- Hello, welcome back.
- Hello.
(laughing)
- This week, we are going to talk to you
in more detail about budgeting for a marquee.
'Cause that just changes the budget.
- Everything, everything.
- You're building a structure from the ground up
in your own home, it's going to be more.
- I think there's more to it.
- There's more parts, there's more moving parts
for marquee wedding and what we went over
last time of the budget is helpful for anyone getting married.
But obviously, we both specialize in marquee wedding.
They are, we love.
So we wanted to go into more detail about
the ins and outs of a budget for a marquee wedding at home.
- I think it's really important for you to consider
if you have the space and the capacity for a marquee at home.
Go into it, thinking it's going to be super cheap
to have a marquee. - No.
- All the other elements could potentially be super cheap.
But actually, if you're building a structure
in the grounds of your own home,
that's going to be quite a cost.
There's loads of things to consider
when you hire a venue.
- They're just there. - Or when it's ready there.
And you just take them for granted.
So within your marquee quote,
you need to consider your main structure,
additional structures, furniture, catering equipment,
catering extras, lose and showers, generators,
your entertainment, including lighting and production,
heating and air conditioning,
staffing costs, and like any good budget,
good contingency budget.
- Do you? - Okay.
So let's start with the main structure.
- Yes. - So big thing here is your style of tent.
- Yes. - There are loads of different styles of marquees.
- We are going to go into the sort of pros and cons
and everything in a few episodes time
about marquee structures.
What you need to think about,
that it's not just the actual marquee,
you need to think about flooring,
whether that's some wooden floorboards, carpeting,
you might even, depending on where you're putting the marquee,
you need to have sub-flooring to level it out.
And then also you've got linings and inside of the tent.
- Yeah. - Well, for your main structure.
- And the cost of the different tents.
- Yeah, so if you're looking for something
that's a bit more traditional and poles tends to come
with a slightly higher cost than a frame tent,
which isn't a minimum structure.
So those costs could be different too.
- Depends on the time of year as well.
If you're getting married in the summer,
more than likely you can get away with coier matting floor,
which is just put down on grass.
- Yeah, again. - If you're on a slope,
you've got to have the levelling.
- So if that cost,
- Don't have a big beam pattern. - Definitely.
- Flooring can be about 10% more if you're going for a solid
over just the same thing.
- And also going on your main structure
and the time of the year,
if you need to have sort of walkways outside,
if it's going to be really wet,
if you're going sort of an autumnal wedding or winter,
you will need to also take into account any flooring
to get you to the main tent.
- Yeah, from when people are parking.
- So after your main structure,
the next big thing is your additional structures.
- Additional structures.
- It might be a bit of a minefield to you.
You're thinking, hang on, I've got a marquee.
Why do I need more marquees?
(laughs)
- One of the obvious things is catering tent.
Unless you've got a super fantastic catering style
kitchen in your home,
your playthroughs are more than likely
going to need a pretend area to prepare the food
and to clear away too afterwards as well.
Exactly, keep all that contained out of the way of all your guests.
- Yeah.
- Now, the size that will depend on your catering.
- Definitely.
- What you're having cooked and where the space is as well.
You need to consider if it's in quite a tight and close space,
things like refrigeration,
you might not be able to get a pillar unit,
which is much bigger, almost like the back of a van,
next to your catering tent.
So you'll need to have enough space
within your catering tent for fridges.
- Fridges, yeah.
- Fridges, things like that as well as where all your caterers
need to prepare their food.
- And also the style of service you're having,
the style of food service.
If you're having everything bought out plated to your guests,
then the caterer will need enough table space
to lay out and set out 150 starters, 150 mains,
or as many as possible for close to that
because they can get so that the service is smooth
and seamless for your guests.
Whereas if you're having like a feasting family style,
then they will just need to prepare
sort of one bowl per table to come out,
so they'll need less space behind the scenes.
- Exactly.
And then there's a load of other structures
when choose to add on, you could have a lounge tent
where you can have a chill out zone.
You can have a kid's tent, yeah.
If you're having children at your wedding
and you want to keep them slightly separate from your guests,
so the parents can relax and you've got
a crash company coming in.
You'll want a space for them to go and relax,
a cloakroom somewhere to put coats.
There's nothing worse than a marquee
full of people's coats and bags.
Just having somewhere with a few coat rails
in a separate space is definitely good idea,
or walkways to restaurants.
And you might also, if you're having a lot of entertainment,
like live music, then they will need a green room.
You may not want the band hanging out in your front room,
so it might be best to have a different structure somewhere,
maybe even like a bell tent or something set up
so that they've got somewhere to change,
keep their kit, etc in between sets.
After you've thought about the additional structures,
there's what you're going to sit on in the tent.
You kind of expect it to venue
that you're going to have tables and chairs.
Obviously in a marquee, you know.
So you have to think about furniture
from all parts of your day.
So if you're having your ceremony at home,
you would need to think about furniture for your ceremony
for your guests to sit on.
Then during your drinks reception,
you might want like hoser tables and bar stalls
for people to just sort of rest their drink
or perch on whilst they're enjoying their can of haze.
And then your tables and chairs to actually sit on.
And what style of table is yours?
Do you want a rustic table with no tablecloth?
Do you want table linen on the tables?
Because that will have an impact.
The style of chair as well.
There's loads of different chair options available.
Some can come through the marquee company,
some you need to hire externally.
Just fact tracking slightly,
I would highly recommend with your seating,
fire enough chairs to do both your ceremony and your dining area.
Moving chairs, living chairs.
But moving chairs, it's also, it's so time-consuming
and disruptive for your guests.
I don't see someone carrying a step of tension
of our chairs across the lawn half of the day.
But also if you haven't got a planner or you haven't got a team
there on site, you're best they're going to have to carry
those chairs.
Or your grooms since they've got to be ashes.
Can you take up to an hour to be all those chairs,
depending on the number of people you've got?
So you can only carry two or three at a time.
It is a big, big job when it is worth spending the money.
100% on enough chairs for both your ceremony and your afternoon.
Definitely.
And in furniture as well, you might want like chill out zones.
I know you said about an additional sort of lounge,
like additional structure, sorry, like a lounge.
But you might find you want sofas for your drinks reception,
like nice bar area, all for the evening.
And a bar.
Yeah.
And a physical bar, you'll need a bar.
But there's lots of furniture.
You know, you sort of take for granted.
If you're in a venue, they might have a separate side room
with some lounge furniture for granny and grandpa
to have their coffee in later.
But at home, if you don't want people going in the house,
you need to obviously plan for the furniture to be in the market
or in like in and around the market, basically,
but you're going to have to hire that in.
Yeah.
So moving back into one of your additional structures
and your caterers, catering equipment.
Again, you're building a tent.
It's not a fully equipped kitchen.
You need to bring in everything.
Your caterers will have a really good idea.
And some caterers will include this within their cost.
So it's worth asking the question
and knowing what the answer is.
But you want to make sure you've got all that covered.
And especially if you are doing your alcohol
and your bars separately, refrigeration,
and some all of that is so important.
So make sure that either your clatures have included
enough refrigeration for all your alcohol
or you've got a separate chiller trailer.
Separate chiller trailer.
Exactly where you can store all your drink.
Yeah, there's nothing worse than warm white wine.
No bubbles, even worse.
And bubbles.
You could even put an ice cube in bubble.
No, no, no.
And I think you touched upon catering equipment earlier
when you were talking about additional structures.
But your caterers will need to bring in any cooking equipment.
So sometimes they need friars, they need ovens.
They may be cooking over an open fire, in which case
they won't need too much.
They will need refrigeration.
And they will also need just boring,
tressal tables that they could lay the food out
and have some work surfaces in the tent as well.
It's good to ask your caterers as well
if they want those tables extended,
which means that you can make the legs higher.
So they're not bending over quite as much,
because it can be quite uncomfortable
if you're standing in the way of the food.
Exactly.
Some caterers, one I work with quite regularly,
she has her own tressal table extenders.
And it's actually part of my wedding kit, is I have,
I mean, I have enough for four tables.
So it's not a huge amount,
but it's definitely something to think about.
Some prefer to have stainless steel tables as well.
And so this is, it's definitely worth walking to your caterer
exactly what it is that they want a need and they get pots hands.
Yeah.
And then you've got to think about everything out the front as well.
Yeah, and also talking about pots and pans,
any serving equipment.
So that is sort of for out the front, as you said.
But if you're having sharing platters,
they might need to hire in.
It will be done through your caterers,
but you'll need to get in things like wood and boards
or slates or whatever you're having to serve the food on as well.
Mm-hmm.
And then the actual wedding breakfast.
The actual wedding breakfast or your glassware.
Yes, and for reception.
And for your reception.
And your evening bar as well.
Yeah.
Then you've got to think about your cutlery or the cutlery
that you need and your crockery as well, and your tableware.
And this can vary hugely.
Like, it depends whether or not this is a huge part of your vision.
Do you mind the aesthetic of your, your, your,
yeah, crockery essentially?
Like, do you specifically get hold of pretty standard stuff?
But if you want something a bit special
to make more of an impact in the design of your wedding,
then you need to take that into account.
And obviously, when it comes to thinking of your crockery
and your cutlery, you need to think about
if there's any crockery or cutlery needed for the drinks reception food.
If you need it, I think, for the can of Hayes.
Or then it comes to starters, your mains, desserts,
if you need separate plates and cake fork and teas and coffees.
People who have organised their own weddings,
always forget tea and coffee.
And a cake knife.
A cake knife.
I have a cake knife in my kit, to be honest,
because people always forget who's actually providing the knife to cupcake.
Yeah, and the aesthetic one.
Yes.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Not just the kitchen.
We all the while on the kitchen.
I've had that before then.
Yeah, the couple have completely forgotten in it.
It was an on-the-day coordination.
So we had to go and get a knife out of the kitchen.
Yes, yeah, yeah.
Just come out with a-
I have a little stainless to it.
Yeah, that's from one zoom.
But yeah, just thinking about, literally,
your caterers will do this if you've got a half-decent
caterer, they'll do this with you.
And obviously your planet will go through this.
But to think about, literally, everything that you're best
are going to eat and drink and wear that prokary last wear.
Napkin, linen, where any of that's coming from.
Cake table.
What's going to cover it?
Yeah, if it's a boring key and coffee table.
Yes.
Any, you know, if you want to have a hard table.
Yes.
Does that need linen?
Yeah, cover it.
There is all these things to think about.
Let them down in a list.
And then you know exactly how much you need to hiring in.
And always hire an extra, because no matter how good
the linen company is, there's always something
because maybe slightly got a mark on during transit.
And also, you always forget, there'll be someone
and you'll suddenly go, we haven't got one for the cake table.
We haven't got one for the tea and coffee table
or the desserts take up more space.
So we need to whip out another table.
Always have more linen, whether that's table runners
or full linen set.
Yeah, I think the same set for chairs as well.
I knew you're not about chairs again,
but I think having just a few extra chairs.
Yeah, it's really important, but also
put some in the catering tent for the caterers,
'cause they're on their feet for a long time, yeah.
Your band.
Let's be having a band.
Yeah, I'll need some more chairs.
Yeah.
Your planners.
Barbers, sit down.
No, not that we sit down.
Just to eat and then we sit down.
To know what's more of a struggle is.
Finally, the time to go for a wee.
Yeah.
Get into the list.
Another episode.
That's another topic.
Again, you're in your garden.
Yeah.
Don't want your guests traipsing through your house.
Also, yeah.
Most people's homes cannot cope with 150 people
using the loo on a regular basis.
You need to be bringing in loose.
Yeah.
And enough loose as well.
Most loo companies will be able to advise you
on the right numbers.
And for the duration.
So they'll say what your guests numbers are,
how long your event is going on.
Because if it's a party, for example,
and people are only there from 7 p.m. until midnight,
you're not going to need as much toilet capacity
as if you've got people there for a midday,
having a ceremony at their home as well.
So toilets, there are various options, aren't they?
There are various options, yeah.
From more bookstands, bookstanders.
But I'm much better than on purpose.
Well, standard toilets up to luxury units or shepherds,
toilets and whole units of showers in as well.
If you've got guests possibly staying over,
the glamping's up thing, and you've got people in a paddock,
then it's good to put on toilets and shower units
where they're staying.
So in the night, they're not traipsing all the way back
to the main marquee to go to the toilet.
You don't want them.
With a little torch on their phone,
you'll be playing the piano into the swimming pool.
So if you are having glamping area as well,
hire loose for the day guests,
and then like a Lew and shower unit,
at least for the glampers.
Power.
Power is all going to be powered.
Oh my god.
The other power is huge.
You need a sizable generator,
and you need to make sure your generator is big enough.
So I think we should do an entire episode on power,
because there is so much experience for a lot of people.
And I know you just need to get a guest on.
But you need to have a generator.
You need to be able to power it.
Don't rely on your home now to power everything.
Unless your home is set up,
my father-in-law has actually set his home up.
He has a whole phase outside for parties.
If there's that.
So some people you might have set your home up.
Even then, I would still have a backup generator.
Oh my god.
My client in September,
her parents hosted like outdoor events at their home.
So they had all the power set up,
and it was all run from that.
But we did have a generator in case something went wrong.
It's the cooking.
Yeah.
The power draw from heat is so massive.
And if you're running all that at the same time,
you've got your lighting,
and then you start bringing in entertainment
and things on top.
Yeah, you'll end up blowing it.
So yeah, I think you're right.
I either get in a generator big enough
to make sure you've got everything or split it across the two.
Even if you run,
you're catering off the house.
And everything else off the generator.
It's worth just having backup power source.
But your marquee company,
or generate, you know,
some a lot of marquee companies deal with generators,
or they'll work with the company
and they are the best people to speak to
and to go through your exact requirements.
So they know how much power you need.
Because again, with the toilet,
it's not just the capacity that it can take.
It's also the duration of the event.
So if you want the generators
or running chill of trailers from the night before,
because your alcohol deliveries turned up,
the generator will need to be being
to keep that refrigerated before.
So a lot of different elements there,
but it is so important that I can really...
It may go great.
May go break the day.
That is something you can control.
- You can plan a head flat.
- The next thing is your entertainment.
- Yeah.
- You need staging.
- You need lighting.
- Yes.
- And you need sound.
- Yeah.
- All things that within most venues,
you'll have a speaker system.
You'll have some disco lighting.
- Understage.
- Or a flat floor at least.
- Yeah.
So this is all stuff that you will have to consider
bringing in.
Lots of it can be included within your marquee quote.
But if you want something more bespoke,
or specific, you need to be looking into that
and you need to be budgeting for it.
- Hiring about a proper production team
who can cover all elements of that.
And also it's so handy to have that person there on the day.
- Mm-hmm.
- I think there's a plan of.
- Yes.
- I do panic sometimes about electrical going wrong.
- Yes.
- I am not an actress.
You don't have common sense.
But it's always good to have someone
who really knows the ins and outs of wiring
and things like that, as you say.
It can make or break.
And you don't want suddenly to have your first dance
and then the band cuts out.
Because someone's pressed the wrong switch or something.
- Yeah.
- That would be a memorable first dance.
- First dance and the dark.
- Yeah.
- But the most of the time it's not in the dark, is it?
- Well, then heating for air conditioning.
I mean, it's, you don't know what you're going to get in here.
- No, now do you?
- You don't.
But you want to make sure that your guests are comfortable.
So, well, your caterer is comfortable as well.
Especially if you're having an autumnal wedding,
you need to make sure that every element is heated.
Luckily, they're quite good at containing their heat,
but have a heater.
And in fact, some of the marquee companies
that both of us work with will be assist on a heater,
at least one, no matter what time of year it is,
being part of your work.
- Yes, really at night time.
- It does, and you want to make sure
that your guests are comfortable throughout the whole event.
And we'll come onto this more when we look at styles of marquees.
But obviously, some marquees you can take the sides off,
which will keep things cooler in the summer.
But sometimes that just isn't enough.
- We're not prepared in England for any extreme weather.
Heat or cold, and we like to moan about it.
- Yes.
- I mean, everyone will be talking about it.
But having sort of airporn is an option as well.
Or fans, definitely something else to think about.
- And we kind of touched upon this
with having a production member of team on site all day,
but staffing, you don't have staff.
It's a venue, you've got a general manager.
You might have a catering team there the whole time,
in front of house manager, for example, cleaners.
But when it's at home, you haven't got a team of staff.
So, you've got some important staff to think about parking,
on the attendance.
Unless there's no arc space, people don't really know for the park.
- Don't be parking every single day.
- You might think it makes sense for people
to all nose into the hedge.
But on the day, someone's going to park in the wrong place
and the whole thing's going to go.
- And it's in the same space as your marquee.
- Yeah.
- You don't want someone parking right next to the marquee
because that is when we're in the photos.
- All getting in the way of access
for if we know the van's coming later
and they need to drive around the back.
So, it's really important to have people sort of attending
your parking for when you're lost to arrive.
You possibly won't even want like a cloakroom attendant
because I do try, and I know you do as well,
to check on the restrooms during the wedding day.
But as a planner, you're doing so many different things.
It's really handy to have an attendant there
who's just going to make sure that they're clean,
be there if your guests need anything,
find the spare lounger example or a lockage,
know how to deal with it.
It's just really handy to have someone there.
- And security. - Yes.
- Yeah.
- You're in a big open space.
And yes, it might be all home,
but there might be someone lurking around
who spotted a big tent go up in someone's private garden.
I would always suggest having security there.
For the moment, the tent goes up to the time it comes down
and factoring that into your costs.
- Definitely, you've got thousands of pounds of alcohol,
of staging, lighting production,
you know, AV equipment that people could take.
I know a lot of the AV stuff would go up nearer the day,
maybe even on the morning,
but it could be there over the night afterwards
until they can come back.
So it's really handy to have someone there
the whole time just keeping an eye.
- And then a contingency.
- Yes. (laughs)
- Our favourite thing.
- Contengency. (laughs)
You can always plan,
but you've got a plan for the unexpected as well.
So it's always good to have,
especially with a market.
Because as you say, the weather,
you will have to suddenly prior in a stretch tent,
because you've got no shade for your ceremony,
or if you haven't got a matter.
(laughs)
Yeah, matting, if your floor suddenly,
if the ground's really wet,
where it's been raining the week before,
you need to get some matting in outside,
awesome trackway.
- Yes.
- You know, if your supplies to come in,
yeah, you don't want them turning up the car park
or anything before your guests arrive.
So it's always good to have a contingency,
whatever you're doing,
but even more so with the market.
Exactly.
So to recap the things that you need to account for
in your budget when we're talking about,
if you're getting married in a market at home,
you need to think about the main tent,
any additional structures,
your furniture,
catering equipment,
catering extras,
that's it, like your crockery,
your loose and showers, generator,
entertainment, lighting and production,
heating and aircon,
staff and your contingency,
your contingency.
We will be going into more detail
over the different market structures soon,
because there are so many lovely options.
But that is just a rough,
what you need to include in your budget,
if you're planning a market wedding at home.
- Do you have a refinery?
- Do you have a top tip for someone who's creating
a budget for a market wedding at home?
Is there something that you see time and time again
that couples are forgetting at a two-budget or,
or haven't necessarily made the budgeted and lost money?
- I think with your marquee,
- Yeah.
- At a 10% to what you think it's going to cost.
So last episode, when we were talking about your 50%
being for your venue and your catering,
I think you want to look more at it being about 60%,
and just making sure that you've got all those costs covered.
My suggestion would be to get a marquee company
or a planner to come and do a site visit
and just run through those costs with you,
whether or not you need the hard floor, yeah.
'Cause that will all impact your budget quite substantially
to give you a better idea.
So my extra for a marquee at home.
- Unjipsom.
- Amazing.
Looking forward to the next episode.
- Exactly.