Marquee Hire Prices - How much does a wedding marquee cost?
The standard answer is: “it depends”.
While this is true, it isn't very helpful, especially when you don't know “what” it depends on. So we'll break that down a little for you.
The main thing that affects the price of a wedding reception is the number of guests - especially dinner guests - the more guests, the more furniture needed, the bigger the marquee etc. The price of a marquee is dependent on things like size, style, location, and too many others to list here. But as a general rule, every guest needs, somewhere to sit, eat, stand, and dance.
So estimating a price per head should get you close. You can use Our Wedding Marquee Cost Estimator below to give you an idea of the range in which you should be looking to pay for your wedding marquee hire. We then go on to explain a little bit more about the costs involved.
Wedding Marquee Cost - Prices Estimator
Enter the number of day and total number of guests attending:
For a more detailed estimate based on your own specific needs, feel free to contact us directly and we can design the perfect wedding marquee reception personally for you and to suit your budget.
Cost Breakdown
Every company has their own pricing structure, but, for reference we would suggest allowing £25 - £40 per dinner guest.
Where you land in this range depends on the options you choose, some furniture costs more than others, wood floor is more expensive than coir matting, extra structures cost more, you get the idea.
If there are going to be additional evening guests, then allow an extra £15 - £20 per evening guest (not including dinner guests), they need room on the dancefloor, room at the bar, more guests, more power needed, bigger generator, and so on.
The costings above would provide you with everything you would need to host a wedding reception for the number of guests specified. This would include.
Marquee frame and linings
Flooring
Furniture
lighting and electrics
You can tailor the design to meet your own specification and to make the space unique for your wedding reception. Below, we have highlighted some essential areas which are required to host a marquee wedding reception. Some spaces can be made bigger than others, some areas are not necessarily needed, but hopefully this will give you an idea of what to plan for when budgeting for your wedding reception marquee..
Areas of the Marquee
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Also known as the “entrance marquee”, this is the first area you’ll see as you walk into your reception. It could be a standalone marquee or a small space inside the main marquee’s entrance doors.
For a smaller reception marquee you can add a gift table, welcome drinks and a table planner to decorate the space. Or you could make the reception area larger and include casual seating, this is a great place for guests to relax and socialise away from the main dining area.
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The main focal point for the wedding breakfast and for socialising during the afternoons celebrations. This area will be furnished with all of the furniture for the sit down meal and will not only need to be larger enough for guests to comfortably enjoy themselves, but also have enough space for the serving staff to perform their duties effectively.
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The dance area is the section of the wedding marquee that is designated to be the “stage” for the evening’s entertainment. The size of your dance floor required will depend on the number of guests you will have attending in the evening. As well as a space for dancing, you also need to make sure you have enough room for the entertainment themselves. An 8 piece band takes up a lot of space compared to a DJ so plan this area in accordance to the entertainment you want to provide.
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Catering staff will be working behind the scenes to prepare all the food for the wedding reception. The size of the kitchen space will depend on how the catering staff operate. The more guests there are to serve, the larger the kitchen space will need to be to prepare, cook and serve all the food to the guests.
If you’re having another food vendor for the evening, check if they’ll need a prep area, or if there’ll be enough room to work within the catering area provided.
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The bar can be divided into two parts.
First, we need to have enough room for the bar to be able to serve the guests. How big this area is and how big the bar is will depend on how many guests you have attending.
Second, you need to have enough space for your bar staff to be able to work. Not just to serve customers, but also to have a place to store stock and clean glasses.
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Popular area’s we’ve seen added to the traditional layout have included -
Chill-out Area - A space to relax, have a quiet chat and cup of tea. Perfect for casual seating, buffet tables or even a kids quiet area.
Garden Room - The use of clear roof panels over flowers beds or a landscaped garden can provide the perfect retreat and stunning feature to your reception.
Enclosed toilet area - Instead of having the toilets outside the marquee, the marquee can be bult around them ensuring access from with the marquee itself.
Marquee Layout Examples
As you can see from these three examples, there are a variety of layouts, which is why it’s so hard to calculate a rough estimate for a wedding marquee based on numbers alone.
The siting of the marquee will be a huge factor in designing the layout. Where do the guests enter the venue?, in which direction are the views?, Where will the services operate from?, The list can go on, but more importantly, the design needs to meet your own specific wants so that the reception is unique for your wedding day.
Factors to Consider
Time of year - during peak season when the demand is highest, the equipment is at full price, there's only so much to go around. Discounts can be found by booking 'off-season', think late-spring, or early autumn. However not all companies operate off-season, and there is the issue of the weather. Over the years we have had some beautiful spring weddings, sunny days with clear crisp nights. If the weather is cold or rainy though, the price of heaters may need to be added, so that is worth considering.
Location - the farther the crew and equipment have to travel, the higher the cost. Not a major factor for small events, but on large events, with multiple vehicles, and multiple trips per day, this can add up. Also, locations where access is limited, may have extra costs, the closer the vehicles can get to the site, the less time it takes to build.
In the end, our answer is still 'it depends', but hopefully now you have an idea of what it depends on, and how much to budget for.
If you'd like a more definite price then get in touch, and we'll be happy to give you a quote.