A garden wedding in Essex is one of the most popular — and most personal — ways to celebrate. Your own space, your own rules, your own vibe. But it also means taking care of everything a venue would normally handle, and the marquee is the most important piece of that puzzle.
Here’s what we’ve learned from setting up marquees for weddings across Essex over the years.
The Garden Needs to Work
Before anything else — does your garden or venue actually have the space? For a wedding with 80 seated guests, a dance floor and a bar, you’re typically looking at a 9m x 12m footprint as an absolute minimum. That’s roughly half a tennis court.
The ground also matters. Marquees can go on grass, concrete or decking, but the anchoring method changes depending on the surface. If you’re on solid ground throughout, we’ll need to use ballast weights rather than stakes — that’s worth knowing early.
What’s Included With SMH
Our wedding marquee hire includes delivery, professional setup, full lining, LED lighting, flooring, tables and chairs, and collection. Everything is included in the package price — no hidden extras.
If you want table linen, additional lighting or heating, those are available as add-ons. We’d rather you know exactly what you’re getting upfront.
How Far in Advance Should You Book?
Summer Saturdays in Essex fill up fast — we’d recommend booking at least 6 months in advance for peak season dates. That said, we do take shorter notice bookings when availability allows. If your date is coming up, it’s always worth calling rather than assuming we’re full.
What Questions Should You Ask Any Marquee Company?
Whoever you hire from, these are the questions worth asking:
- What’s actually included in the price — and what costs extra?
- Do you do a site visit before the event?
- What’s your policy if there’s a problem on the day?
- Are you fully insured?
- Can I see photos of previous setups similar to mine?
If a company can’t answer all of these clearly, that tells you something.
A Few Things People Don’t Think About
Power — do you have an outdoor socket within reach, or will you need a generator? We can advise on this during a site visit.
Neighbours — a heads up to neighbours about the setup day and any noise is always worth doing.
Weather — April through September is our busiest period but British weather is what it is. Good linings and optional heating mean your guests stay comfortable whatever happens.
Ready to start planning? Get in touch with the SMH Events team and we’ll work through the details with you.