Wedding Marquee - An Alternative Wedding Venue

Choosing a marquee for your wedding reception can be an inspired affair. A marquee allows you choices and freedoms that would be limited by choosing a normal wedding reception venue. With a marquee you can choose to have your wedding anyplace anytime. You will also have the freedom to choose your decor, caterers, and to express your individuality and personal style for the event.

There a very different types of marquees to choose from. Perhaps a marquee with silk lined walls, hard polished floors and fairy lights scattered throughout would suit your style. For that soft romantic feel you could choose a marquee or tent with no side walls and have draped silk flowing in the breeze, on a beautifully manicured lawn or on the beach at sunset.
Another type of marquee you could to choose is an event pavilion. Event Pavilions are more stable structures and would be better suited for certain weather condition. They are definitely the premium option when it comes to marquees. Event pavilions come in a wide range of options. A completely clear pavilion would be beautiful and allow you to view the stars during you special evening. You could choose side walls which are solid for privacy or clear for a little sunlight and to view to beautiful location of your wedding or event.
When it comes to decorating your marquee or event pavilion, stick to classic white or ivory for the draping. Perhaps you can choose a trim that matches your colour theme or the bridesmaid's dresses. Round tables still work best in a wedding marquee, as they are the most social table arrangement. They facilitate a more social atmosphere amongst the guests. Lighting in the marquee could vary from fairy lights, spot lights to candle light. Candle light is the most natural, soft and romantic light. Another option for lighting is lanterns with can add a touch a flare to your wedding or chandeliers which could hang from your marquee to make for a more elegant and sophisticated event.

For the perfect table centerpiece, take into consideration your surrounding and remember simple is best. When it comes to candelabras for your table centerpiece, you may want to consider the height and size. Marquees come in varied sizes and shapes to suit the number of guests you wish to have, type of entertainment and floor plan.

By choosing a wedding marquee you are only limited by your own imagination. So whether you choose a wedding marquee or an event pavilion, your wedding day can be a truly romantic occasion.

5 Tips To Select The Best Wedding Reception Location

Being disc jockeys, we get the opportunity to evaluate many reception facilities while having little or no bias to "sell" one location over another. Most Brides and Grooms know where they will be holding the ceremony before they decide where to have the reception, so we have compiled five observations that can help you when selecting your venue.

Distance - If people have to drive a long way to get from the ceremony to the reception, some will get distracted or decide to do something else. Try to keep the reception within a 15 to 30 minute drive of your ceremony. If it is not possible to get a reception hall close to your ceremony, make a caravan. Have the Bride and Groom lead the parade, and people will follow you to your reception.

Time - Time is just like the distance issue. If your reception is several hours after the ceremony, people will get busy doing other things and not show up for the reception. Try to start the reception within an hour or two of the ceremony. If you don't want to start your wedding dance at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, have a Meet and Greet mixer before your reception. Serve some punch and get people to mingle. This will be one of the few times that both families will be together. Encourage family members to share stories about your childhoods.

Size - People like their personal space, and they have most likely spent an hour packed into a church for your ceremony. If you let them spread out, they will enjoy themselves more. Make sure your reception hall has plenty of room for your guests. The people renting the location might tell you it holds 200 people, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will hold 200 people comfortably! Make sure to visit the venue before booking.

Climate Control - Having a summer wedding? Is your reception hall air conditioned? If people sweat while just sitting, they won't dance. On the flip side, if they are cold they won't dance either (who wants to dance in a parka?). Also make sure you know who has control of the thermostat so the temperature can be adjusted if needed. Chances are your reception will be warm and stuffy while all the guest are there, but as they trickle out during the night the room will begin to cool down.

Smoking - This is a hot button issue, but if your reception hall is non-smoking, you can fully expect smoker's to leave your reception for 15-30 minutes every hour. If enough of them leave the reception area, you may find a large percentage of your guest just hanging out in the smoking area. This can be a big problem if you have many smokers in your wedding party. You don't have to allow smoking, but it is something you should consider, especially if anyone has any health problems like asthma or allergies that could be triggered by smoke. If you decide not to allow smoking in the reception area, how close is the nearest place for a smoker to go? Is it close enough that you will be able to get needed wedding party members during events like the bouquet toss or garter auction?

Facility coordinators will no doubt bring up several other factors for you to consider when you interview them for your booking, but these are often missed items, especially if they don't favor the potential venue. If you keep the overall picture in mind and work with your wedding planner or event coordinator on the decorating ideas, you will no doubt have an enjoyable and memorable wedding reception.