I’m finding a trend with my couples when it comes to marquees, some prefer outright marquees and some prefer a combo of both a house and a marquee in the country, which camp do you fall into?

In any case, here are some great reasons to go down the marquee route. My suggestion is to make a note of all the points and discuss with your beloved and everyone involved in helping you to pick a wedding venue. My hope is that these pointers will help you to make the case to go for marquees as your wedding venue of choice. Ok, let’s get to them! 

Marquee Wedding Planner Surrey: 5 great reasons to have a marquee wedding

Bespoke

As a bespoke wedding planner, one of the many things I love about planning and creating marquee weddings for my clients is the ability to make it truly bespoke. It’s a completely blank canvas on which you can paint an incredible masterpiece for your wedding venue, that is all you. (I remember creating one with lots of twinkling fairy lights for a past client)

You can decide where you want to set up, how you want it to look and completely design it from scratch if you so wish. If you want to bring the outdoors in and create a woodland forest, a whimsical wonderland with twinkling lights or lounging areas that feel like your reception room at home, all can be achieved with a marquee. On the practical side, you also get to decide where you want amenities like the dance floor, the bar / drinks station, the kitchen and catering area to be set up as opposed to sticking to the set ones at ‘regular wedding venues’.  

Flexible

You’re in control and can decide where you want the marquee built and in which direction. I remember setting up a marquee for a client at Dulwich park, we had a wide expanse of land to choose from and eventually settled near a shaded tree where the ceremony will take place so the proximity from the ceremony to the marquee for the reception was not too far apart.

Whether you want yours overlooking the lake or a rose garden, or you want patterned floors, walls, grass carpets or wooden floors, it’s all up to you and you have the flexibility to decide. Work with a good marquee company to understand the realms of what is possible in terms of outside elements like flooring, evening out the build, hanging poles, capacity, size dimensions etc. prior to setup, you can easily make changes if something doesn’t quite work or fit.

Bear in mind though, once the structure of the marquee has been built you can’t change your mind on the exterior and where it is setup. Something to bear  in mind: of course you can change your mind after initial set up as the structure can be changed but it will undoubtedly affect your costs and timelines, so you need to make sure that it is built on the location where you want it. 

No restrictions

Marquees do not pose restrictions as some regular wedding venues do. You can bring in your own suppliers to create the exact look you want, light candles or special hanging lanterns, supply your own drinks and not have to worry about corkage fees and party till dawn if you wish to. If your marquee is on an open space like a private land, you have the added bonus of having abundant space where guests can lounge around and kids can run around to their heart’s content.  I guess the only restrictions would be those you place on yourself and your imagination!

Scalable 

From small extensions for intimate gatherings to large structures for large guest numbers, marquees can be changed to suit size and scale. You can scale back or go big, have it high or low ceilinged depending on the style and look you’re going for.

For example, if you want your wedding reception to be an extension of the dining room in your parents house, where guests can seamlessly transition from one room to the other without barely noticing the difference, that’s possible with a marquee. Or you want it overlooking your favourite lake for that idyllic feel to your reception. That’s also possible.

Marquees can be built completely to your requirements whether you want roof linings, window walls, transparent ceilings or built around your parents garden, they are scalable, stable and versatile enough for you to choose what you want. And, there are so many different options and types of marquees on the market that suits most budget types that you are spoilt for choice.

Versatile

Marquees are great structures and works for all seasons. Whether you want a Christmas wedding, a whimsical winter wonderland or a wedding in the heat of summer, there is a marquee to accommodate every style and can be adapted to suit every need. True, there are logistical challenges associated with each one but if you get the details right, you are well on your way to having the wedding of your dreams. Check out my post on the things you need to consider when planning your marquee wedding to help you with this. 

Final thoughts

Do be aware that for all its features, having a marquee wedding is not for the faint hearted! You are building an entire wedding venue from scratch that will require all the components of a regular wedding venue like kitchen, bar area, lighting, toilets, lounge areas etc and will need the help and support of an expert team to deliver on your vision so, be prepared for that.

And as a Marquee Wedding Planner Surrey, I have helped clients to plan their own bespoke marquee weddings and would love to help you plan yours too because when you get it right, it will be the culmination of a memory that you will remember for many, many years to come. Get in touch, let’s discuss your plans.

Header image by Joshua Lampety Photography