We can provide as many sockets and extension leads as required if we are providing the power distribution inside the marquee. We charge a set fee for this (not per socket). Please ask your caterers and suppliers how many sockets they require and what voltage they will be using for their electrical equipment. We will send you a power requirements form prior to your event which we ask you to fill in with as much detail as possible, so that when we come to deliver, we can ensure your suppliers have the correct power in the correct location.

We usually set up the marquee on the Wednesday or Thursday before your event and take it down on the Sunday (or depending on availability, this could be extended to Monday for a fee if you wish – please enquire for pricing). Our site managers will schedule the set up and take down according to our calendar but please let us know if you have a preference at the time of booking or if your venue requires a particular date for set up & takedown. Please note, we can't guarantee certain set up and take down days unless otherwise agreed prior to booking.

In advance of our team arriving on site for set-up, please ensure the grass on site has been cut short, and collected – it will make a huge difference, both under foot and for the photos – and is very hard to do once the marquee is up! To ensure the best ground conditions for your marquee and prevent delays in the build, we ask that all holes are filled in or leveled off in preparation for set-up, there are no obstacles and that there are no fires in the area in the two months prior, to ensure time for the grass to re-grow.

On the confirmed delivery day, the team will arrive between 8 & 9 am. Ideally, you, a parent or a planner will be on site for our arrival – to approve the final site position and to discuss the build process. If no one can be there on our arrival, we will position the marquee according to the plan created. Please note variations may apply if the ground isn't suitable when following the plan – any changes will be at the discretion of the site manager if you cannot be there.

We would expect the marquee up and floor down by the early afternoon, furniture, loo's and generator to arrive mid afternoon, and to be completed by late afternoon.

Please ensure you are on site again late afternoon (a time to be confirmed on the morning with the team) for the all important hand over – This is to teach you how to turn the generator on and off, open doors / walls, lift and lower flower rings etc.

Although we aim to complete on the day, we will, if required, return the next day – so it is important to ensure you are happy with the set up and nothing is missing.

We usually start take down between 8 – 10am. Please make sure there is a cleaning process in place to clear away any crockery, bottles, decorations etc the morning after the wedding day prior to the time above or on the last day of use, so that we can start taking the tent down immediately on arrival.

In the event of rain we will do our best to provide cover where possible. If you are having an outdoor ceremony it might be worth considering adding a stretch tent or smaller sailcloth marquee for your ceremony area if you are worried about the forecast. We can add these onto your invoice last minute but please note they are subject to availability and we can't guarantee we will have a structure available which is why we suggest booking one in advance if the forecast is causing you any worry. Please note, once a stretch tent is confirmed on your invoice it is non refundable.

If the weather is looking good, you are more than welcome to fold up the sides of the marquee. It is easy to do and we will show you how during our hand over.

We provide the flower ring itself, NOT the flowers, therefore a florist would need to dress this for you. This also applies to the flower ladders and gripple wires. Please see the decorative item specification for more details on max weight they can hold, how they can be dressed and extra information for your florist.

Our flower rings are hung around the king poles inside our marquees, and they create a beautiful focal point which can be dressed in any way you wish. From stunning flower and foliage arrangements to supporting multiple shiny disco balls to kick start the party, they really are a blank canvas for you to personalise! Hung from the rigging at the top of the marquee they come in either 1.5m or 4m in diameter and can be hung at any height as long as they don't touch any canvas.

There is a pulley system rigged to the flower ring, which when unclipped can be lowered, dressed at floor level and then raised back up into place. We recommend having help on hand whenever lowering or raising the rings. It will need minimum 2-3 people to lift back into place depending on the weight of the foliage.

The rings consist of two rings, connected around every 30cm with a cross beam. Typically, florists use chicken wire, cable ties or string to attach foliage, flowers and other decorative items to the rings. We can also provide power to the flower rings, which can host extra lighting such as hanging bulbs.

Dimensions:

• 1.5m Flower Rings – a 1.5m diameter ring, with an inner ring which sits 10-20cm inside of the outer ring. These smaller rings are made from steel and can withstand a weight up to 30kg. The ring circumference is 4.7m
• 4m Flower Rings – a 4m diameter ring, with an inner ring which sits 10-20cm inside of the outer ring. These larger flower rings can take a maximum weight of 25kg. The ring circumference is 12m.

Our flower ladders are wooden ladders, stained in a walnut colour. They are 360mm wide and come in either 4m or 5.5m in length. These long wooden ladders, which are hung between two king poles can be raised and lowered using the pulley system on each pole and dressed at floor level. To raise and lower the ladders takes 2 people. The maximum weight recommended is 30kg. We can provide power to the ladders if you wish to add any lighting, such as hanging bulbs.

Dimensions:

• The ladders are either 4m or 5.5m long, and are approximately 40cm wide. Typically florists use chicken wire, cable ties and string to attach foliage and flowers to the ladders.

We string the 2mm gripple wires between the king poles usually around 3.5 – 4m high. We can also position the gripple wires to cascade down from the king poles to the wall poles creating a hanging canopy effect. These are perfect for light foliage, pompoms and other light weight decoration.

Please note – florists would need to dress them from a ladder, as they need to be hung in position before they can be dressed. Florists must provide their own equipment to dress the marquee and will need to provide their own ladders if they are required.

Trestle tables are standard long tables (seating 6 per table) that require linen over the top of them. Please note we don't provide linen – this would be something you would need to source yourself. The alternative is rustic trestles which are wood long tables that don't require being covered with linen.

The crossback chair colour and seat vary depending on which external supplier are supplying them, but as a standard, they come with a hessian seat but don't include a seat cushion. You can add seat cushions (usually they come in cream), please enquire if you would like to add this to your quotation or invoice.

Carpet sits on top of the hard floor and you can choose the colour of the carpet (please enquire for available colours). If you decide on the champagne carpet, you have a choice if you would like to add a protective plastic film on top of it. This will protect it from any dirt etc while all of your suppliers are moving throughout the marquee during set up.

This will then need to be removed (we will score it and it will just need to be lifted the day before or morning of the event). As the Original Marquees staff won't usually be there the evening before / morning of the event, you will need to appoint someone to remove the plastic film should you wish to include this.

It is of course optional and we will endeavour to keep the carpet as clean as possible if you choose not to include it, but please be aware we can't be responsible for any damage caused by other suppliers.

The matted floor could be described as almost a hessian texture. It will be installed with a plastic membrane underneath to keep it as dry as possible and heels won't go through it! This is a great flooring option when you have flat grass which is cut nice and short, which will make it feel firmer under foot.

If we are providing a generator (booked by us through our suppliers), we will send you a power requirements form in the run up to your event, which you will need to fill out and return to us in advance of your event.

The reason we ask for the power requirements form to be filled in by our clients, is because our generator supplier uses the form to base all their distro off, as well as doing a demand check on the generator to check it is not being overloaded at peak times. To be able to do this, they require a full picture of equipment being brought to site by each supplier and its electrical consumption.

We ask our clients to fill in the form, as we are not in contact with the suppliers you have booked directly (e.g. caterers / band etc). It also means that we can ensure everything has been considered and nothing is missed, as there may be parts of each event that we aren't privy to.

The best way to get the information is to send it to your individual suppliers and ask them to fill out their requirements.

These are white festoon lights that go along the top of the tent on the outside, our signature lighting.

We will not be there the day of the event unless requested by yourselves. We will only be onsite during set up and take down.

If you would like an OM employee onsite during your event, they can help with all things to do with the marquee and the items we have provided. They will be there to make sure everything looks perfect inside the marquee, roll the walls up if it's a nice day, turn the lights on etc and they can help troubleshoot any problems should they arise.

Please note, they will be there up to 10 hours (the time slot will be agreed prior to the event), it is subject to availability and there will be an additional fee for this which may include accommodation if the location is over 2 hours from our yard. We will quote per person in the event you require more than one staff member onsite on the day. Please note they will require a meal and access to loos.

We highly recommend you get wedding insurance to cover your event. To include public liability, employers liability, cancellation of/ or part of the event and our property & services. To cover the items we are providing, we suggest you covering yourself for £250,000+

In addition to your insurance you may elect to pay the optional 5% damage waiver fee. In the absence of event insurance, the damage waiver is obligatory. If the damage waiver fee is included we will not seek to claim for any loss or damage to the equipment provided.

However, please note you would still be responsible for all loss or damage to equipment resulting from wilful neglect or malicious acts, theft, or legal liability. For more information, please see our Terms & Conditions.

As part of our process we arrange a site visit at the earliest opportunity. This holds significant importance in the planning process as it offers us the opportunity to gain first hand knowledge on the proposed site. By physically being there, we can better understand the layout, dimensions and any unique features or challenges it may present.

However a critical consideration which can't be tested for at the site visit, is what underground services there are in the area – electricity, gas, water, drainage etc. As a responsible employer we take very seriously our obligations under the Health & Safety at Work Act, and as our client you too have obligations under the Act; to provide our workers with a safe environment whilst they are on your site.

This is super important for two reasons – one, the safety of our team – metal marquee pins striking electricity wires could have deadly consequences. The second is cost & time – which we all want to avoid. Be it water, drainage or electric – they can all be expensive, and messy to fix if damaged, which you don't need on the build up to your event!

Our stakes go in one meter below the ground and will circle the marquee. We can, and will, avoid areas of concern, and can bring shorter stakes where required but we still need to attain an understanding what there is beneath the surface.

In the case where you are aware of underground services in the area, we will require details – ideally in the form of a site plan, so we can accurately locate the service. Where you are unsure if there are underground services present, we advise you either arrange for a formal underground utility survey to take place or obtain appropriate advice from the service company concerned; we recommend using the Line Search Before U Dig website; lsbud.co.uk, to enquire with multiple national utility services at once (it won't cover for any private works carried out in the area).

Before work can commence onsite, we require a signed copy of this form, plus accompanying documentation where applicable.

We sub-contract our Generators from external companies. They run on white diesel and can provide enough power to supply all the electrical requirements inside the marquee and utility areas.

Our offering includes Distribution, which means the supplier will also provide all of the cables, distro boxes and plug outlets required by your suppliers, but we will need to know your suppliers individual requirements, in detail, in preparation for the event; the type of plug on each piece of equipment being brought to site and it's power demand, something we will ask you to collate together with your suppliers on our Power Requirements form ahead of your event.

The generators come from our trusted suppliers that we use every weekend. We very rarely encounter a problem, but one of the causes of tripping a generator is from overloading, particularly in the catering tents. All the plugs in the catering tent as standard will be on a 32amp supply, but each event and menu is different, and so is the type of equipment being used and it's power demand, so it's important that we adequately distribute power to ensure each is not overloaded.

You will be shown how to use the generator in the handover. However, all suppliers offer a 24/7 number to call in case of an emergency. A member of staff from the generator company can usually be onsite to fix a problem within 2 hours, but will normally be able to identify the problem remotely – please don't worry as this is extremely rare! A staff member from Original Marquees is also on call, so if anything should happen, don't worry, we will sort it!

In the interest of precaution, we ask that you check with your suppliers that all equipment being brought to site is PAT tested regularly and is in good condition. We can also arrange for a back-up generator for peace of mind, or if due to location it warrants a back-up plan due to distance in a call-out situation.

The generators we sub hire include 18 hours' worth of fuel within the hire cost. If you do go over this, or if you are holding a second day event, don't worry, it won't stop working – there is enough fuel in the tank to cover your entire event, but to note, the suppliers will send a bill following the event for any additional fuel used.

Where toilet units or ceremony/drinks areas away from the marquee and power is required, we may ask about an alternative source of power, either from mains or we can provide battery alternatives, to avoid cable trip hazards and because cabling has length limitations.

Where you decide not to use our generator supplier, or if you decide to power the event from a mains source, 3/phase etc, we cannot be held responsible for any electrical problems should they arise.

Yes! We love to personalise our marquees to suit your needs and the flow of your day. We can recommend layouts that we have done in the past that work well but ultimately you can decide how you would like it to look inside. We will work with you on the marquee layout to ensure everything fits and to make sure it looks even better than you imagined!

Yes! We just ask that for health and safety and also insurance purposes, the fireworks are situated 100m or more away from the marquee. Please make sure your wedding insurance covers you for any damage that could be caused by fireworks.

Yes! We allow confetti inside the marquee as long as it's biodegradable!

Yes! It is a great opportunity for us to meet you in person and see the site or venue that you have in mind. We will measure the site, check the access and discuss all the logistics with you. This will give everyone peace of mind and ensure that when we arrive to set up your tent a few days before your event, that we are already familiar with the site and we know we can deliver everything promised.

We will liaise with you when is best to come and do the site visit. Sometimes the site visit will take place during the enquiry stage, especially if it is a site we are unfamiliar with. However, if it is a venue that we have been to many times and know very well, it is sometimes more useful to have the site visit when you are further down the line with planning your event.

We will come and chat through your ideas, advise you what will work best and answer any questions you may have.

Yes! The internal lights are on dimmable switches, so when the sun goes down you can create a glowing ambience inside your tent.

Yes! We usually set up the marquee on a Wednesday or Thursday and take it down on Sunday (or depending on availability, this could be extended to Monday for a fee if you wish). Our site managers will schedule the set up and take down according to our calendar, but please let us know if you have a preference at the time of booking.

If you would like to use the marquee the night before for a dinner or afterwards for a brunch, you are more than welcome to! Please make sure your insurance covers the entire duration of the hire.

Also some things to consider are: might you require extra fuel for your generators (if being used) – 18 hours of fuel is included as standard. You also might want to consider a toilet service if you would like them refreshing and restocking if they are being used over multiple days.

No, the marquees are beautiful sailcloth marquees, so they don't require a lining or draping inside. However, if you would like to personalise your marquee with something unique we can offer stunning wall drapery and also a black out lining! Please see our Catalogue or enquire for more details.