Marquees for weddings

So you’ve decided to get married! Congratulations! But now the real work starts…planning it.  Many people like the idea of a wedding in a garden, park or at the beach so need to find out about marquees.  Marquees are fantastic for creating the romantic atmosphere that couples desire at their wedding.

Here are some quick tips to help you start working out what size marquee you will need and what information you will need to provide to your supplier when hiring a marquee.

Marquee size

Marquee sizes vary from quite small (4m x 6m) to extremely large (30m x 120m).

In order to work out what size you need for your wedding, you will need to know the number guests and whether they will be standing only, seated theatre-style or seated at tresle tables or round tables.  We’ve prepared a Marquee Size Calculator to estimate what size you will need.

If the marquee is 100m2 or over you will need to contact the council about a siting permit.  For more information on this see our previous article on Permits. Your event hire company should also be able to assist you with this requirement.

You may also need a permit if you are erecting a marquee in a park, foreshore area (beach) or other public space. Contact the relevant local council to see if they issue permits for the area or if it is controlled by Parks Victoria or a Foreshore Committee of Management. 

Weighting requirements

Marquees are subject to council regulations for temporary structures and must be erected by approved suppliers. This means they should be pegged to the ground to ensure that they are stable and secure in all weather conditions.  If you are planning to have a marquee on a hard surface (eg concrete, asphalt or a surface that cannot have pegs put in such as a tennis court) then the marquee will need to be weighted to meet building regulations.  Make sure your event hire company is aware of these requirements and inspects your site to check what equipment is required to safely erect the marquee.

 Clearance from other structures or trees

A site inspection will also ensure that the marquee can be safely erected in the designated area and have appropriate clearance from other buildings, trees or other structures.

 Underground services

Similarly, depending on where the marquee is going, you may need to provide a map of underground services such as water and gas pipes and drains. If your wedding is happening in a public space then the local authority (see above) should be able to assist with plans of underground services.