Save Spend Or Splurge

A marquee could push your budget to breaking point, but that doesn’t have to be the case. With our handy tips, you could save cash, spend the average or go all out to achieve your outdoor dream.

- Nicola Smith

Cash: where does it all go when you’re planning a wedding? You’d originally set aside £1,500 for a dress – but that jaw-dropping £4,000 Yolan Cris gown was whispering sweet nothings in your ear. The groom planned to hire his kilt for under £100 – but has changed his mind and decided to buy the outfit for £800. And the pair of you haven’t even thought about how much the rest of the day is going to set you back!

If that sounds like you, and your budget is in danger of spiralling out of control, we’ve got some good news: if you want to hire a marquee, there are ways to do so while keeping a lid on costs. Watch and learn.

IN THE FRAME

Marquees have a reputation as expensive add-ons to a wedding, but for some couples they are the only way to fit the guest list under one roof. And it really doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg if you don’t want it to. “Each style of marquee can be stripped back to the bare minimum if your budget is tight,” says Katherine Self of Finesse Marquees. The most common types are frame, tipi, pole, canvas or a combination of styles. “We use a frame marquee, as it has a contemporary look,” she adds.

This isn’t the only option, though, and if you have a little more cash to burn, William Duncan, owner of Queensberry Event Hire, has a speciality wedding marquee: “It’s a hybrid of the traditional pole marquee with features of a frame model for strength and to remove some of those side poles that can restrict views inside,” he says.