Weather is the one guest you cannot un-invite. A marquee wedding handles it better than most outdoor plans, provided you set it up for the season rather than for the forecast you are hoping for. Here is how to prepare.
Know the local pattern
The Clarence Valley runs hot and humid through summer, with storms that build in the afternoon and pass through in an hour. Spring and autumn are mild and mostly dry. Winter days are clear and the nights are cold. After heavy rain the ground on river flats and low paddocks stays soft for days, which matters for pegs, trucks and heels.
Choose the right marquee
Your marquee is the first line of defence. Peg-and-pole marquees are staked into the ground and sit well in wind, but they need grass or soil. On paving or concrete, a free-standing marquee is the answer. Whatever the style, ask for walls if there is any chance of rain, and ask about flooring so the dance floor is not a mud patch by nine o’clock. Our marquee range lists the walls for each style, and flooring depends on availability.
Have a contingency plan
Work out the wet weather plan with your marquee supplier before the week of the wedding:
- Walls on the weather side, or all the way round, to keep rain and wind out.
- Portable fans for a hot, still afternoon.
- A patio heater for a cold evening.
- A ceremony back-up inside the marquee if the garden is out.
Make sure these can be added at short notice and know who is making the call.
Decorate with the weather in mind
Weight the centrepieces so a gust does not clear the tables. Keep candles in holders or swap them for fairy lights. Plan a covered spot for drinks if guests will be outside the marquee. Add enough lighting inside for a grey afternoon as well as the evening, and light the walkways to the car park and the toilets.
Tell your guests
Put a line on the invitation or wedding website. Suggest a wrap or jacket for the evening, and shoes that can handle grass. On the day, use signs or a friend at the gate to steer guests from the car park to the marquee by the driest route.
Work with experienced vendors
Caterers, photographers and musicians who have worked in marquees know how to manage food in heat, light in a storm and power on a paddock. Ask each vendor whether they have done a marquee wedding before and what they need from you.
Rain or shine, the marquee goes up
We have installed marquees in every kind of Clarence Valley weather and we will tell you straight what your site needs. Tell us the date, the guest count and the ground. Get a quote or Call (02) 6643 2878.
