A marquee gives you a blank canvas. Unlike a traditional venue, it provides the structure but nothing else. All the furniture, linen, catering equipment, and tableware comes from you or from hire.
Your chair and table choice sets the tone for the room. Chiavari chairs with round banqueting tables give a formal, wedding-specific look. Tiffany chairs with rectangular banqueting tables are slightly less formal but still smart, and they tend to fit more guests into the same floor space.
Order one chair per guest, plus ten percent extra. For round tables, a 5ft 6in table seats 8 to 10; a 6ft table seats 10 to 12. Rectangular 6ft tables seat six per side comfortably.
Every table needs a cloth. Round tables need round linen; rectangular tables need rectangular. Measure your table diameter or length first, then decide on the drop. Floor-length cloths hide table legs and give a cleaner look for the wedding breakfast. Napkins for table settings are usually hired at the same time and in the same colour.
If you have an outside caterer, confirm what they are bringing before the day. Common gaps are hot holding equipment (hot cupboards, bain maries), fridges for drinks and cold starters, and serving counters if there is a buffet.
A bar area will need bar furniture, glassware, and ice buckets. Hire poseur tables and bar stools if you want guests to linger near the bar rather than carrying drinks back to their seats.
Marquees can get cold in the evening even in summer. Patio heaters placed at the edges of the marquee are worth budgeting for, particularly for late-spring or early-autumn weddings.
For an outdoor drinks reception before guests move inside, add poseur tables, outdoor chairs, and parasols to the order. It makes the pre-dinner period more comfortable and frees up the marquee for setup to run on time.
For summer weddings, lock in your order at least six to eight weeks in advance. Chiavari chairs and specific linen colours book up earlier than most other stock.
We cover marquee weddings across England and Wales. Get in touch with your guest count and date and we will put a full list together for you.
Choose from our vast range of catering hire, furniture hire and exhibition hire products. Select from the categories listed below or use our great search function above.
