Marquee Wedding

Gee_G

Ok so I know there is lots of threads on Marquee weddings already but can't really find what I'm looking for.
I'm really looking for help on the list of things that I need to price. (This is all only an idea I'm thinking of and yes I know sometimes it can work out very expensive)
So here's what I've got so far:
Obviously Marquee Hire(most of them include floors, lighting etc)
furniture
caterers
crockery/glasses
Drinks(bar, bar licence)
Staff
Portaloos
Band/dj.
As I said this is only in the Very early stages(I might not even go with it in the end) but is there anything else Im missing off the list! (I feel like I'm forgetting something already! )
Any help/advice from people who have looked into it or had a Marquee wedding would be greatly appreciated!

lazygal

I think if you're having a marquee wedding, you can expect to pay a lot more than a standard hotel venue. Also, I don't think the drinks licence would be worth it. Anyone I know who did the marquee thing had a free bar as it was less hassle. It's an expensive option, unless you're going very basic with what you hire.

Gee_G

lazygal wrote: »

I think if you're having a marquee wedding, you can expect to pay a lot more than a standard hotel venue. Also, I don't think the drinks licence would be worth it. Anyone I know who did the marquee thing had a free bar as it was less hassle. It's an expensive option, unless you're going very basic with what you hire.

I know it can be very expensive but I thought maybe by getting all the bits separately that it could be done cheaper. Am I being completely naive
We would have it at my parents(so no paying for a venue as such) I also know somebody that would let us hire out the tables and chairs and crockery etc at a Very reasonable rate, if not free, as they are good friend of the family. We have florist(who would be more than happy to also kit out all the tables etc) in the family. So obviously the main cost would be the actual marquee, food,drink and toilets! I don't know, maybe I do have my head stuck in the clouds a bit here. I suppose I'll know better when I hear back from some of the companies I have emailed.
Thanks for your reply!

lazygal

Both weddings I was at were in family gardens, one was no expense spared, the other more down to earth, but in both cases I know the cost exceeded what they would have paid for a more standard hotel wedding, but they were happy to have something different. There's only so many favours you can pull in, also don't forget the time you'll spend co-ordinating and booking everything, its a lot of work.

sweetie

My wife and I had a marquee wedding and it was great. We hired a lovely country house and our caterer was also an events planner (excellent - pm for contact if you like) so that helped alot with the organisation. It was still a lot of work for us and if the weather hadnt been so good It would have taken away from it a bit but we never entertained the thought of rain.

There are some lovely venues that have the marquees onsite already now like Lisnavagh hse, Clonabreany hse, Trudder lodge and ballybeg hse. They are pretty exclusive but they might work out cheaper.

clint_silver

Ive never seen a self hired marquee save money, lets say you do source one at a nice price, how are you powering it that night for food, light, music and bar. How are you heating it? will you be in for hours that morning with industrial air blowers making sure it heats up? If not, who will?

maybe one of the pegs of the marquee came loose that afternoon, you hired it, you got to fix it. on your wedding day. And then you find out the power from the generator you hired wasnt sufficient to power the band and the bar at the same time, now you either have no music or no bar

So now its not just the expense of hiring it its the massive cost of logistically looking after it and hoping nothing goes wrong.

Suggest letting professionals look after it.

Gee_G

sweetie wrote: »

My wife and I had a marquee wedding and it was great. We hired a lovely country house and our caterer was also an events planner (excellent - pm for contact if you like) so that helped alot with the organisation. It was still a lot of work for us and if the weather hadnt been so good It would have taken away from it a bit but we never entertained the thought of rain.

There are some lovely venues that have the marquees onsite already now like Lisnavagh hse, Clonabreany hse, Trudder lodge and ballybeg hse. They are pretty exclusive but they might work out cheaper.

hi, thanks for that! To be honest I think If it wasn't at my parents house I'd just rather have it in a hotel we are not even at the booking stage as yet, just looking/pricing around. Thanks so much for replies guys!

clint_silver

Ive been at marquee weddings in large houses. they can be great.

Make sure youve got adequate parking/accomodation in the area. If youre having 100 plus, could you accommodate 50 cars or more? could stay locally and taxi/bus to your location.

Cloakroom.

clear it with neighbours if you have them and agree a finishing time for noise. last thing you want is someone knocking at the door at 10pm trying to get a baby to sleep who wont want to know the band is in full swing. 20 minutes later it will be the gards.

Gee_G

clint_silver wrote: »

Ive been at marquee weddings in large houses. they can be great.

Make sure youve got adequate parking/accomodation in the area. If youre having 100 plus, could you accommodate 50 cars or more? could stay locally and taxi/bus to your location.

Cloakroom.

clear it with neighbours if you have them and agree a finishing time for noise. last thing you want is someone knocking at the door at 10pm trying to get a baby to sleep who wont want to know the band is in full swing. 20 minutes later it will be the gards.

Hi, sorry I've only just seen your other post too. A lot of the Marquee companies supply lighting, power, heating, floors etc.
There is lots of parking space, the neighbour would not be a problem once we let them know what's going on. Accommodation would not be a problem as it will be a local enough wedding, anyone that would be travelling would be staying in my parents anyway. But buses/taxis would not be a problem!

I know there is a lot to think about! Thanks

abbeyrock

We are going with a Marquee, have been to a few weddings where they had them and was impressed. Don't forget heaters, it is Ireland after all and it gets cold even in summer would you believe.

Gee_G

abbeyrock wrote: »

We are going with a Marquee, have been to a few weddings where they had them and was impressed. Don't forget heaters, it is Ireland after all and it gets cold even in summer would you believe.

Do you mind me asking what company you are going with for the marquee? I have got a few quotes back, some are great, including a man on site for the day etc to deal with any problems that may arise and then some quotes are absolutely extortionate prices!

mayobumblebee

had a marquee wedding myself so been there done that
things to think about

event insurance we bought it for ours and it was reasonable enough and gave great peace of mind

parking arrangements/ travel arrangements

power supply to marquee and the placement of wires so guests dont trip up

portaloo locations (they stink by the way by the end of the night)

decorations for the marquee if not supplied.

can give details if you want of what we did if you want.

Gee_G

mayobumblebee wrote: »

had a marquee wedding myself so been there done that
things to think about

event insurance we bought it for ours and it was reasonable enough and gave great peace of mind

parking arrangements/ travel arrangements

power supply to marquee and the placement of wires so guests dont trip up

portaloo locations (they stink by the way by the end of the night)

decorations for the marquee if not supplied.

can give details if you want of what we did if you want.

Yes please, that would be fantastic! Thank you

prettygurrly

clint_silver wrote: »

Ive never seen a self hired marquee save money, lets say you do source one at a nice price, how are you powering it that night for food, light, music and bar. How are you heating it? will you be in for hours that morning with industrial air blowers making sure it heats up? If not, who will?

maybe one of the pegs of the marquee came loose that afternoon, you hired it, you got to fix it. on your wedding day. And then you find out the power from the generator you hired wasnt sufficient to power the band and the bar at the same time, now you either have no music or no bar

So now its not just the expense of hiring it its the massive cost of logistically looking after it and hoping nothing goes wrong.

Suggest letting professionals look after it.

Can I just say that any marquee company that is well established will be experienced in weddings and will a) advise you on what you need (for example, the proper power needs for a band) and b) look after you. YOU won't have to sort out problems on your wedding day...or at least you shouldn't have to...that company with a man onsite sounds good.

Having a wedding at your parents house in a marquee will definitely be more expensive than a hotel but you can be rest assured that no one is going to have the same wedding as you...and for me that would be important. I worked in a hotel and there are a handful of weddings that I can remember. The rest are a blur of the same crockery, table centre pieces, food....

so if you can afford it and are willing to do a lot of organising then I'd say go for it....it's definitely worth it.

(I grew up in a marquee company but it is no longer in operation)

With regard your list

Marquee companies will provide the interior decoration, i.e. the linings. A lot do starlit canopies now and will have windows etc. They also provide flooring and carpet and should provide dancefloor. My parents company provided tables and chairs and portaloos but these were subcontracted...essentially my parents just did the job for the bride and groom for a small profit margin.

Caterers usually provide linen, crockery and cutlery as well as the food. A lot of them will have mobile kitchens and you can have a small marquee to house the kitchen if needed.

The band/dj are normal wedding necessities.

Heating is a good idea...also don't forget a smoking area. In the post smoking ban era, I don't think anyone wants to smoke around people inside. Would recommend some red light heaters or gas heaters to make the smoking break a bit more pleasant. Outdoor furniture would be handy.

mayobumblebee

i sent you a pm there sorry if its a bit long winded we by no means did the traditional wedding and what we did would not suit everyone but i hope our info helps you in some way.
for us this was still a very cheap option of having a wedding we had 80 people on the day and invited and could have catered for 110. everyone had free food and booze all night. everything included it would come out at about €7500 we got married last year in summer in Ireland.

we may have found a hotel at a cheaper price but i loved what we did and anytime i looked at hotels i just got a sense of dread about us just being another couple going through the wedding package mill a hotel would have never been our scene so for us a marquee was the only way that or elope and if i eloped id get killed.
a year on and i do still have people mention how different it was and how much they liked it which is nice

conf101

mayobumblebee wrote: »

i sent you a pm there sorry if its a bit long winded we by no means did the traditional wedding and what we did would not suit everyone but i hope our info helps you in some way.
for us this was still a very cheap option of having a wedding we had 80 people on the day and invited and could have catered for 110. everyone had free food and booze all night. everything included it would come out at about €7500 we got married last year in summer in Ireland.

we may have found a hotel at a cheaper price but i loved what we did and anytime i looked at hotels i just got a sense of dread about us just being another couple going through the wedding package mill a hotel would have never been our scene so for us a marquee was the only way that or elope and if i eloped id get killed.
a year on and i do still have people mention how different it was and how much they liked it which is nice

Hey mayobumblebee. I'm just starting planning my wedding with my fiancé and we want to do something quite non-traditional. Any chance you could send that info on to me too?

Cheers

dollybird2

I had a marquee wedding and loved it. A lot of planning & work & expense but worth it. We did it our way and just had a bash that went on for days.

List:
Marquee incl. linings & swags
Lighting - chandeliers, mood lighting if desired
Chairs, chair covers
Tables
Flooring
Tablecloths, napkins
Centrepieces
Bar - Licence or free bar, bottles & spirits only or beer/lager on tap? Fridges, Ice, etc
Catering space - small tent on the side
Cutlery, glasses
Electricity, socket points - work out what wattage is required for band etc. We ran the Electricity from the house partially, and the rest from a generator
PA system & Speakers
Stage/space for top table & band
Fans - marquees can retain heat and cool quickly - so heaters also
Fly/Insect deterrents - those blue light things
Toilets - portaloos are disgusting imo. Fancy toilets on a trailer can be hired (think approx 1k we paid). Have extra loo rolls & ensure there is a water connection they can hook up to
Parking
Smoking area (we had gazebos lined up on patio area)
Outdoor seating?

Legal Requirements:
Bar Licence if not a free bar
Public Liability/Event insurance (can be done with home insurance policy in some cases)

There is a lot but it is doable. Marquee & related costs for 300 guests cost in the region of 12k
Catering cost about 8k
That was for the works a few years ago, I'm sure it could be done for cheaper today.

chprt

Might just give a plug to www.gpcchairhire.com, if your looking at hiring samsonite chairs

I use them for events that i run, they are the cheapest for chair hire that I have seen in Ireland, by a long shot.

worth a shot

Paddy

Chelle14

Gee_G wrote: »

hi, thanks for that! To be honest I think If it wasn't at my parents house I'd just rather have it in a hotel we are not even at the booking stage as yet, just looking/pricing around. Thanks so much for replies guys!

Hi,
We are also looking at having a marquee wedding next summer...would you mind sharing any useful information you got, particularly around caterers and price per head. Any info you could give would be greatly appreciated...kinda overwhelmed by all we need to do yet!

Chelle14

mayobumblebee wrote: »

had a marquee wedding myself so been there done that
things to think about

event insurance we bought it for ours and it was reasonable enough and gave great peace of mind

parking arrangements/ travel arrangements

power supply to marquee and the placement of wires so guests dont trip up

portaloo locations (they stink by the way by the end of the night)

decorations for the marquee if not supplied.

can give details if you want of what we did if you want.

Hi mayobumblebee,

Could you let me know what marquee hire company and caterer you used? Did you have a wedding planner or just do the work yourselves?
We are looking at having a marquee wedding in my parents garden next summer...I hear marquees are more stressful/expensive but I think it'll be worth it!

conf101

Chelle14 wrote: »

Hi mayobumblebee,

Could you let me know what marquee hire company and caterer you used? Did you have a wedding planner or just do the work yourselves?
We are looking at having a marquee wedding in my parents garden next summer...I hear marquees are more stressful/expensive but I think it'll be worth it!

In general they're more expensive. How stressful depends on how organised you are. They're a lot more work but that doesn't necessarily have to make them more stressful.

lolajo

We're having a marquee wedding and I'm really excited about it. You can get quite creative with it. It isn't cheaper but I think there are sometimes hidden costs in a hotel wedding too.

The only thing is when you have all the elements in place you don't how how it's going to work till the day of.

Anyone got any suggestions or experince of what worked well or didn't work at a marquee wedding?

Pistachios & cream

I found this blog through weddings online. A couple detailed how they DIY'd their own marquee wedding. Lots of good info here. http://marqueewedding.wordpress.com/

berrecka

mayobumblebee wrote: »

had a marquee wedding myself so been there done that
things to think about

event insurance we bought it for ours and it was reasonable enough and gave great peace of mind

parking arrangements/ travel arrangements

power supply to marquee and the placement of wires so guests dont trip up

portaloo locations (they stink by the way by the end of the night)

decorations for the marquee if not supplied.

can give details if you want of what we did if you want.

Hi Mayobumblebee. Could you give an idea of how you went about getting your insurance covered? We are not having a marquee wedding, but are having our ceremony in a place that doesn't usually do weddings. They have got a quote for insurance cover for us, but it is a little steep and caterers (just for champagne and canapés after the ceremony) have to be additionally covered. The reception venue has its own PL cover, so this is just for a few hours.

Milly33

lolajo wrote: »

. It isn't cheaper but I think there are sometimes hidden costs in a hotel wedding too.

There is most defianlty. We were looking for something differant and the marquee idea was next too look at but we found something to suit. Anywho with the hotels I was really annoyed at some of the hidden extras, like the whole chair cover idea, why can you not opt for either centre pieces of chair covers? I cant see why they do not buy them in. And for having the ceremony on the grounds or in the hotel istelf ranges from €150 - €360 from what we found, to do nothing but set the chairs up? Then you have bar extensions for a short space of time, surcharges on food and there is always something sneaky in there so there is..

clint_silver

http://onefabday.com/a-beautiful-marquee-wedding/

Zazza1

mayobumblebee wrote: »

i sent you a pm there sorry if its a bit long winded we by no means did the traditional wedding and what we did would not suit everyone but i hope our info helps you in some way.
for us this was still a very cheap option of having a wedding we had 80 people on the day and invited and could have catered for 110. everyone had free food and booze all night. everything included it would come out at about €7500 we got married last year in summer in Ireland.

we may have found a hotel at a cheaper price but i loved what we did and anytime i looked at hotels i just got a sense of dread about us just being another couple going through the wedding package mill a hotel would have never been our scene so for us a marquee was the only way that or elope and if i eloped id get killed.
a year on and i do still have people mention how different it was and how much they liked it which is nice

Hi mayobumblebee, just wondering if you could send me a bit more info on your marquee wedding if you don't mind! it sounds fab!

Clonjess

Hi Dollybird..we are planning on a marquee wedding next year but trying to find the right marquee company at the mo! I would be really grateful if you could send on any info as your prices are a lot lower that ours!!
Thank you

dollybird2 wrote: »

I had a marquee wedding and loved it. A lot of planning & work & expense but worth it. We did it our way and just had a bash that went on for days.

List:
Marquee incl. linings & swags
Lighting - chandeliers, mood lighting if desired
Chairs, chair covers
Tables
Flooring
Tablecloths, napkins
Centrepieces
Bar - Licence or free bar, bottles & spirits only or beer/lager on tap? Fridges, Ice, etc
Catering space - small tent on the side
Cutlery, glasses
Electricity, socket points - work out what wattage is required for band etc. We ran the Electricity from the house partially, and the rest from a generator
PA system & Speakers
Stage/space for top table & band
Fans - marquees can retain heat and cool quickly - so heaters also
Fly/Insect deterrents - those blue light things
Toilets - portaloos are disgusting imo. Fancy toilets on a trailer can be hired (think approx 1k we paid). Have extra loo rolls & ensure there is a water connection they can hook up to
Parking
Smoking area (we had gazebos lined up on patio area)
Outdoor seating?

Legal Requirements:
Bar Licence if not a free bar
Public Liability/Event insurance (can be done with home insurance policy in some cases)

There is a lot but it is doable. Marquee & related costs for 300 guests cost in the region of 12k
Catering cost about 8k
That was for the works a few years ago, I'm sure it could be done for cheaper today.

99peekay

Sorry for intruding, your post really appealed to me as I'm just beginning to plan with my fiancée. Would you mind sharing details of companies you used please and also where you held your wedding.

Thanks a million.

dollybird2 wrote: »

I had a marquee wedding and loved it. A lot of planning & work & expense but worth it. We did it our way and just had a bash that went on for days.

List:
Marquee incl. linings & swags
Lighting - chandeliers, mood lighting if desired
Chairs, chair covers
Tables
Flooring
Tablecloths, napkins
Centrepieces
Bar - Licence or free bar, bottles & spirits only or beer/lager on tap? Fridges, Ice, etc
Catering space - small tent on the side
Cutlery, glasses
Electricity, socket points - work out what wattage is required for band etc. We ran the Electricity from the house partially, and the rest from a generator
PA system & Speakers
Stage/space for top table & band
Fans - marquees can retain heat and cool quickly - so heaters also
Fly/Insect deterrents - those blue light things
Toilets - portaloos are disgusting imo. Fancy toilets on a trailer can be hired (think approx 1k we paid). Have extra loo rolls & ensure there is a water connection they can hook up to
Parking
Smoking area (we had gazebos lined up on patio area)
Outdoor seating?

Legal Requirements:
Bar Licence if not a free bar
Public Liability/Event insurance (can be done with home insurance policy in some cases)

There is a lot but it is doable. Marquee & related costs for 300 guests cost in the region of 12k
Catering cost about 8k
That was for the works a few years ago, I'm sure it could be done for cheaper today.

99peekay

Sorry for intruding, your post really appealed to me as I'm just beginning to plan with my fiancée. Would you mind sharing details of companies you used please and also where you held your wedding.

Thanks a million.

dollybird2 wrote: »

I had a marquee wedding and loved it. A lot of planning & work & expense but worth it. We did it our way and just had a bash that went on for days.

List:
Marquee incl. linings & swags
Lighting - chandeliers, mood lighting if desired
Chairs, chair covers
Tables
Flooring
Tablecloths, napkins
Centrepieces
Bar - Licence or free bar, bottles & spirits only or beer/lager on tap? Fridges, Ice, etc
Catering space - small tent on the side
Cutlery, glasses
Electricity, socket points - work out what wattage is required for band etc. We ran the Electricity from the house partially, and the rest from a generator
PA system & Speakers
Stage/space for top table & band
Fans - marquees can retain heat and cool quickly - so heaters also
Fly/Insect deterrents - those blue light things
Toilets - portaloos are disgusting imo. Fancy toilets on a trailer can be hired (think approx 1k we paid). Have extra loo rolls & ensure there is a water connection they can hook up to
Parking
Smoking area (we had gazebos lined up on patio area)
Outdoor seating?

Legal Requirements:
Bar Licence if not a free bar
Public Liability/Event insurance (can be done with home insurance policy in some cases)

There is a lot but it is doable. Marquee & related costs for 300 guests cost in the region of 12k
Catering cost about 8k
That was for the works a few years ago, I'm sure it could be done for cheaper today.