Most of us don’t have an endless bank balance to play with when it comes to hiring our wedding marquee, which is why it’s so important to get the right supplier. It can be all too easy to succumb to sales techniques from the first company you visit, accept the marquee offered by the wedding ceremony venue, or opt for the company who is the nicest to you. However, your marquee is going to be the venue for your reception, it really matters and it pays to do your research so you don’t end up spending more than you need to, or ending up working with a company that doesn’t have your best interests at heart.
Here are some tips to help you get the best wedding marquee supplier:
Look Around
No matter how good a deal looks, or how nice a company is, you must shop around if you want to get the best deal. Ask friends and family if they have any recommendations, look on social media channels to see which companies people are recommending, look at the websites of potential companies for testimonials and read wedding forums to see which companies have been mentioned. It also really pays to do your research when you have located a company you like, to see if they are exactly as good as they say they are. Ask for references that you can contact.
Book Out Of Season If Possible
If you want the perfect summer wedding you’re likely to want to book your event in peak summer season which is May, June, July and August. If you do want to book at that time, expect to pay more for your marquee as it will be peak wedding season. You may also pay more for other suppliers who also ramp up their prices during peak wedding season. Alternatively, if you want to shave a bit of money off your marquee price, opt to hire it in September when the weather still tends to be warm and you’ll have gorgeous Autumn colours to work with. Or how about late Spring, when the daffodils are out in force and the weather has started to pick up. You could even hire your marquee in Winter – lots of marquees are well lined and equipped to keep the heat in, so booking out of season doesn’t necessarily mean a cold reception, plus the weather isn’t guaranteed in a British summer anyway, so you could end up paying more for your marquee in the Summer months and still get bad weather anyway.
Book Well Ahead
Some of the most popular marquee hire companies like Cameo Event Hire will be booked up well in advance, so if you want the best companies, book well in advance to secure your marquee. Many of these companies also offer early booking discounts as well, which means you could save more off the hire price if you think ahead. If you do book in advance make sure the price you pay is fixed, and won’t be affected by any change in management or fuel inflation costs.
Don’t Chop And Change
Often when you book a marquee you will pay for an entire marquee hire package including labour costs, maintenance, furniture, flooring and other extras. Make sure you are happy with the package when you pay for it, rather than chopping and changing details later down the line. This will add to costs unnecessarily.
Make The Most Of The Marquee
The best marquee companies will be able to help you select the right marquee for your needs and help you design its layout to make the most of the space. It is quite common for guest numbers to change last minute, which means you may need to change the marquee layout right at the last minute to fit extra tables in or extra communal areas. The marquee company should be able to help you plan adequate changes to your marquee that doesn’t involve you adding additional rooms onto it. Increasing the size of your marquee will cost you more, so always opt to be flexible with your plan as a first priority.
Avoid The Wedding Venue Suppliers If Possible
When you book your wedding venue they will have preferred suppliers they will recommend to you. Remember this is only of benefit to them not you, no matter how well they explain the benefits to you. An excellent marquee hire company will not mind setting up a marquee at a venue they have not been to before, they are interested in your business so they will do everything they can to make it work. When selecting the wedding venue you must ask if you can use your own marquee supplier which means you have the best possible chance of choosing the company you want, and getting the best value for money.
