Marquee Hire Guide
Marquees are amazingly versatile for outdoor events such as Wedding Receptions, Private Parties, Corporate Hospitality or School Balls. Most marquee hire firms can supply you with a wide range of distinct sized marquees to meet your needs.
Before your event
A good Marquee Hire Company will meet you well in advance of your event to conduct a site survey or site visit. These initial meetings should be free of charge with no obligation, so don’t be duped into paying any form of ‘refundable booking deposit’ at this stage.
From this initial meeting you should expect to receive a finalised proposal within 4 days. The proposal should contain the following documents:
- A detailed quotation outlining the cost for all hire items and services requested with a clear payment plan
- The terms and conditions of hire
- A detailed site plan, paying attention to any underground or aerial services
- Certificates of public and combined liability
- Risk assessment and method statement (if applicable)
- Schedule of installation and removal
- A power audit (so as not to overload the local power supply!)
Once the proposal and quotation has been accepted a contract of hire will be drawn up and signed (or completed electronically) by both parties. This acceptance along with a booking deposit forms the contract of hire. Most reputable Marquee Companies will accept all forms of payment including credit and debit cards for your peace of mind.
During Your Event
A marquee for a wedding reception would usually be delivered and assembled 3 days prior to the event date. Make sure to move all cars off your drive or in front of the venue to make room for the marquee lorries! A wedding marquee with a capacity to accommodate up to 200 guests with flooring, lighting, heating, furniture and all internal accessories would take 2 days to build. Therefore if the marquee company arrive 3 days in advance (less 2 days build time) this gives you 1 whole day to set up the fine details (flowers, bows around the chairs, place names etc…)
On your big day, for full peace of mind, make sure your marquee contractor has 24hr emergency support. Many top marquee firms will also offer the option to have a qualified member of staff on site for the day of your event. This site foreman can be very useful for doing the following:
- Turning on generators, heaters, and lights and making sure fuel levels are topped-up
- Opening and closing window panels in accordance with the weather
- Meeting other contractors such as band/DJ’s loo or catering companies and making sure they are happy with their power provisions
- Dimming lights for the first dance
- Setting temperature levels
After Your Event
The marquee would normally be dismantled and removed the day after your event. Any reputable marquee company would do their best to make sure the site is returned to its original condition with absolutely no damage to the lawn or surrounding buildings. All rubbish and evidence of the event will be carefully removed. In fact the only sign of a marquee would be the small holes in the lawn from the tent pegs but these will soon vanish.
The team at Academy Marquees hope you found this hire guide useful
