Marquee vs Hotel Venues For Weddings – Which Should You Choose?

If you’re planning your wedding, there’s no end to the list of decisions that you need to make! 

But, first and foremost, you’ll need to decide upon your venue. 

This is not only one of the biggest decisions you need to make, but also one of the first. 

For many couples, there are two main options to choose from. Either a traditional hotel venue or a marquee.

Both options offer their own unique advantages, and ultimately, the right choice depends on your priorities and what is most important for you on your special day. 

Buster Marquees are an experienced, trusted and renowned supplier of stunning marquees. We are chosen by couples across the country to bring their vision to life.  

We have a huge variety of marquees, including flexible options to suit your exact budget, style, available space, guest list, planned activities for the day and more. 

In this article, our event experts have provided their top tips for weighing up a marquee vs a hotel venue, including all the key points of difference you need to know to decide which is right for you.

Cost estimates 

Typically, a hotel venue will offer a package deal, which includes catering, furniture, coordination and more. While this makes budgeting more straightforward (and means you’ll be provided with an upfront cost), the price is pretty immovable, and often comes at a premium. 

In comparison, marquee weddings offer greater flexibility in terms of cost. While there are more suppliers to manage – and you’ll need to consider the additional cost of extra features like flooring, lighting, toilets, catering and power – these costs can vary a lot more, than if it all came at a fixed price.

So, this means you can be more precise about your expenses (and gives you more control over where you spend your budget). It also allows you to spend your money on the elements that are most important to you. 

Flexibility and personalisation

Similarly to the factor of cost, a marquee wedding gives you much greater flexibility in terms of design, personalisation and flexibility. 

With hotel venues, a high percentage of the elements are structured and pre-set. While there is still some room for personalisation, most aspects of the layout and style are fixed. For some couples, this is an advantage, as it means that there are a lot less decisions to make. 

But, if you want to design the entire space and work with a blank canvas, a marquee wedding offers the perfect solution. 

With a marquee, you can choose every element of your theme, layout and style, including everything from lighting to flooring and decor to seating layouts. 

Space and guest capacity

Usually, hotels have set capacities based on the size of the function rooms. While this makes it easy to plan and confirm how many people you can invite, this can also be restrictive if you want to increase your guest list later down the line.

A marquee provides much more flexibility, as the size can be adjusted if needed, to cater to a changing guest list.

With a marquee, you can also create separate areas for different parts of the evening. For example, you can establish set spaces for dining and dancing, plus dedicated areas to sit and relax into the evening.

Weather considerations

Naturally, a major concern is the weather on the day. 

Modern marquees are designed to be more than capable of withstanding the unpredictable British weather. However, if you opt for a marquee, you’ll still need to plan for different weather conditions. For example, you may need to consider heating, ventilation, undercover back-up plans, and so on. 

In comparison, hotel venues remove much of this uncertainty. By keeping everything indoors and having temperature control measures already implemented, this ensures peace of mind during the more unpredictable times of the year.

Location 

Naturally, once you choose a hotel venue, the location is fixed. The hotel and the location all come as part of the same package deal. Then, typically a hotel will have a set space that they use for the weddings they host (both for indoor and outdoor occasions).

With marquees, one of the biggest advantages is that they provide location flexibility. They allow you to host your wedding almost anywhere. You can choose a location that ticks all your boxes, and allows you to establish a completely one-of-a-kind setting.

Logistics 

When you opt for a hotel wedding, logistics are usually a lot more straightforward. All the logistical elements of the day – accessibility, parking, catering, staff, accommodation – are all set, and handled on your behalf. If your priority is a smooth planning process and minimal decision-making, hotels offer a lot of advantages here.  

In comparison, marquee weddings require more organisation and greater consideration of logistics. This includes requiring you to determine site access, accommodation, parking, power supply, toilets and any other facilities you need for the day. But, while this requires more logistical decision-making, if you want more flexibility and customisation, marquees allow you to make the venue completely your own.  

There’s no inherently ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ choice here – both marquees and hotels offer their own specific advantages for weddings. 

Ultimately, it’s all about assessing your priorities, and choosing a venue that aligns with the level of convenience vs flexibility that you want for your wedding. 

If you’re leaning towards a marquee wedding, or want to find out more about what is included with a marquee event hire package, Buster Marquees are on hand to help.

Our experienced team can help you to explore what’s possible, understand the practicalities and planning process, and work with you to create the perfect wedding venue.