7 easy tips to decorate your marquee for the Big Day

So you’ve chosen to hold your wedding reception in a marquee in the garden or a nearby field? That’s a great choice, and one that will give you plenty of opportunity to personalise the blank canvas space to your heart’s content. Whether you’re going for a vintage, boho or eco chic theme for the day, there are lots of ways to make the budget stretch further while creating the perfect stylish environment in which to celebrate your wedding.

Take inspiration from these 7 decorating ideas to help transform your wedding marquee from plain and simple to utterly spectacular.

Chalkboard signage

Welcome your guests and help them navigate through the venue, not with boring signage you might find in commercial spaces but with quirky, hand written chalkboards. They’re a great way to decorate an entrance, lay out the schedule for the day or jazz up the bar area or dessert table.

You can buy these ready-made, customised with a monogram, logo or wedding date. Alternatively, you could upcycle an old picture frame and spray paint it to match your décor. Drape with a flower garland or greenery and voila.

Source: Weddbook

Ceiling drapes

Marquees are wonderful spaces with lofty ceilings that are easy to transform into relaxed yet elegant venues. Use generous lengths of luxe white fabric, or muted tones that complement the colour of the marquee and your wedding theme, and drape them over the marquee lining on the ceiling and around the entrance. For best effect, use soft and flowing material and add dramatic uplighting that will come into its own at dusk and beyond.

Source: Bride Magazine

Paper lanterns and pompoms

If you want to draw the eye upwards into the room, paper lanterns and pompoms are the way to go. Think about your overall colour scheme to see how paper decorations can be incorporated overhead, and choose a mixture of shades and sizes to create a dynamic display.

Pompoms in a range of colours can add an element of fun. And the best bit is that they don’t need to cost a lot. Rather than buying them, all you need is a simple video tutorial such as this one, some basic materials and a bit of time, and you can make them at home with your friends.

Source: Arabian Tents 

Flowers and greenery

Flowers are an essential component of every wedding reception, but it doesn’t just have to be flowers. Recent wedding decoration trends have seen lush greenery, exotic plants, herbs and berries being incorporated alongside more conventional floral arrangements, producing unique results and a twist on the traditional.

What’s more, floral arrangements aren’t just for table centrepieces. Use sprigs of herbs in place settings , suspend lush arrangements from the ceiling, add a flower wall or drape garlands around doorways for show stopping effects. And if you’d rather save the budget for the big ticket items such as the dress, the ring and the honeymoon, you can make your own wedding flowers.

Source: Green Wedding Shoes

Using colour

Choosing a colour scheme for your Big Day will be one of the first decisions you make. When it comes to decorating the venue, this can be carried through via fabrics and materials, china and glassware, flowers and accessories and more.

Whether you’re going for a jolly country theme or an Indian or Moroccan inspired fusion trend, using lots of vibrant colour is key. Consider keeping the cost down by renting or sourcing second hand coloured glassware to make your tables pop, and going wild with bold shades in napkins, flowers, exotic fruit and berries.

Source: Chappo

Mood lighting

Part of the magic of a marquee as a wedding venue is the mesmerising lighting that brings the space to life when the evening draws in. Think festoon lighting draped overhead for a magical canopy effect, or fairy lights wrapped around pillars for a fairytale finish.

Candlelight in all its forms – from tiny tea lights dotted around tables to majestic candelabras taking pride of place – should form a major element of your lighting scheme. Paired with dramatic uplighting and sumptuous fabrics will see the space transformed into a magnificent scene of dancing lights. Making your own votive candles is not difficult and can be great fun.

Source: Wedding Wire

Photo wall

A photo wall is quick and easy to assemble and makes a lovely personal statement for all your guests to see. It’s the perfect conversation starter for guests who may not know each other. You could devote one row of pictures to your partner’s family and one to yours, or mix them all up together.

It’s also something that both partner’s families can have an input into and a lovely opportunity to work together on a common future. You could even showcase the new family tree!

Source: Martha Stuart Weddings