50 guests at a sit-down dinner take up a lot more space than 50 guests at a standing cocktail party. That's the first thing to sort out when figuring out marquee hire for your event. The second thing is what else needs to fit inside: a dance floor, a bar, a stage, a DJ setup, catering prep space. It all adds up fast.
As a rough guide for seated dining with round tables:
For standing/cocktail events, you can fit roughly 30-40% more people in the same footprint. But don't cut it too tight. People need space to move around, especially near the bar and entrance. And if you're having a dance floor, that eats into your usable area quickly.
If the event includes a stage for a band or DJ, add at least 3m x 4m to your footprint. Catering areas, if inside the marquee, need their own zone too.
We carry a few different styles, each suited to different events:
Pagoda marquees are the classic peaked-roof style. They look sharp, come in various sizes, and link together to create larger covered areas. Good for weddings, corporate functions, and outdoor dining. The peaked roof gives you extra headroom in the centre.
Popup marquees are lighter, quicker to set up, and work well for smaller events, market stalls, registration areas, or backup shelter. They're not designed for full sit-down dinners but they're handy for coverage when you need something fast.
Clear roof marquees let in natural light during the day and look stunning at night with festoon or uplighting overhead. They're popular for weddings at vineyard or garden venues where the setting is part of the appeal.
Where you put the marquee matters. Flat grass is ideal. Gravel works. Sloped ground is possible but needs more planning. We peg into grass or use weights on hard surfaces.
If the ground is likely to be soft or muddy (which in Canterbury after a wet week is entirely possible), you might want flooring inside the marquee. Plywood sub-floor with carpet or matting on top keeps heels from sinking and chairs from wobbling. For weddings especially, it makes a big difference to how the space feels.
Most of our marquees come with removable sides. On a calm evening, leaving sides open creates a nice flow between indoor and outdoor space. If rain or wind is a possibility (and in Canterbury, it usually is), having sides on standby is essential.
We can do clear sides, solid white sides, or mesh. Clear sides keep the view while blocking wind. Think about where the sun will be at the time of your event too, because a marquee with clear sides facing west in summer can turn into a greenhouse by late afternoon.
If your event runs into the evening or is during the cooler months, heating makes a huge difference. We use gas patio heaters or industrial fan heaters depending on the size. A 6m x 9m marquee with sides on can be brought up to a comfortable temperature pretty quickly. Bigger marquees need more units, and you'll want sides fully closed to keep the warmth in.
We've set up marquees in nor'westers, southerlies, and everything in between. Canterbury weather is unpredictable, which is why a marquee is often the smartest call for an outdoor event. It gives you cover no matter what. We use heavy-duty pegging and can add extra ballast if high winds are forecast.
If you're also thinking about event production or wedding AV inside the marquee, let us know early so we can plan the layout together. Sound, lighting, staging, and power all need space, and it's much easier to account for that at the planning stage than on the day.
Tell us your guest count and venue and we'll recommend the right marquee.
Get in touch or call 021 178 0355.
All Ears Events Limited
20 Southwark Street, Christchurch
021 178 0355 ยท hello@allears.nz
Mon-Fri 9am-4pm