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Gary Duarte

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Garden wedding

Holding a wedding in your garden is a wonderful idea if it’s done right. It can also be much cheaper than hiring a venue – you can shop around for the suppliers you want, rather than being tied to those that a venue insists on using. And financially, this can mean you can make your budget go further.

Organising a wedding takes a lot of planning and effort. Holding it in your own garden means all sorts of extra considerations, so here are our top tips to help you.

Write your garden wedding guest list

If you want to invite 200 guests and your garden is the size of a Wedding Guest Listpostage stamp, then it’s really not going to work! You need to be realistic about how many people you want to invite, maybe even trim down your numbers if necessary. Think also about how everyone will get to your home. Will there be lots of cars? Where will they park? It may not seem like a priority right now, but on the day oversights such as this can become the stuff of nightmares.

Plan and prepare well ahead

You’re going to have a lot of people in your garden and you’ll want it to look beautiful on the day. Getting a gardener in for a few weeks or months will help ensure everything looks lovely. If you’re planning well in advance of the wedding you may also want to think about a new planting scheme to ensure your flower borders are bursting with colour on the day. And don’t forget to tend the lawn – lawn care specialists can help with reseeding, rolling and mowing to get your lawn up to tennis court standards.

Get help and feel less stressed

Whilst a garden wedding can feel a bit like a DIY route, don’t fall into the trap of trying to do/source everything yourself – it’s guaranteed to raise the stress levels. Hire everything you need, from decorations, table linen and lighting to tables and chairs, DJ and dancefloor. We can help – let us take the strain, see how we help you plan and manage your wedding here

Garden Wedding Catering

Like all other elements that combine to make yours a wonderful Wedding cateringexperience, catering is central to the experience. You may love cooking for others, but catering for large numbers is stressful to plan and deliver. It could potentially mean you don’t actually enjoy the day. Sometimes, it’s just best to leave it to the professionals. Yes, there is a cost involved. If budget is an issue there are ways in which you can work with a caterer to keep costs reasonable. The good thing about hiring a catering firm is that they will also have serving staff and a clean-up crew – stacking plates is the last thing you will want to be doing on the day!
Visit our recommended supplier directory to find your perfect caterer.

Ask all your suppliers to visit

This will be particularly relevant for your caterer. They will need to see your kitchen and evaluate if it’s big enough and well equipped to prepare the menu. If not, they will need to plan accordingly.

Similarly, your marquee company will need to conduct a site visit to check how level the ground is and what preparations they may need to make to ensure that the wedding cake doesn’t slide off the table and that your guests can dance without risking falling over.

One important thing to remember is power and the potential need for a generator. If your event is going to involve lots of catering equipment, lighting and sound systems you don’t want to risk a power outage.

LanternsMake the most of what you’ve got

When your suppliers visit, see what suggestions they have that will help create a wow factor. Your marquee supplier will have good ideas of how your garden can be used to the greatest advantage. And if you’re having lighting, there will be ways of making the outside look pretty and welcoming, such as trees dressed with tiny twinkling lights or hung with lanterns – see our decor and theming galleries.

 

Be prepared for whatever the weather may be

Let’s face it, even at the height of summer there’s always the possibility of a downpour. A few flimsy gazebos will do nothing to stop a wonderful day being ruined. A marquee is the perfect solution whatever the weather, it can be heated or cooled as necessary. After all, if you are blessed with a beautifully sunny day you don’t want your guests to get overheated or sunburned, either!

Warn your neighbours

It’s only polite to let your neighbours know about your plans, especially if there will be music or a live band playing late into the evening. Get them on your side so as to avoid any angry confrontation on the day. You could even invite them over to join the party once all the formalities are over and done with. And, who knows, nice neighbours may offer parking spaces on their drives.

Think conveniences

Are you thinking that your one family bathroom will suffice for 100 guests? Boutique ToiletsIt won’t! Avoid long queues and rent some portable toilets instead. You don’t have to settle for the sort you see on building sites, we can provide luxury facilities such as themed or boutique style units that no one will mind using.

Check your insurance

There are going to be a lot of people coming and going, both guests and suppliers. And accidents can happen. Check that your suppliers have their own insurance policies in place, but it’s also well worth checking with your home insurance provider whether you should take out a supplemental policy yourself for third-party liability.

Get the cleaners in!

Whilst the main focus will be the garden, your guests may also pop in and out of your house. It’s always a good idea to call in the cleaners a few days before the event. They will see things that you don’t, most likely the cobwebs in hard to reach places that your guests will notice otherwise.

Planning a garden wedding? Talk to us!

If you are planning a garden wedding then speak to our team. We can create beautiful marquee structures to suit all tastes and styles. Our team are ready to discuss your wedding and help you top plan the perfect garden wedding marquee. 01372 459 485 or email enquiries@lifestylemarquees.co.uk