6 things we’ll tell you about Marquee Weddings

We bloody love a marquee wedding!

There’s something pretty special about turning an empty field, a family garden or a piece of countryside into your very own wedding venue.

You choose the setting, the food, the styling, the atmosphere. Everything!

But here’s the bit nobody really prepares you for.

You’re essentially building a wedding venue from scratch.

And that gorgeous empty field? It doesn’t come with electricity, toilets, a kitchen or somewhere for 150 guests to park.

Not quite so straightforward now, is it?

Don’t worry, we’re not here to put you off. Quite the opposite! But before you get carried away with Pinterest, here are six things we’d love you to know.

1. Not All Marquees Are Created Equal

Let’s start with the exciting bit. The actual marquee.

Not all wedding marquees are created equal, and choosing the right structure involves a little more than falling in love with a photograph on Pinterest.

The type of marquee you choose affects your floorplan, guest capacity, styling, supplier access and sometimes even where it can physically be installed.

Sailcloth marquees…

Are beautiful for relaxed, romantic countryside weddings. Just remember those supporting poles need to work with your floorplan

Clear-span marquees…

Gives you more flexibility, particularly for larger weddings or more elaborate layouts.

Stretch tents…

Are fantastic for that laid-back, festival feel or as an additional space for drinks.

Just remember that open-sided and beautifully relaxed feels very different in glorious July sunshine than it does when the wind starts blowing sideways at 4pm.

And this is Britain, after all.

The important thing is choosing a structure that works for your wedding, your guest numbers and your site, rather than trying to make your entire wedding fit around a marquee you’ve already fallen in love with.

2. That Marquee Quote? It’s Only the Beginning

This is probably the biggest surprise for couples.

You get your marquee quote and think, “Oh, that’s not too bad!”

And then you remember everything else.

Generators, toilets, water, catering equipment, furniture, flooring, lighting, heating, a bar, waste removal… the list goes on.

Unlike a traditional wedding venue, you’re often arranging all of these separately.

Our advice? Budget for the entire setup, not just the marquee.

A marquee wedding isn’t necessarily cheaper than a traditional venue. But the freedom to create something completely personal? That’s why we love them.

3. The Unsexy Stuff Is Actually Really Important

Nobody’s pinning generators and wastewater tanks to their wedding mood board.

But trust us, they’re important!

Does your caterer have enough power? Where’s the refrigeration going? How are suppliers getting around without walking through your drinks reception?

And most importantly, can the band start playing without plunging the entire marquee into darkness?

These are the details we’re thinking about long before your guests arrive.

Because when everything works, nobody notices the logistics.

And that’s exactly how it should be.

That’s really the secret to a brilliant marquee wedding. The logistics should be almost invisible.

4. That Beautiful Empty Field Needs a Proper Site Plan

Before you decide where the dance floor’s going, we need to know whether a delivery lorry can actually get into the field. Not quite as exciting, we know.

But a proper site visit is one of the most important parts of marquee wedding planning.

Where will guests arrive? Where will they park? Can delivery vehicles access the site safely? How will the caterers get to their working area without driving through your drinks reception?

Where should the toilets go so they’re convenient but not the first thing guests see when they arrive?

We also need to consider the slightly less glamorous things, such as drainage, uneven ground, underground services and what happens if it rains solidly for three days before the wedding.

Nobody puts ground conditions on their wedding mood board, strangely enough.

But they become rather important when a delivery lorry needs to cross your field.

A proper marquee wedding site plan brings all these considerations together before suppliers start arriving, helping everyone understand exactly where they need to be and how the different areas will work.

5. Your Suppliers Are One Giant Game of Tetris

Here’s something couples don’t always realise.

With a traditional wedding venue, there’s usually an established team and infrastructure already in place.

Your marquee company, caterer, florist, furniture supplier, bar team and entertainment all depend on one another.

The flooring needs to be down before the furniture arrives. Your florist needs access before the tables are dressed. Your caterer needs power and somewhere to work.

And everybody has their own schedule!

It’s basically wedding Tetris, except the pieces are considerably more expensive.

This is why supplier coordination is so important.

Someone needs to understand the whole picture, not just what each individual supplier is doing.

And that’s where we come in.

6. Please Don’t Turn Your Family Into Venue Staff!

This one is particularly close to our hearts. We love that marquee weddings often involve the whole family. It’s one of the things that makes them so special.

But there’s a difference between everyone getting involved and your dad directing the toilet company into the field at 8am. Or your bridesmaid trying to find out why the generator has stopped working. Or your best man disappearing halfway through drinks because a delivery has arrived.

Your family are your guests, not your wedding suppliers.

They should be having a drink, enjoying the speeches and celebrating with you.

And so should you! That’s what we’re here for.

So, Do You Really Need a Marquee Wedding Planner?

Well, we might be slightly biased. 😉

But here’s the thing.

Planning a marquee wedding means you’re not just organising a celebration. You’re creating an entire venue and bringing together all the people needed to make it work.

It’s a lot of responsibility, especially when you’re supposed to be enjoying getting married!

And that’s exactly why we do what we do.

How We Can Help

At Luisa Lombardi Events, we offer two ways to support couples planning marquee and at-home weddings across Essex, Hertfordshire, Suffolk and beyond.

Full Wedding Planning

Remember those six things we’ve just talked about? Well, you can either spend months figuring them all out yourselves, or you can hand the whole lot over to us!

From that very first site visit, we’re thinking about everything needed to turn your empty field into a fully functioning wedding venue.

The marquee, the layout, the power, the toilets, the catering, the design and, of course, building the right supplier team to bring it all together.

We’re not just booking suppliers. We’re making sure everyone works together, every detail has been considered and the whole wedding runs exactly as it should.

You get to enjoy creating your dream wedding, without it becoming your second job.

Wedding Day Management

Already done the planning yourselves? Brilliant!

We step in 12 weeks before your wedding to bring everything together, coordinate your suppliers, finalise the logistics and manage the wedding day itself.

Because after all that planning, you deserve to be the hosts, not the organisers. 💚

Planning a Marquee Wedding in Essex, Suffolk or Hertfordshire?

If you’re dreaming of a marquee wedding but starting to realise just how much goes into creating one, we’d love to hear about your plans.

Whether you’re at the very beginning or have already booked your suppliers, we can help you bring everything together so you can enjoy the celebration, rather than spend it managing the logistics.

Enquire about wedding planning and coordination with Luisa Lombardi Events

Love,

Luisa & Ronan xx