4 Quick Tips to Choosing the Right Outdoor Party Marquee
Any al fresco event is incomplete without an outdoor party marquee. Marquees are the perfect addition to outdoor events, provided you find the right one for your special day. What most people don’t realise, however, is that they cannot fit all guests together inside a single marquee. Without the right planning and head count, you will end up with an overcrowded soiree.
Our experts have come up with this handy succinct checklist to help you choose the right outdoor party marquee for your next event.
1. Size
Before you request a quote for a new marquee, finalise the scale of your event. The right sized outdoor covered gazebo can really make a party stand out. Different sizes serve different purposes – large marquees such as our FS Series 84 Crest Marquee will support a bigger crowd and hence is best suited for annual corporate functions, weddings, large parties etc.
On the other hand, a small, lightweight, and compact marquee like our 3m x 3m Pavilion Marquee is ideal for smaller events such as birthday parties, work barbecue, etc.
To buy the right sized marquee, take the guest count, flooring, table & seating, and music area into account. Before zeroing in on the size of a marquee, also include some buffer space to ensure smooth operation (movement of caterers, cabinets for storing food and drinks, accommodating power generators, extra tables and chairs, and so on.)
2. Installation space
This is another important, but often overlooked factor when buying a marquee. If you need just one area of your event space to be covered, say like a bar space, you can go for a smaller marquee and be flexible about where you want to place it. However, if you want to cover your entire event, then you’ll have to select a larger outdoor covered gazebo – one that accommodates not only your guests but also the dining area, music bay, and the bar counter.
Expert tip: The flatter the ground, the better your marquee can be erected!
3. Number of guests
This one is quite obvious, yet we’ve seen clients share incorrect projections. Consequently, their marquee size is either awkwardly large for a small gathering or is inadequate to accommodate everyone.
Extreme Marquees recommends adding at least 10 buffer guests to your finalised head count for any event. This way, there will be no room for surprise when a colleague turns up at the last minute with a couple of potential clients at your corporate event, or when an aunt decides to bring her friends along to your barbecue.
4. Weather
Weather in New Zealand is unforeseeable. Thus, we always recommend our clients to consider both average and temporary weather conditions and then select the fabric. Ideally, your marquee must be able to withstand mild to rough weather and harsh sunlight. And it should be wind, water, and fire resistant; all our marquees shield you from harmful UV rays too.
Expert tip: Go for heavy-duty, anti-fade, and scratch-resistant fabric, so that your marquee has a durable and long life!
Speaking from experience, if you decide to go for a thicker fabric, make sure that there is adequate ventilation and electricity arrangements inside the marquee to avoid suffocation.
We hope these tips will help you find your ideal marquee setup for your next event. Unsure of what to expect? Or wondering where to begin? Request for assistance from our customer service representatives today!