Finding a cheap wedding tent (or marquee) can be frustrating and a bit scarey!
What if it isn't big enough? If it falls down? Or it just looks cheap and would be better placed in a Scout camp?
How much space do you really need? A good start is to measure how much space you have for the wedding tent, this is then the maximum and it is no point looking at larger tents. The normal way of working out how much space you need is to allow for 10-12 square feet per person if sitting for dinner, 6 square feet per person for the ceremony and 2 square feet per person on the dance floor. Don't panic not everyone is up dancing at the same time!
You will need to calculate in serving tables - 100 square feet and DJ 200 square feet.
All of these figures include aisles!
So if you were having a reception for 60 people you will need 600 square feet for the tables plus 4 serving tables 400 square feet and a DJ and dance floor
300 square feet, cake table 6 square feet. Total space 1306 square feet.
For your cheap wedding tent you can save money by having the serving tables and even the top table on the dance floor during the wedding meal and then they can be moved away for the evening dancing.
Another tip to saving money is to try to have the tent on a flat surface so that you don't have to spend lots on a hard floor. I have organised functions through a wet winter in a tent that only needed the simple matting down, although we did have to pay extra for the heaters! A word of caution is that when the floor is bumpy it can get a bit dangerous when you have had a couple of glasses of wine!
Think if you need walls to the tent as these can cost extra, protection from the wind and rain is a must so you will need them if the weather isn't guaranteed.
When you make an enquiry ask about the cost to hire the furniture, you may be able to get a great deal if you go with the same company as the tent hire but don't presume that you will, shop around!
As with all purchases to ensure you have a bargain with your cheap wedding tent you need to compare the prices of a number of suppliers. Make sure you are comparing apples with apples and have a list of all of the costs included in the price. The cheapest will always be the one with half the things missing!
Ask lots of questions of your suppliers, helpful customer service is worth paying a bit extra for. It's your wedding and you want to feel as relaxed as possible. Remember this is your wedding venue that you are trusting them with make sure they can live up to this importance.
Ask for referees and ask to see the wedding tent up at a location, this way you can also evaluate the quality and how much decoration will be needed.
Suzanne has organised events in the UK and Europe for 12 years, in 2006 she set up her own event company and now looks to help brides and grooms save money on their wedding day.
http://www.cheap-wedding-solutions.com was started to provide practical information on how to have a cheap wedding. http://www.cheap-wedding-solutions.com/cheap-wedding-tent.html
Suzanne Daykin is the Editor of http://www.cheap-wedding-solutions.com and http://www.anniversary-gifts-by-year.com
As well as being an old fashioned romantic Suzanne has been an Event Manager for 12 years and has helped to organize events ranging from small intimate celebrations to large corporate product launches.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
