Planning your tipi or marquee wedding plus the bar....

You've decided you're going to have the wedding you want, not what a hotel wants you to have (and is then willing to charge you huge amounts for). Good start, but then what?

We're often asked many questions about what we can do and how can we help. Most couples have no prior experience of organising an event, let alone their wedding day. Everybody seems to want to have an input and the task can become a bit daunting. No two weddings are ever the same but with experience and common sense, we can help make the task seem more fun.

Where to start? Ideally as soon as possible to ensure you get first pick of everything. Many decent venues, bars, caterers, bands, photographers etc. can be booked well over a year or two in advance.

How much can you afford to spend? Work this out and then add a contingency as there's always something extra.

View a few venues, check availability and see which seem right for you & which fit your budget. If you're looking for a marquee or tipi wedding, try to view open days or events so that you can gain a proper feel for how yours may look and ask questions. Most will also be able to recommend suppliers they've worked with previously. We have a list of great suppliers we've worked under our 'Friends' section or have a look at http://www.marqueesandevents.com/wedding-venues-partners for more ideas.

Once you've the venue, bar, structure, caterers, music, photographer & flowers in place you can then work on all the other details and enjoy the process. There's still the dress, outfits, entertainment, outside activities, toilets, generator (if required) etc. and all the interior parts to decide on but at least you've made a good start!

Anyway, back to the bar. To start with, we'll always obtain basic information such as location, expected day & night guests, hours of serving, what structures, drinks & any other special requests. We can then advise of the best way forward and like to meet everybody at our warehouse to run through their special day. We'll advise on licensing, schedule, logistics, drinks packages, setup, waste and most importantly provide advice and suggestions based on previous experiences. This helps the day run smoothly and prevents common problems.

The location of the bar is very important as is access to one of our vehicles for stock. Sometimes we can visit our vans 40 or 50 times in a day, The bar located by the dance floor or band are easily preventable.

There are good bar companies but also lots of basic ones who often run them as a secondary business. They may lack insurance, experience, equipment and have no back up plan should anything fail. Any good company will be able to provide multiple contacts too so that you can contact previous clients to find out about their experience.

Finally, what sort of bar will fit with your theme? Our rustic wooden bars are by far the most popular and fit particularly well in tipis and marquees but we also have a high spec Horse Box Bar.