Top 10 Tips for Hiring a Marquee for a Barmitzvah or Batmitzvah

Top 10 Tips for Hiring a Marquee for a Barmitzvah or Batmitzvah

As we all know, the pandemic has had a massive impact on all events and has meant hosting smaller Barmitzvahs or Batmitzvahs in your own property with a marquee. Whether it is small events of 30 or less, a wonderful memorable celebration can still be enjoyed by all. As we cannot rely on the wonderful British weather, we need to be under a shelter, and that is where the surge in the popularity of marquees has come in. Even before the pandemic, marquees are a great way to host your family Barmitzvah or Batmitzvah.

Hiring a Marquee allows for great flexibility as you can host multiple different ‘events’ over a weekend – family lunch, friends lunch, Friday night dinner, kids party etc.

Here are our Top 10 Tips for Hiring a Marquee for a Barmitzvah or Batmitzvah:

1. Whether your garden or driveway is big, small, long or short, marquees are available in all sorts of shapes & sizes. The marquee can be worked into any size space, awkward or not. So our first tip is look at your space and then research all the different options available.

2. There are many marquee suppliers out there, so get a number of quotes. The knowledge of the marquee contacts will be invaluable to you so speak to as many as possible. You will find a marquee that is a perfect fit for you and the space you have. Ideally always have a site visit from your supplier to ensure when they turn up, there are no surprises and they fully understand what they have to work with at your property.

3. Make sure the marquee is versatile. Can the sides go up if the weather is good? Is there air conditioning or heaters if needs be? Think about the height of the marquee – often the sides are slanted which takes away height should you need it. Also think about access points and where you need these to be.

4. Always work to a budget or you will get carried away! Don’t be scared to negotiate to get the deal that works for you.

5. When it comes to kitting out the marquee with tables/chairs/lighting/screens etc. ask the marquee company if they can provide the goods themselves or if they have contacts they recommend. Sometimes there will be a benefit to you of a discount if you use their recommendations. But also shop around so you compare prices.

6. As marquees provide a blank canvas, you will have the freedom to add any personalised touches you like. Branding, design, décor, flooring etc. There are no restrictions so get those creative juices flowing!

7. Customer service and engagement is really important in dealing with a marquee company. You need the company to be honest about the work involved in building and dismantling the marquee, what any extras are and any impact it will leave on your garden.

8. Toilets. Yes think about toilets. If you are having a high number of people in your marquee – especially if it is at home – will one downstairs toilet be enough or do you need to hire?

9. Prior to hiring the marquee also speak with your caterer to ensure that they can serve the food you require via your kitchen and have the appropriate access to the marquee.

10. Speak to the company you are hiring from about any additional extras – such as power, build and take down, heaters etc plus payment terms – so you can understand the full impact.

Finally, enjoy yourselves! You have the opportunity to create a wonderful memory for the Barmitzvah boy or Batmitzvah girl. It will be more intimate, and you will be able to spend more time with your guests and use the marquee for multiple ‘events’ over a weekend. The main thing is everyone is healthy to celebrate in the parameters allowed in the current pandamic, but when everything is ‘back to normal’ a marquee is still a fantastic way to host a Barmitzvah or Batmitzvah.

Mazel tov!

Want to hire a marquee? Check out Barmitzvah Marquee Suppliers here