Having some outside lighting at your wedding or party can add some serious bang for your buck and really help set the scene. It could be just as simple as a pair of floodlights uplighting a couple of trees or 40m of warm white fair style festoon lights - both options are less than £100. ​

We also stock 4ft and 10ft high festoon light poles as you can see in the middle photo above. They can be placed anywhere but look great flanking a strip of matting leading to your marquee or tipi entrance. 

It's not just the decorative quality of outside lighting you need to consider but the functional quality too. Most people have lights on their mobile phones now but if guests need to find their way across fields to collect their car at the end of the night a little illumination is very welcome. I really don't want to tell the story (or publish the photo) of one poor wedding guest who found himself up to the shoulders in a slurry ditch...

​For £2-300 you could get a really nice outside lighting set up. Festoons are £40 per 20m length and floodlights are £15-30 depending on size. Fire pits are £85. We often use fairy light strands outside if you want more subtle warm and pretty lighting. Once we put a disco ball and smoke machine in a copse for a slightly psychedelic outside lighting feature (complete with swing suspended from a branch)!

​You're very welcome to do your own outside lighting because it's not expensive or rocket science. The point is that for a little expense we you can create a difference to your event which is worth far more. 

For 2018 we've invested in a new range of wedding chairs which we know will be bridal dynamite over the next few seasons as they're already popular at society weddings in The Hamptons. These natural lime oak French crossback chairs really do hit the 'rustic-luxe' nail firmly on the head. Coupled with long or round solid wood tables we don't think there's a better way to be at the crest of the wedding trend wave. ​

We stock rustic planks which can be suspended anywhere in frame marquees and between the poles of traditional marquees both with edison bulbs or without. As you can see in the picture below, hessian drapes are effective particularly when partnered with strands of warm white fairy lights. The long tables have white cloths and are joined with ever-popular limewash Chiavari chairs.  ​

​We are also currently working on a round wooden bar measuring roughly 4m in diameter. We already have an illuminated round bar which is very popular but the wooden version will work well with the rustic-luxe look. Look for photos coming soon!
I hope this has been useful. Your wedding marquee doesn't have to reflect the latest trend - I suppose it depends on how much you want your photos to kick around on Pinterest and various wedding blogs once your big day has passed. Whatever boxes you want to tick, Oakleaf Marquees have the bits and bobs to help you tick them!

Why have a marquee if you already have a barn or warehouse to convert, particularly over the wetter and windier months of the year. With our draping, flooring, lighting and furniture we can create an incredible venue in virtually any building. 

We've worked with this particular company in Weymouth, Dorset for three years. Each Christmas they push the boat out a step further and challenge us to create something with more 'wow' factor than the year before. In December 2017 they needed to accommodate 250 guests with space for a large dance floor, bar and entrance areas for a 'VIP after-show' themed party. Here are the before and after photos - what a difference!  ​

We covered a 495 square metre area with black starlight linings suspended from the existing warehouse structure (which was a challenge given the very gentle pitch of the roof). New black carpet and a mirrored dance floor covered the floor. Round tables were fitted with crushed black velvet table cloths which gave an opulent feel, particularly with gold candelabra as the centres and surrounded with gold chairs. We also draped 40m of corridor and fitted red carpet so the building felt completely different to the staff attending the party. ​

The Events Field is suitable for functions with up to 200 guests and the views of the surrounding countryside are breathtaking. Any of our structures are suitable for use. The summer house can be incorporated inside the marquee as you can see in the picture above (a large marquee is required to do this) or we can position a smaller marquee alongside it. Alternatively, it can be set apart from the marquee and a stretch tent or oriental canopy used to cover guests. 

Holme for Gardens offers excellent parking facilities and suitable power outlets for an average wedding or party. Use of the venue comes with the services of professional and acclaimed wedding planners Blue Bay Events who have a list of outstanding wedding suppliers experienced in working at the venue. They also organise regular open days so you can see its charm for yourself.

We've worked with the following suppliers at Holme for Gardens: event caterers Claret Catering, ​photographer One Thousand Words ​(who took the photos you can see here),  bar company A&D Mobile Bars, disco Pegasus Disco and venue dressers Perfectly Pretty Weddings. 

For more information and to enquire about availability please email Blue Bay Events [email protected]

Marquees epitomise everything an English summer wedding stands for. They are timeless, elegant and can offer complete flexibility when creating a bespoke space for your wedding day. 

Marquees are a blank canvas and you need to be bold in your decisions when designing their internal decor. What most people forget is the power of flowers and how they literally can turn a simple marquee into something magical and completely unique to you and your wedding.

As a florist I have learnt that there are a few key factors when creating floral designs for a marquee. So here are my top five for your consideration. 

1) High and low
One way to create interest and intrigue is to mix up the height of focal points. To achieve this you need to vary the heights of your table centres throughout from low candle arrangements to high pomander balls. This will create a range of heights and therefore focal points which will force your guests eyes to travel around the room.

2) Swing from the ceiling
Combining the height of your marquee and beautiful floral design can create spectacular focal points. Consider giant flower bombs suspended above your guests or a ceiling covered in suspended blooms. Don't forget you can decorate the tops of traditional marquee poles, create floral chandeliers and set up hanging flower beams perfect for decorations over the top table. 

​3) Bring in the garden
One easy and immediate way to link the inside of the marquee to its outdoor location is to install potted living trees, shrubs and plants. Placing these planted pots around entrances, the bar or even the dance floor will add a level of interest and help distinguish different areas within the marquee. 

4) Budget vs impact
People automatically imagine that creating a visual spectacle with flowers will be costly and I will admit that it can be. But, this is where it is so important to work with your florist and discuss where your budget is best spent. For me this is vital and careful consideration on where you are going to spend your budget will make or break the look of your marquee. For example; do you put a standard and average table decoration on each of your fifteen tables? Or would you be better spending that money on just seven breathtaking table arrangements, which are just so beautiful people can't take their eyes off them? This is where you should work with your florist and let them come up with a number of suggestions for you. 

5) Other than roses
Don't believe that floral design has to be just flowers, you can work with your florist to create alternative designs, which most of the time can spread the budget further. Flower bombs of Autumn foliage can look just as beautiful as one filled with roses! You can create height with vases of bare winter twigs or seasonal table centres with forced bulbs. 

Finally, I truly believe that flowers turn a marquee into something truly magical if used properly. It is always important to coordinate your entire look with lighting, linen, chairs, carpet and draping. This is why I would always suggest that whichever florist you choose, make sure that they work closely with your marquee company so together they can create a final look that is better than you could have ever imagined. 

Thanks to Emma Whicher of Martha and the Meadow, Dorset wedding and event florist for this helpful and inspiring article. ​

A difficult question, a bit like being asked which one of my parents I like most! I don't have a favourite - all have their own charm.

Tipis are increasingly popular because one of the priorities with weddings is the desire to do something different and original. Many of us have been to a wedding in a white marquee whether it be a pole or frame structure whereas a wedding in a tipi is a new experience for most. However, all our marquee styles allow customers to bring them to life in their own way - there is virtually no restriction on decorations. We've installed wallpapered walls, water features, topiary, different carpet colours, Moroccan linings and lanterns, coloured drapes and so much more over the years. That's one of the key reasons people choose a marquee wedding.

Tipis can be a bit more cosy by virtue of the fact that there's less roof space (due to the conical design) and you can have real fires inside thanks to the flaps at the top that allow smoke out. You don't get one big space with tipis as you do with marquees because they are smaller (10.3m diameter) structures joined together, so depending on layout the event can feel slightly divided. Having said that, I'm sure we've all been to rocking house parties where several rooms are involved, some with music playing, others for chilling out, the kitchen for drink and snack selection, which never seemed to affect the atmosphere negatively at the time.

What I really like about tipis is the timbers we use which are de-barked spruce from the freezing forests of Scandinavia and all 80+ years old. Furthermore, tipis have been used by humans for 4000+ years and I love that sense of sitting in a piece of history. Traditional white pole marquees are very English and suitable for quintessential country wedding experiences and clearspan frame marquees are extremely flexible in terms of layout and interior fixtures and fittings - both attributes I like. 

Tipis are darker inside due to the canvas used, so if you're after an event space that's light and airy then perhaps a tipi isn't the best choice. Also, you don't get the many window options as you do with a conventional marquee - if you want to look out at a view the sides need to be raised which is great in summer but not ideal if it's raining and windy.  

Whichever structure you choose for your event, you can rest assured that you will get the best standard from us and we'll happily meet with you to introduce our range and listen to your ideas. Oakleaf Marquees are renowned throughout Dorset, Somerset and across the South West for the hire of marquees and tipis. A quality service, premium product and approachable pricing. ​