Garden Party Equipment Hire

A garden party at home needs less equipment than you might expect, but getting the furniture right makes a noticeable difference to how the event feels. Hire lets you set up properly without buying things you'll use once or twice, and delivery comes to residential addresses with no minimum order.

What You'll Need

Garden parties typically need a mix of seated dining tables, casual seating, and surfaces for food and drink. Afternoon tea setups and BBQ parties need different equipment, so plan by format before you order.

• Folding chair hire — lightweight and easy to arrange on a lawn or patio; straightforward to move inside if the weather turns
• Folding trestle table hire — 6ft trestles for buffet layouts; smaller 4ft folding tables suit individual dining for afternoon tea setups
• Linen hire — tablecloths for buffet tables and dining tables; white works for most garden party colour schemes
• Crockery hire — tea cups, saucers, side plates and cake plates for afternoon tea; full dinner sets for sit-down garden lunches
• Glassware hire — wine glasses, Pimm's jugs and tumblers for summer parties; champagne flutes for a drinks reception
• Catering equipment — chafing dishes for outdoor buffets; serving trays and tongs for BBQ food stations

Planning Your Order

For an afternoon tea for 30 guests, you'll need at least 30 chairs, 6 to 8 small folding tables (one per 4 guests), 30 cups and saucers, 30 side plates, 30 cake plates, and serving platters for the food. If you're using tiered cake stands, order one per table.

Marquee garden parties need a floor plan before you order. Measure the marquee interior, account for the entrance and any internal poles, and work out how many tables fit with comfortable walkways between them. A 6 by 9 metre marquee holds around 40 guests in a sit-down layout with 5ft round tables.

For a BBQ garden party, the focus shifts to the serving area. Two 6ft trestles dressed with tablecloths work as a buffet station, and chafing dishes keep food warm during service without needing power or a heat source.

Delivery and Collection

Expo Hire delivers seven days a week to all areas of England and Wales. Delivery and collection starts from £40, calculated at checkout by distance from the depot. The standard hire period covers delivery the day before your event and collection the day after.

For small garden parties, a few days' notice is usually enough; for marquee events over the summer, 3 to 4 weeks is advisable.

How to Order

Browse the full hire catalogue, add items to your basket, and place your order online with live stock levels. For large events or bespoke requirements, call the team to discuss. See the how to order page for full details.