Quirky Decorating Tips for Your Wedding Marquee

When looking at the perfect wedding venue instead of choosing a hotel to hold your wedding reception why not opt for a marquee.

The advantages of a marquee are endless.  You can put your own stamp on it by choosing a style or theme that is unique to you and your groom to be.  Once you have decided upon the type of marquee you can go ahead and decide on how you are going to decorate the marquee.  Colour, style element, decorations, accessories and furniture are all based on the overall theme and the mood that you want to create.

Marquees are flexible compared to banquet halls or other rented space. You can customize them to classic, functional, romantic or replicate a particular place that is of relevance or importance to you and your groom such as Paris, New York as it may have been the place you got engaged!

Marquee Styles

Your marquee is like a blank canvas which means you can do as much or as little as you like in regard to the design and layout.  Some popular marquee styles include linings, bunting, lanterns and swags.

Linings are very popular the standard linings are pleated with ivory colours, alternatively you may use the same colour lining as that of your bridesmaid dresses. Decorations of almost any colour match with ivory background. Other linings include printed ones like the popular butterfly ones or holly should it be a Christmas themed wedding. For a dramatic effect, marquees can be blacked out, completely or partially.  A starlight ceiling can transform not only your marquee but also help make your dance floor become alive when the band or DJ arrives.

Bunting or flags are fashionable in practical for summer weddings.  Various colours or pictures may be printed on the flags and can be strung all around the tent. You can make customized flags with fabrics of choice or buy them ready-made.

Roof

Another exciting idea would be to drape overlays across the roof or you can leave them hanging. Overlays can be joined with fabric drops and the fun part is hanging things on them. Any random thing to make the guest look up will do. Usual overlay drops are paper lanterns with the interesting ones made of origami strings, inverted parasols, balloons of different shapes the choice is all yours!

To give an outdoor feel and increase venue size, open up the walls if the weather permits and let the landscape be the backdrop. The roof is still intact for the occasional showers. The other option would be to install large windows. In this case, the outdoor climate does not have an impact on the event. Panoramic windows, of course, give the best view, especially when the marquee is located on a scenic spot. The poles can be decorated with lamps, balloons or ribbons, the ribbon colours could be the same as that of the bridesmaid dresses.

Time of Year

The time of year can play a big factor in your choice of theme that you might decide upon.  Depending on the time of the year this will dedicate the colour scheme you may use and the flowers that you will have.  If you are having your wedding around Christmas time you may opt for a winter wonderland theme or just simply place Christmas trees and fairy lights around the marquee.  Should your wedding be around Valentine’s Day your theme could be red with love hearts and cupid being placed around the marquee.  The choice is endless, this is the added benefit of the marquee you can choose whatever theme, venue or style you desire.

You could organize the whole event and decorations by yourself, alternatively you can enlist the help of Byrne Marquees who can offer plenty of advice and inspiration on how to make your day extra special with providing unique ideas for your marquee.

About the Author

Ailsih O’Neill is a freelance blogger from Australia who writes on lifestyle issues.  Ailish and her husband now live in Dublin and enjoy long walks on the beach near their home with their dog Rover.