In this week's blog we’re providing some quick fire answers to the most common questions we hear from couples, event planners and party people in general when they hire one of our stupendously beautiful and unique pole and canvas marquees for their wedding or special celebration.Â
Read on to get the skinny on all those burning questions that pop into your head at 3 am and stop you going back to sleep until five minutes before your alarm goes off. So, grab a strong coffee and get ready to be enlightened in all things marquee hire!
Who supplies linen for my marquee tables?
Usually, table linen is supplied by the caterers, but sometimes the florist will extend their skills to encompass the whole tablescape and incorporate unique table linen into their design. Acclaimed florist Lucy Vail did just that for her own wedding that Peacock and Bow provided the marquee for. She used a vintage inspired patterned table linen that complemented her beautiful flower installations to create a maximalist’s dream!
Tablescape and floristry by Lucy Vail
There are also tablescape rental services such as Maison Margaux, which is easily the most high end around. They hire everything from vintage cocktail glasses and chic crockery to fine table linens, all expertly curated.
How tall are the marquee's king poles and what is the maximum height for trees?
King poles are eight metres and while we're at it we may as tell you that side poles are 2.1 metres.Â
Trees are a great way to decorate your marquee. They bring the drama, make the most of the height and complement the natural canvas, wood and rope that make up our beautiful marquees. Trees also tick the sustainability box as they can be grown or bought and re-planted or you can hire them.
When positioned next to the king pole, the tree should be approximately three metres tall. This is tall enough to fill the space but not so tall that the tree will rub against the canvas.
You can find out more about decorating your marquee with trees here.
If there is a tree growing naturally on your site unfortunately we can not set up the marquee over it. This is because we lay out the canvas and lace it together on the ground so any trees would be a bit in the way.
How do I open marquee doors and roll up the wall panels?
If you want to really capitalise on the beauty of your natural surroundings and take the light and airy vibes to the next level, you can create extra doorways or roll up the clear wall panels of your marquee entirely to achieve that indoor/outdoor feel. To find out how, take a look at our recent video guides;
How level does the marquee site need to be and what should I do to prepare the ground?
For the best marquee experience the ground does need to be fairly level, a bit of rise and fall is ok, our wooden boarded flooring is a great solution for levelling out bumpy ground. Technically, we can safely set up your marquee on a slope but we do have to take into account the comfort of your guests. After all, nobody wants to slip off their chair or chase peas from their plate!
Any debris like twigs or rocks on the ground need to be cleared before we arrive with the marquee. We recommend mowing the lawn a couple of days before we’re due to set up the marquee to allow it to dry out. This limits condensation and damage to the lawn, make sure to also use a grass catcher. If the grass is too long it will be difficult for people to walk on, especially after a few negronis! Generally, you want to aim for roughly an inch of grass.
What’s the time limit to make changes to our marquee hire?
Time limit? The only rigid structures we deal with are our marquees! We always do our very best to make anything happen right up to the day before. If it's a huge change however, to give us the best chance of granting your wish, try to make it 12 weeks before the big day.
Are the internal lights dimmable?
Yep, we’re all about mood lighting!
Do you supply under counter fridges and other equipment for the marquee bar?
Nope, we don’t get involved with bar or catering equipment. However, Mr P&B cleverly designed and built both our crescent and 360 bars to house under counter fridges.Â
Can you recommend other suppliers for our marquee wedding or special event?
We’re so lucky to work with the best in the biz, so we can always hook you up with your wedding or party dream team. Check out this blog to find out who we're crushing on right now.
Where is Peacock and Bow marquee hire based?
We’re based in beautiful, historic Lincolnshire, famed for its flat landscape and therefore the spiritual home of marquees. We also serve Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Rutland, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Hertfordshire. If you are based somewhere else, we can hook you up with one of our partners who cover your area. If they’re not available, we’ll travel! Find out more here.
Will you come and see the site where I want to put a marquee?
Yes, always. This is essential and any marquee provider who doesn’t do this ought to jog on! What’s more, we don’t charge a fee for this service.
What is included in the marquee hire price?
Our guide prices are inclusive of our bespoke hand built bar, coir matting marquee flooring, internal fairy lights and flying lights above the canopy, tables, chairs, dance floor, and staging.
For more details see our dedicated blog post.
Can you supply a wooden floor for my marquee?
Yes, we can! Wooden floors covered with a luxurious carpet in your choice of colour can really elevate the glamour of your marquee. The wooden floor also provides more stability in the heavy traffic areas such as the doorways and bar area. If you want a more rustic vibe we also offer a beautiful coir matting. To find out more check out our handy infographic on marquee flooring options.
How long is the standard marquee hire?
We usually rock up to set up the marquee mid week, often a Thursday. We will then be back to take it down on the Sunday or Monday after your event. We can be flexible here and depending on our diary we will aim to fit in with whatever works best for you. The exact timings will be confirmed in your marquee hire contract, so there wont be any uncertainty.
Do you style the marquee?
We don’t. But, that doesn't mean we're not here for it! We get very excited to hear all about styling in the marquees and we’re on hand to help with any structural considerations, for example, we’ll install gripple wire for floral displays and if anything needs hanging we would help with this to make sure it’s safe. So make sure you share your ideas with us. During the planning we can share examples of what's been done in the past and advise on the practicalities of your style vision for your marquee.
Photo credit - Holly Clarke Photography
Can a member of your staff be on site for the day of the event?
We do offer an on the day service that includes two members of the P&B team being present on site throughout the event to take care of anything marquee related. We are also available on the phone 24/7 should you have any problems. We have systems in place so that we can respond immediately, although we’ve never actually had to.
Do we need power for our marquee?
While the atmosphere might be electrifying, you will most likely need a generator to power your entertainment and catering. To get the buzz on all things electricity, see our dedicated blog post.
Do we need a heater for the marquee?
We all know that the great British weather can be extremely unpredictable and temperatures do drop at night all year round. We would definitely recommend a heater outside of the summer months. How many heaters you will need depends on the time of year and the size of the marquee. One heater is usually enough to keep everyone nice and toasty, but a second is worth considering if you have a large marquee or more than one marquee. This is something we can make recommendations on for you specific circumstances.
Photo credit - James Davidson Photography
Send us your marquee hire questions
If you're considering hiring a pole and canvas marquee for your wedding or special celebration and you have burning questions, please email or message us on our socials and we will do another FAQ round up very soon.
If you can’t wait for that, call us any time and we will gladly answer any and all queries you may have ahead of your big day in a big tent.
If you are part of P&B’s distinguished alumni of former marquee hire clients, do get in touch and let us know your most useful piece of advice to anyone wishing to hire a marquee for their wedding or special event.