Hiring a Marquee Or Party Tent

Hiring a Marquee or Party Tent for your special event is becoming increasingly popular around the world; this article is going to talk about where to start when planning your party and the do's and don'ts of hiring a marquee or party tent.

Do I need a Party Tent or a Marquee?

This can lead to confusion depending on where you live in the world. The definition of both is the same; a large and often sumptuous tent, in the UK and Australia a large tent used for functions is often called a marquee where as in America it is called a party tent or simply a wedding tent.

Time of the year

With modern flooring and heating systems, the time of the year is no longer an issue when hiring a marquee or party tent. Most marquee hire companies will either include heaters with their marquee hire package or will charge a small hire fee; however it is always a good idea to double check the hirer offers this service when planning a party in the winter months.

What Type of Tent?

The most popular marquee is a frame marquee; this is a good option as it does not require any additional space for guy ropes, and so as long as you have the required space for the marquee it will fit into the site. The traditional marquee or the modern tension tent can look a little bit better but they usually require an additional one metre for guy ropes.

What size marquee do I require?

Any good Marquee hire company will know exactly what size you will require by asking your a few quick questions, so before speaking to your local marquee hire company think about the answers to the following questions: - How many people do I wish to accommodate? Are the guests formally seated at tables or is it a buffet with occasional tables? Is it standing or seating only? Do I need a service / catering tent? Am I having a DJ and a dance floor? Do I require space for an initial reception area?

Questions which you should ask your hirer

The first thing to mention when contacting your marquee hirer is where and when your wedding, event or party will take place. This is to make sure than they have availability on that date and that they cover your area.

After this, you should ask their advice on what size you will require the marquee to be. You do not want a party where the tent is too crowded or where it feels empty, so size does matter when hiring a marquee. Some marquee hirers will send you a recommended layout plan along with your quote, this is often very useful when planning your wedding or party tent but do not be afraid to tell them if you feel the layout or size is wrong, after all it is your special day and they will know that everyone has different requirements.

Always ask if there are any additional costs and what is not included in the price, this could be tax or travel expenses etc. Also be sure to ask about what kind of deposit they require. Usually most marquee hire companies will include all this information in the quote, be wary of any hirer which doesn't.

Make sure you ask about what kind of insurance your hirer holds, they should always have some kind of liability insurance especially if they are providing the power for your event.

Ask about power in your marquee, do they provide this free of charge? For larger events it is a very important consideration; bands, lighting and catering can often require a lot of power and your event could be ruined if the power fails. Most marquee companies will use qualified electricians to connect power to your party tent but it is always wise to check first. For larger events it may even be wise to rent a backup generator.

I hope that this information has made the planning of your party, wedding or event a little bit easier.