Continuing with our feature on marquee receptions (from wedding marquees part I) we now discuss the catering and design.
Photo credit: www.CountyMarquees.com
CATERERS
- Like with all suppliers meet at least 2 caterers before making a decision on who to use. When comparing quotations check whether it includes:
- Staff for the wedding breakfast, drink reception, bar, wine serving & clearing
- Cutlery, crockery and glassware
- All cooking equipment & refrigeration trailers
- I also advise asking whether their staff is agency or regular waitresses they have worked with frequently. This can make a big difference on the day.
- Check with your caterers what size catering tent they need to service your wedding proficiently
- Ensure your caterers have access to fresh water, this can be simply an extendable hose into the catering tent
- Ask your caterer how many staff they need to cater for your wedding in a timely manner; this is not an area to save costs on.
- Reiterate to the caterers that all wastage, including water from the urn should be taken off site and disposed of, otherwise you may be looking at a hefty bill for damage to the lawn
Photo credit: www.CountyMarquees.com
DESIGN
- Be imaginative with the design, if your theme is butterflies then why not have a butterfly lining? Try crescent moon for custom made linings www.crescent-moon.co.uk
- Think about the carpet colour and seat pads carefully, they should match your wedding theme and colours, not clash, if in doubt go neutral.
- Lighting is key for weddings now so ask your marquee company about up-lighters or spot lights on tables from above, this creates a very powerful effect. Candelabras look amazing when night begins to fall. In the garden place garden lanterns (you can hire these from www.dreamoccasions-hire.co.uk) on trees and in flower beds to make a feature of them, if the weather is nice hopefully guests will be spending time outside.
- Arrange the layout so minimal disruption is caused when moving furniture. Trying to remove a long top table form the dance floor when evening guests have arrived is not much fun. I advise avoiding having tables on the dance floor unless absolutely necessary.
- Speak with your florist about creating a high impact display, small low arrangements just get lost in the ceiling height. A combination of high/low arrangements works best
- Ask to see the marquee chairs before agreeing to hire them, some hire chairs should have been taken out of service years ago. Ask for spares so you can only place out the good ones, have someone on site to take delivery of the chairs and quality check them.
- If there is one thing that can break a theme it is rough and starched linen. Speak with your planner or caterer about hiring in some designer linen, there is a range of colours and styles you can get. Ensure the cloths are to the floor and make a feature from the napkins; no I’m not talking dancing swans! You can fold the napkins so they have a pocket in which favours or a rose can be placed or if you are very creative fold it so it resembles a tie.
- Try raising the dance floor and have steps leading up to it. Line alternative pots of flowers with up-lighters to light the dance floor from below.
- Many people now have big displays on the marquee poles (if traditional marquee) but why not ask your florists to create a palm tree or willow tree with twigs and blooms? In other words if you don’t have a tree as a feature within the marquee, make one instead!
- Ask the marquee company to separate the band/DJ area with a curtain then can be easily draped to one side. There is nothing worse than seeing a bride’s hard work spoilt by obtrusive speakers and drum sets behind the top table.
Thanks to this article’s author Bernadette, owner of Dream Occasions. Bernadette has a fantastic reputation as one of the UK’s best wedding planners. Past weddings have been seen in Cosmo Bride, You and Your Wedding and An Essex Wedding.
Bernadette also manages Dream Occasions Hire – finishing touches for weddings and events in East Anglia.
