Marquee Hire

The beauty of hiring a marquee is that it provides a blank canvas on which you can paint your personality, tell your story and create your event. But to have it looking perfect on your big day, every aspect needs to be considered.

Marquee Entrance

Do you want to add a warm welcome? A carpet at the entrance and an aisle of bunting show where the entrance of the marquee is. To add romance and drama for a wedding, use flowers to flank the entrance too. Use Big Day Bunting to create a trail from the car park that leads your guests into the venue.

Marquee Decoration

We suspect the reason why marquee hire is so popular in New Zealand is that you are in full control of how you decorate your venue. You can transform the tent from its canvas shell to a beautiful personalised space. At Big Day Bunting we love marquees with high ceilings and sloping lines. The addition of bunting and lights transforms the plain white arena into something magical. Our unique handmade bunting breaks up the marquee's white interior with dramatic effect. 

One of  the great things with a professional marquee hire is that you have your own team of workers to help you prior to the event. The marquee riggers are mostly happy to help with installing the bunting and lighting. 

Marquee Furniture

At Big Day Bunting we think it's important to choose your furniture wisely. Not only is it essential to keep your guests comfortable, but the right furniture helps to soften the space. 

Like it or hate it, we say avoid chair covers if you possibly can. They add more white canvas into a white canvas space. There are lots of lovely furniture hire companies in New Zealand that specialise in weddings and other big days.

Marquee Zones

Instead of trying to spread the same theme throughout the marquee, it can be easier to focus on creating "zones". A wedding arch, a top table, a speaking podium, a stage for a band, a dance floor, the entrance way, a quiet lounge area.

If you are containing some noisy friends within the walls of only one tent, maybe you should consider a chill-out zone for some of the other guests. Add comfortable furniture,  rugs and a sofa, and make it a relaxed conversation space.

Everybody congregates at the bar area, so think about how you can make it interesting. Big Day Bunting is useful as it marks and creates a space around the bar.

Because of the modular construction of some steel-frame marquees you have the option to seal off areas of the tent and reveal them as the day progresses. This works extremely well for bands to set up behind the scenes or to open a dance floor later on in the night to create a party vibe.

Lighting

Lighting is one of the most important things to consider as an important influence on the mood of the party. You might need a specialist to advise you.

If you are getting married in the middle of summer, in many parts of New Zealand it’s not going to get dark until after 9 p.m. We’ve noticed that guests often don’t bust their best moves until it's a little darker.

We like these options with our Big Day Bunting:

Warm White Fairy Lights = romance and glow

Cold White = contemporary aesthetic (hard to do without looking stark)

Crystal Chandeliers = elegance

Naked Bulbs = industrial chic

Coloured Vintage Bulbs = shabby chic

Coloured Chinese Orbs = lovely with bunting

Marquee Disadvantages

We like marquees, but there are a few downsides. in the interests of objectivity, we feel it's important to list them:  

Cleaning

You will be celebrating your event in some of New Zealand’s loveliest places. With so much natural beauty here, why wouldn’t you? So following the rule that we should “take only photos, leave only footprints", you will have to clean up the site leaving it exactly as you found it. Unlike an established venue, no cleaners are provided

Event Stress

Organising any event, and particularly a wedding, is stressful. The disadvantage of having a marquee is that there is added stress in terms of choosing and booking the marquee, the catering, thinking about the design, worrying about the weather and choosing which tent is best for you. You will also need to think about chairs, tables, the dance floor, a power supply, lighting and sound system, stages, podium etc. Use specialists for this.  We can install and take our Big Day Bunting away for you and we will co-ordinate this with your marquee hire company.

Noise

Because marqueewalls are essentially a thin layer of canvas, marquees do not hold in the music. So yes, if you have sensitive neighbours it may be worth tipping them off about your wedding or party. If they are likely to be really unhappy, why not suggest putting them up in a bed and breakfast for the night?

Weather

By choosing to hold your event or wedding in the outdoors you will be more susceptible to the elements. Professional New Zealand marquee companies have marques that are built to withstand any weather conditions. They have been tested and will be sturdy year round and can handle most New Zealand's weather. You can party on inside, listening to the sound of the rain and wind, or be shaded from the sun.

Parking

Another factor you will have to consider is parking and how guests are going to get to your marquee. For events in the middle of nowhere you can organise buses to take your guests to and from the marquee. If you are thinking of choosing a venue like Waiheke Island, where it's expensive for guests to take their car, this really is a must.

Security

It may be advisable to have someone sleep in the marquee the night before the event. Marquees cost thousands of dollars, let alone the furniture, bunting, electrical equipment and months of planning.