Bar hire and bar suppliers: A few things to consider

There are many different styles of bar available, and lots of different bar suppliers too. Selecting one comes down to budget, personal taste and/or the theme and styling of your event. 

Bars range from simple wooden trestle tables to fancy LED bars with flashing messages or pictures scrolling across their front. There’s more to hiring a bar than you might have realised, so here are just a few thoughts and pointers to help steer you in the right direction.

Different bar styles

There are mirrored bars, vintage style bars, barrel bars, modern, contemporary bars, cocktail bars, mobile bars, bars in camper vans, prosecco trikes; in-fact just about anything you can imagine will be out there and available to hire.

However, if you have something specific in mind and can’t find what you’re looking for there are bar companies who will manufacture something to match your specification. Just beware, the fancier the bar, the higher the price tag is likely to be.

Bars come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Circular or round bars are popular for larger gatherings and events. A round, centrally positioned bar creates a striking focal point and means that your guests will have plenty of space from which to order their drinks.

Bar size and layout

As fantastic as a circular bar looks, it’s a large, statement piece and it requires space in order for it to work. If your venue is small or ‘intimate’ as we prefer to say, then you might want to look at other options. Consider a semi-circular bar, or even a quarter of a circular bar placed in a corner.

If you’re holding your event in a marquee then you might want to increase the size of the marquee space if you’ve got your mind set on a round bar. One of the beautiful things about marquee venues is their adaptability, speak to your marquee supplier and ask for their advice.

Most bar suppliers will offer their standard bars for hire in a variety of adaptable configurations, perfect for different events, guest numbers and venue sizes. It’s possible to hire short straight bars – just a couple of metres long, form long straight bars, U shaped bars, square bars or corner units.

Where should you position your bar?

You’ll need to plan this carefully. The last thing you want to do is break up the flow of the party by making your guests walk long distances between the dance area and the bar.

Guests generally like to drink, socialise and dance, so if you keep the bar and the dance floor close together then you’re likely to find that your guests will congregate this area.

In terms of practicality, if your bar requires power; LED bars, those with fridges or beer pumps, then you’ll need to ensure that there’s a power socket nearby.

Make sure that there’s plenty of lighting to the bar area. This is crucial, not only for your guests, but also for the bar staff. A set of pin spot lights aimed at the bar is ideal. This may seem obvious but it’s an easy detail to overlook; make sure you speak to your venue supplier to make sure the right lighting is in place before the bar is set up.

In Summary

There are so many options when it comes to bar hire, from the simple to the sublime. It’s likely that your budget will dictate some of your decisions, but there are plenty of other factors that you’ll need to consider too.

Speak to a variety of bar suppliers to find out what they would recommend for the event that you are holding and your guest numbers. At Lifestyle marquees we know lots of bar suppliers, offering bars in a number of styles and at a variety of price points; we’re always willing to offer advice on bar hire for marquee spaces.

Contact Lifestyle marquees to discuss bar hire for your marquee wedding, party or event. We offer free, no obligation quotes and site visits for marquee hire.