We chose to have a marquee in my parent’s garden. This worked out to be much cheaper than a typical wedding venue. We invited lots of marquee companies to give us quotes. I would advise going for a smaller supplier, as we did, because if they are small enough (this will depend on their annual income) they will not be registered for VAT so you
will save 15% which is a massive saving. Apart from the big marquee, we had a few smaller canopies and mini marquees that we used for shade and for seating areas. We borrowed these smaller marquees from friends and family (free!), but if you do not know people who own these then you could buy one from Homebase or B&Q and then sell them on afterwards and make some of the money back!
Top tips:
- Go and see lots of different venues and get together lots of quotes. Do not be afraid to haggle – a venue wants your business and many times they will be flexible on the price.
- Be flexible about the day of the week you get married. It will come as no surprise that getting married on a weekday is a lot cheaper than at the weekend.
- Have a look at the décor of the venue. The more decoration/charm that the venue has the less decoration and flowers you will need.
- If having a marquee, try to find a company that is not VAT registered and you will automatically save 15%!
