How Do We Decorate Our Marquee for Our Wedding?

wedding venue marquees are big spaces to fill.

How can we add atmosphere to your Bath, Somerset & Cotswold Wedding Marquee?

Hamswell House Bath Marquee Wedding Decor

Photo Christophe Bourgeois Florals Coppergreen Flowers

Marquees weddings are wonderful blank canvas spaces with lofty ceilings that are easy to transform into unique, elegant venues. Many are located within beautiful surroundings and hopefully weather permitting the walls can be left open.

I love decorating marquees for weddings as you really can be creative and make them your own.

With any blank canvas wedding venue you can DIY it with wedding hire props or call in the professionals to help decorate and set up for you.

When decorating a marquee I recommend zoning your marquee, the areas I would zone include:

Marquee Wedding Entrance Decor

This sets the tone of your wedding - add milk churns, shepherds crooks with floral jars to line the entrance, an order of the day to let you guests know what will be happening and a when, you can add a welcome sign, personalised, a sign post directing guests to the destinations of your wedding.

Bittenham Springs Wedding Marquee Cotswolds Photographer Captured by Katrina

Marquee Wedding Gift Display

Create an area where your guest can leave their cards and gifts, create a display with lanterns, hire wedding suitcases, hire vintage wooden crates for cards and a personalised wedding guest book is a great idea - why not ask guests to sign a map of places they recommend you visit, or to suggest special date nights written on postcards and put in a jar?

Marquee Wedding Hire Welcome Table Sign Wedding Styling Rustic Rentals

Marquee Wedding Ceiling Decor

I really recommend getting creative to create the wow factor for your wedding hanging decor and wedding hanging floral decoration. So many options to have hanging hoops - either vertical or horizontal but horizontal are harder to level up, foliage or wedding floral ladders, fairy light installations, paper lanterns coloured or white and a modern alternative is folded fabric draping.

Marquee Wedding Drinks Reception & Bar

Wedding day drinks stations are an opportunity to make your wedding Pinterest worthy - you can hire a barrel bar and then add vintage a frames for hire , our indian cart and vintage dog cart are unique items to display your drinks.

Add straw bales with vintage galvanised baths for beers, lager and soft drinks or baths, vintage wine and champagne crates Don't forget water and soft drinks and hire some kilner jar dispensers filed with homemade lemonade, flavoured water or mocktails.

Marquee Wedding Seating Area

All guests will, appreciate somewhere more comfortable to sit after dinner ad especially more elderly guests, this is quite often overlooked and you can ask yo borrow friends or families rattan garden furniture, or we have vintage rattan chairs for hire. Add hire wedding rugs, hire wedding cushions, lanterns, some hire wedding blankets displayed on a hire wedding step ladder or in hire wedding apple crates to create a focal point for when it gets chilly and even add a fire pit and s’mores for later in the evening.

Marquee Wedding Cake Display

I advocate that you add decor and style the items you have already arranged. Your cake is a perfect opportunity to make this individually yours- you can use vintage hire console tables, ladder a frames, vintage indian hire carts - why not add some vintage hire shutters, arch or draping behind to create a backdrop?

Hire Wedding Cake Ladder Display

Marquee Wedding Photo Booth

These can be made from a few hire vintage picture frames and you can add props if you wish for fun and they don’t need to be a special hired in unit. create a hash tag for guests to upload the photos.

Wedding Vintage Hire Picture Frames

Hat Storage Display for Guests

This can be a fun way to create an area where guests can put their hats - you can use hire a frame ladders, or hanging rope to pin the hats onto, or vintage hat stands on a table.

Marquee Dance Area

Some couples chose to have a separate marquee for the wedding party dance floor, curtained off for the reception. Options include coloured dance floors, uplighting, and ceiling laser displays, or coloured lanterns - there are specialist events companies or you may have a dance floor within the main area of the wedding marquee.

Exmoor Woodland Marquee Wedding Styling with Rustic Decor Touches - Featured Rock My Wedding

somerset rustic woodland barn wedding styling & wedding marquee styling

As Featured in Rock My Wedding

As The Beatles famously said, "We get by with a little help from our friends" and this is never truer than at a wedding. Hannah, our bride today, was in the very fortunate position of having a mum who runs the GORGEOUS Rustic Rentals but she also says that their wedding wouldn't have been a success were not for the extraordinary generosity and talent of their family and friends. Isn't that just lovely?! From the incredible flower hoop to the prettiest maids in cornflour blue, there are so many elements to love about this wedding.

"As two people who love the outdoors we wanted a relaxed day in a beautiful setting surrounded by friends and family. We were drawn to the beauty and simplicity of Streamcombe Farm, the rustic woodland setting and mature country gardens within the Exmoor National Park. The fact we could make it a full weekend celebration with accommodation and camping on site made it a natural choice for us." - Hannah & Stuart

Hannah and Stuart wanted a country, woodland styled decor with florals in blush neutral colours. With a simple marquee which needed glamourising all the ingredients were there for some epic florals and my goodness they are epic. In total there were 18 flower hoops, softened slightly with voile with lots of greenery, pretty florals and candlelight.

Featured Rock My Wedding Venue: Streamcombe Farm | Florist: Caroline Clements Flowers | Cake: The Creative Pantry Somerset | Planner/Stylist & Decor/Hire: Rustic Rentals | Entertainment: Only by The Night via Warble Ents. | Gift List : The Wedding Shop | Marquee: Vintage Marquees | Glamping Tents: Native Tents | Sign Writing:Urban Frame | Wedding Dress: Mikaella Bridal | Bridal Boutique: Flossy & Willow | Bridesmaid Dresses: Hobbs | Grooms Suit: Clifton Suits | Bridal Shoes:Paradox London | Hair Stylist: Brigitte Fisher | Makeup Artist: Hanging Face

How to Style & Decorate a Rustic Barn Wedding in the Cotswolds - The Wool Barn

Styling Guide for a Rustic Barn Wedding - The Wool Barn - Frampton Court Estate - Cotswolds

The Wool Barn Frampton On Severn

The Wool Barn Frampton On Severn www.framptoncourtestate.co.uk

Bride wearing Augusta Jones Lace Dress

Beautiful Orangery Frampton Court

How do you chose the theme for your wedding decor?

Firstly, decide on the theme for your wedding – do you want a minimalist or a more elaborate style? Do you favor a rustic or an elegant, boho, festival, scandi, or minimalist theme?

If you’ve chosen a rustic theme there are different styling options for a rustic wedding – rustic with hessian and lace, rustic chic, rustic woodor why not combine all of them - always remember its your day so do it your way.

Choosing a venue that suits your wedding style will mean that you naturally will need to do less to create the wedding of your dreams and for a rustic wedding a barn has to be one of the first choices.

I always recommend visualising the day as it will unfold and imagine a walk through starting with your guest arrival. How do guests know where to park, is signage needed to the entrance, do you want some décor at the entrance other considerations include – would you like any of the following - a Welcome sign, card display, ceremony décor, your table plan.

Lastly any other items you would like to include such as photo opportunities, sweet or olive bars, drinks stations, cake displays.

Round table -With hessian runner, vintage milk churns, hessian and lace tea lights and flower jars - Photo Curtesy of www.louisebowles.co.uk

Wedding Styling tips for a barn wedding

When planning your décor whether it is large props or small tea lights always think in 3’s – a tall, middle height and low height item.

Aim to create a few area that provide impact and don’t be tempted to sprinkle a few props all around the venue – barns are large spaces and a few items in lots of places can look lost, unless you’re lucky enough to have a large budget.

Flowers in small necked glass vases or jars or garden centre plants or herbs in terracotta or zinc flower pots are a cost effective way to add additional florals to compliment your florists flowers for décor areas, as well as garden centre plants in hessian sacks which you can then plant in your garden as a reminder of your day – hopefully they will flower at the same time on your anniversary.

Long table dressed with hessian runner, vintage milk churns, flower vases and tea lights, chalkboard table name

Wedding Venue Entrance styling

This is the first thing guests will see and allows you the opportunity to welcome your guests, create an impact and set the style of your wedding. Opportunities for the entrance décor are endless and can include signage, step ladders, vintage or decorative bikes, wheelbarrows, milk churns, crates, lanterns, tin baths, rustic crates, shepherd’s crooks.

Entrance sign to drinks reception with vintage decorative bike, vintage milk churns ad flower vases

What Props to add to the wedding Welcome Area

This will normally have a welcome sign which can be personalised to your taste - options include calligraphy hand written signs on wood, Perspex, crates made for you and that you can keep as a memento of the day for the order of the day, sign writing crates, chalkboards, hanging hoops & shutters. You can include your card box here, there are many options that can be used which include vintage cases, hat boxes, wooden crates, galvanised tubs. Wicker baskets, tools boxes & vintage trugs decorated with flowers in jars, on log slices and with tea lights and candlesticks. I love using ivory or pastel coloured taper candles to tone with the décor colour.

The Wool Barn Wedding Frampton On Severn Gloucestershire, Cotswolds - vintage step ladder dressed with vintage school props as the bride and groom were teachers and dancing shoes galvanised bath

rustic wedding Table Plan ideas

Vintage bikes with decorated floral baskets look so pretty for these, as do pallets with hanging pots of flowers, wheelbarrows full of flowers, crates or ladders with photo frame table names, all decorated with flowers, greenery, glass jars of flowers, candlesticks and tea lights.

Other options include vintage window frames with floral or greenery garlands or shutters with flower pots with the name places on them or on mini hoops.

The Wool Barn Wedding Frampton On Severn Gloucestershire, Cotswolds - Table Plan created form pallet with galvanised flower pots and hessian table names

wedding Order of The Day ideas

One of my personal favourites is to personalise a pallet with calligraphy writing for the order of the day, other options include rustic style signs, sign writing crates, chalkboards, hanging hoops & shutters.

Alex Cars Vintage Bedford Bus fr the guests to get to the church

The Wool Barn Wedding Frampton On Severn Gloucestershire, Cotswolds - Order of the day

Wedding Ceremony Décor

How to dress your ceremony table, I love to use tall pillar candlesticks for the ceremony table along with wooden hoops in stands with a beautiful floral display in an urn or vintage galvanised mini feeding trough. Foliage and floral runners with pillar candlesticks, taper candlesticks with pretty coloured candles or ivory or a floral or foliage swag look amazing as well.

The Wool Barn Wedding Frampton On Severn Gloucestershire, Cotswolds -shepherds crook and sweet pea floral decoration

Aisle options include glass, copper, silver lanterns on log slices with foliage, pine cones and small wooden hearts at the base. Wicker hearts with floral or foliage décor. Floral or foliage hanging sprays from the chairs, swags on the backs of chairs or hessian or lace chair sashes- - I don’t use these as I prefer natural floral and foliage and candlelight.

If you’re having an outdoors ceremony you could decorate the aisle with shepherds crook with pretty floral jars and candles in jars

A tip if using hessian sashes please be careful that they don’t scag guests outfits or leave fibres on their clothes.

Barns afford fantastic opportunities for hanging installations – these can be hoops, canopy lights, cart wheels. Bunting, material swags in muslin look amazing, festoon lighting.

The Wool Barn Wedding Frampton On Severn Gloucestershire, Cotswolds - Hanging vintage cart wheel

 Wedding Confetti Trugs

I love to collect and dry rose and other flower petals and then put them in a Vintage French Trugs with or without cones, this is a lovey way to introduce some of your home into your day and also friends and relatives can collect them for you making it a lovely way to introduce friends and family into your day and an added bonus it saves quite a bit of money as well.

The Wool Barn Wedding Frampton On Severn Gloucestershire, Cotswolds - Confetti Trug

rustic wedding Table Decor

The choice of décor will depend on whether you have long trestle type tables or round ones.

You can use wooden trestles with foliage, hessian, lace or silk runners, there are now so many different runner options in natural materials or hand dyed or cheaper material ones available. Add small log slices, wooden pillar or vintage brass taper candlesticks of different heights with groups of three tea light and floral jars or vases in between with a delicate foliage runner looks so pretty.

The Wool Barn Wedding Frampton On Severn Gloucestershire, Cotswolds -Vintage Milk Churn Table Decor

I don’t think any round rustic table is dressed without a log slice –we’ve struggled as venue decorators to find an alternative to these, they help ground the table center and gave additional height.  There are so many options for round tables. Vintage milk churns and jugs, lanterns in glass, rose gold, brass or silver, geometric shape terrariums, wooden, glass or mercury silver pillar candlesticks, glass, silver or vintage brass taper candlesticks all accessorised with small flower vases, tea lights all in groups of 3 and not forgetting foliage, you can add pine cones or other small accessories . There is always the option with round tables to add foliage or material runners as well.

Trestle tables are increasingly popular and mu personal favorite, these can be dressed with runners in cheesecloth, chiffon, macramé candlesticks, pillar candles, tea lights they can be rustic with bare wood or more elegant with tablecloths and candelabra.

Table names can be displayed in vintage frames, on mini easels, written onto log slices, chalkboards or Perspex.

Name places can be written on mini blackboards, slate, marble, agate, card or vintage handmade paper with silk ribbons that match your invites. Other alternatives include Perspex, written on mini log slices, accessorised with foliage or flowers and ribbon, hessian twine

Barn wedding Hanging Décor

This can include hanging flowers from ladders, hoops, greenery garlands, fairy lights, festoon lighting, flags, giant hoops, paper lanterns, origami, bunting, pom poms, geometric shapes or lanterns.

The Wool Barn Wedding Frampton On Severn Gloucestershire, Cotswolds - Barn floral decor

Wedding Bar, Cake Table, Dessert table ideas

Individuality is the key here - Why not include an Indian Cart, Vintage Trestles for your drinks or back bar? Add crates, vintage scales, boxes to create impact. Gin, imp your prosecco, his and hers cocktails and whisky and cigar bars are all options. Prosecco bar. Of course no vintage wedding is complete without vintage galvanised tubs for wine, beer and soft drinks coolers.

The Wool Barn Wedding Frampton On Severn Gloucestershire, Cotswolds - Cup cake stand

Wedding Dance Floor Ideas

You can consider using a different canopy dressing over the dance floor to highlight this area.

Wedding Chill Out Area Ideas

Hopefully your venue will have gorgeous outside space where you can have fire pits, smores and toasted marshmallows, accessorised with festoon lighting, rugs, sofas, giant cushions, low tables, lanterns, poufs, flowers and not forgetting blanket displays in galvanised baths, on ladders or railway trolley for those chilly English nights.

The Wool Barn Wedding Frampton On Severn Gloucestershire, Cotswolds - dancing shoes in galvanised tub - very popular with the ladies

Gardens at The Wool Barn - Horse and Carriage Benford Carraiages

Credits

Prop hire, planing and stylist - www.rusticrentals.co.uk

Photographer - www.louisebowlesphotography.com

Venue - www.framptoncourtestate.co.uk

Brides Dress - www.cliftonbrides.co.uk

Designer - www.augustajones.com

Bridesmaid dresses - www.whistles.com

Catering - www.napiercatering.co.uk

Florist - www.sororidesignflorist.co.uk

Band - www.themoonloungers.com

Horse and Carriage - www.benfordcarriages.co.uk