Photography by Rachael Connerton
A marquee wedding offers masses of flexibility. As well as the freedom to host your celebration in a dream location without the constraints of a permanent building, there’s scope to personalise the space and make it your own. However, many couples underestimate the work involved in planning a marquee wedding. There are lots of practical things to consider, so let’s dive into a few of them now…
Many couples opt for a marquee wedding because they already have the perfect location in mind, for example their own private garden or a scenic spot somewhere on family land. Those who don’t have the option to hire land from someone else.
It’s important to note UK law prevents you from having your civil ceremony inside a marquee (unless it's within the linked outdoor area of Approved Premises that are registered for weddings). This allows couples to get married inside before moving their celebration to a marquee located in the grounds. Alternatively, you can do the ‘legal bit’ elsewhere first and focus on hosting a fabulous party in your marquee.
As well as the fun, pretty details, there are a few practical things to take care of when planning a marquee wedding.
These days, there’s a wide range of marquees to choose from. As well as the overall look and style of the structure, you need to consider size and capacity. I’d recommend drawing up a guest list first. Once you know how many people you need to seat, you can research the various options. These include:
Photography by Red on Blonde Photography
I strongly recommend requesting a full breakdown of costs so you can doublecheck exactly what’s included. Here are some other questions you should consider asking:
Essentially a blank canvas, styling the inside of your marquee can be a huge job, but the end result is always worth it. You can create different zones using furniture and lighting and as they’re often tall, cavernous spaces there’s lots of scope for hanging décor and large floral installations. At Benessamy, we LOVE working with our creative partners on all aspects of planning and design.
If you want to create a wedding that’s truly personal to you, a marquee is the obvious choice of venue. It’s a blank canvas where you have complete control, both in terms of how the space is used and the dream team of wedding suppliers you assemble to work with.
As you can see, there’s a lot to manage and consider when planning a marquee wedding. It’s certainly a challenge, but it’s one we welcome and embrace at Benessamy Wedding & Event Design. As experienced large-scale, luxury marquee wedding planners, we can help you navigate the complex logistics that can come with planning a wedding of this nature. Discover our Wedding Planning Services or get in touch to arrange a consultation. You’ll also find more inspiration via the links below:
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