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18Oct/150

Having a party?

THE SHOWMAN'S SHOW 2015

DIY Marquees specialise in marquee Lighting and buy party tent and just had notification that we will be on stand 262 Avenue Eat this year’s Showmans Show. Come out of the entrance marquee, turn right and then first left – we’re halfway up on the right as usual and opposite the excellent Arcotherm (well worth a visit for marquee heaters). Please do pop in and say hello, we’ll be launching our new range of demi-marquees as well as exhibiting our always popular walkways and other marquees including Pop up Marquees.

The marquee hire business I built up got to a sufficient size that I could not be on site for every job. We would be running several teams of erectors with me and another site foreman running between each site. I turned up one afternoon to find a team nearly finished. The marquees were up, the flooring and linings were fitted and they were just setting up the furniture.

The quality of finish was excellent. They proudly stated the only thing left was the walkway to the house “and they’re easy”. Walkways are easy to erect, indeed our current model of walkway is the easiest one we’ve ever designed. They are not easy to erect if you don’t leave enough space for it – as this team had done!

The lesson to learn from this is when connecting marquees to houses always always start building from the house outwards. Build the walkway (or one of our demi-marquees, details coming soon) first and then butt the main marquee(s) up to it. That way you know you’ve allowed enough space or know you’ve got to do some adapting to make fit before you get too far in to the build. As for the job in question it was solved using a hacksaw and PVC welding to still give an excellent job but it turned an early-finish day in to a late night one for everyone.

6Aug/150

Experts in commercial marquees

Do you need help with buy party tents? Are you looking to buy marquee party tent that’s durable, affordable and safe? Speak to the experts in marquee sales for their professional advice. They will advise you on the best party tents to buy.

The term party tents generally refers to structures that are lighter weight than average marquees. Party tents are made using PE material in weights of 90gsm (grams per square metre) in the basic models up to 240gsm in the heavy duty party tents. There is a similar range of different quality framework ranging from 20mm pipework in lightweight models up to heavy duty 38mm steel pipe in heavy duty party tents.

If you're looking for a good quality party tent marquee then look no further than DIY Marquees - we offer a wide variety of different models starting at our light weight and easy to erect party tent range up to our commercial marquees designed for the marquee hire industry. Whatever your requirements we have the party tent marquee for you.

The following table shows the available sizes in our Classic range of marquees. Size guides can vary greatly, this is due to the variety of ways a marquee can be used. For example a 6x12m marquee can seat 70-80 people at round tables but if you allow for buffet tables and/or a dance floor then the capacity is reduced.

 
Size of Marquee (width first) Capacity seated Capacity standing
3x2m DIY Party Tent 4-8 4-12
3x4m DIY Party Tent 6-12 9-18
3x6m DIY Party Tent 12-20 15-30
3x8m DIY Party Tent 12-24 18-35
3x10m DIY Party Tent 15-30 20-45
3x12m DIY Party Tent 18-40 27-60
4x4m DIY Party Tent 8-15 10-22
4x6m DIY Party Tent 12-24 18-35
4x8m DIY Party Tent 12-30 18-45
4x10m DIY Party Tent 15-35 18-55
4x12m DIY Party Tent 20-48 25-70
6x6m DIY Party Tent 15-40 20-60
6x12m DIY Party Tent 30-80 40-120
18Jun/150

Read DIY Marquees interesting articles

We love DIY Marquees blog posts, they are not only informative but make an interesting read from the experts who have been in the industry for many years; having tried and tested every area of marquee for sale business.

I found these interesting articles especially for those that would like to set up their own small marquees for sale business.

Why are most marquee linings ivory?

In the UK marquee industry now just about all professional marquee linings are ivory, this has come about from years of experience and customer feedback not just from us but from all lining manufacturers in the country.

From a customer’s point of view ivory just adds a touch of class to the marquee, if you have two lined marquees side by side one with white and one ivory customers choose ivory every single time – whether they go for flat/shaped, pleated or ruched is personal opinion and another matter altogether!

From a hirers point of view ivory is much lower maintenance than white, marks and creases show up far more on white than ivory. It also ages better than white – we used to have 10 year old ivory linings right next to brand new ones without any issue. Try putting  a 10 year old white t-shirt next to a brand new one and see the difference!

The only down side to ivory used to be there were many many different shades of it from different material suppliers in the marquee lining industry, fortunately in the last 10 years or so everyone has settled on a similar shade generally referred to as mid-ivory.

That’s why 99% of professional marquee linings are ivory now.

Especially for marquee companies for sale

Check list for completed marquees

Its good practice when you’ve finished a marquee (and before the event) to have a check list, one copy for the customer and one for you.

What goes on a check list is entirely up to you but here’s some suggestions:

  • Sign to say that they are happy with the marquee. It won’t cover you completely, they may find something and call you back but it does help to have a paper trail should anyone try to take action against you after the event (I’ve never heard of this happening but it’s simply good practice).
  • Sign to say that all furniture is there (by sign I mean one signature for everything)
  • Sign to agree to take responsibility for all of the equipment (unless you have separate insurance/damage waiver).
  • Sign to say they have been shown how to use any marquee heating and/or lighting.
  • A note to say where any equipment can be plugged in (and not to plug in anywhere else)
  • A note asking for any decorations around the marquee not to be attached using staples or non-removable tape.
  • A note mentioning no metalwork should be removed and side panels only removed if good weather.
  • A note asking for pets (dogs) not to be allowed in to the marquee. There were a couple of occasions I can remember finding presents from the family dog, they were not pleasant experiences!

It’s also good practice to have the emergency contact number on the bottom.

Note this is a check list for the customer (they have a copy, you have a copy) which may be separate from your own erectors check-list, something the team leader might fill in ensuring everything meets the required standards. Flooring is well fixed down, all straps are done on the outside of the marquee, no lighting or heating could come in to contact with PVC/lining, furniture all laid out, dance floor laid flat etc etc.

For those who are starting out this may all understandably be a bit of overkill. If you’re in charge and just putting a 6x6m shell of a marquee then that’s fine. The above should always be the aspiration though, as you get bigger, as your equipment becomes more diverse, the jobs become bigger and when more of the responsibility is delegated to others having check lists is simply good practice.

Some see setting up a marquee hire business as very easy. Others see setting up any business as a potential headache. At DIY Marquees we work very hard helping people set up marquee hire companies by taking a lot of the stress and worry out but promoting good practices so they can thrive in the long term.

5May/140

UK largest selection of marquees for sale

Do you want to purchase a marquee for your company? Have a look at DIY MARQUEES website and you will find hundreds of marquees for sale and all the information required in making the right decision. From advice on Marquee Flooring to an interactive planner you will find all the advice and answers you are requiring, if not you can contact their friendly team members and they will advise appropriately.

the classic diy marquee range

I found this article interesting especially if you are considering a marquee wedding and the advice professional which I decided to share with you:

TIPS FOR WEDDING MARQUEES:

Furniture:

  • Unlike marquees furniture is usually too expensive to buy so hiring is the usual solution
  • Use 5ft 6inch round tables to seat 10 people not 5ft ones (which can be cramped with 10 guests)
  • Use a mixture of smaller tables to create an informal
  • Use a long top table for a traditional feel. It would normally be positioned against one side of the marquee.
  • Use a round top table for a more social and informal atmosphere. It would normally be positioned in the middle of the marquees with other guests all around.
  • Use an oval top table for a more sociable option to a long top table. It would normally be positioned against one side of the marquee with seating on three sides leaving the front clear for guests to see the happy couple.
  • Remember an easel for table plans (or two for larger functions)
  • Allow somewhere for ladies to put their hats, either a table or clips around the side of the marquee
  • Allow somewhere to put wedding presents (a table in the marquee or in the house)

Dance Floors:

  • Like furniture dance floors can be prohibitively expensive to purchase to hiring or making yourself (18mm plywood screwed to battens and stained) are the most common solutions
  • Alternatively if your marquee is to cover part of a patio or decking area that can be used as a dance floor
  • Do you want dancing to be the centre of attention after the meal (in which case have it in the middle of the marquee) or do you want to have an area for people to sit away from the dancing? (in which case have the dance floor at one end)
  • If the dance floor is in the middle it is often sensible to position the top table on the dance floor and then clear after using (top tables are rarely used after the meal as everyone is circulating)
  • A dance floor (without top table on) makes an ideal emergency greeting area in poor weather

Other:

  • Set the marquee up several days in advance and test the lighting and heating (if applicable) at the time of your function just to make sure both are sufficient.
  • People (mainly blokes) will always congregate around the bar. For this reason always position it near the evening’s entertainment to avoid having two parties. Always aim to keep everyone in one place to maintain the atmosphere so avoid putting the bar in the house or a separate marquee
  • Always have lighting on a dimmer, this gives you the flexibility to supply lighting to eat by and mood lighting to dance by
  • In October to April you will need to heat the marquee (see this article on heating your marquee)- have the heating on for an hour before people arrive to ensure they walk in to a wall of warmth
  • In May to September you might need a heater just to take the chill off in the seating area later in the evening
  • Think of how your guests will arrive - a simple path of carpet with flower pots makes an attractive and inviting entrance to the marquee
  • Think of how your guests will leave - it's likely to be dark so some form of lighting will be needed to guide people back to their cars
  • You would normally allow one toilet per 40-50 guests. If you don't have enough available then consider hiring in a luxury toilet unit
  • Give neighbours plenty of notice especially if you plan on partying until the early hours
  • Notify the police, it may sound extreme but it allows them to give informed responses (such as finishing time) to any complaint rather than come knocking on your door.

We are always happy to offer more customised advice for your event, please contact us giving a few details of the event you are planning (type of event, space available, number of guests and diagrams/photographs of the site if possible) and we will be more than happy to advice on your options.

29Sep/130

Do you want to buy a party tent and not sure who to contact?

DIY Marquees have built a great reputation for party tents for sale throughout the entire UK.  See what some of their clients have to say about them:
It was absolutely well worth buying to say it did its job is an understatement it was fantastic. It stood up to the English weather for over a month in some really heavy rain with no problems at all
Simon, Yorkshireslider5
Many thanks for your service and product, the marquee has been a sound investment for the company and will be used many times in the future. They look as good up as they do on your webpage which from experience isn't always the case!
T Marquees, London
Everyone commented on the excellent marquee and I was so happy to tell one and all what a helpful and great firm you were to deal with. I do wish your business will go from strength to strength
Mr & Mrs K, Ireland
The wedding went very well (approx 160 sat down to eat) and last Saturday we had a charity dinner and dance while they were still up. We have raised about £700.00 through this event so far and everyone was very complimentary about the marquees.
Mr & Mrs L
slider6
The DIY marquees are without doubt superior to our other marquees. Easier to lift, thicker walls, really well made and a lining to finish it off. We'll be switching all of our stock over to your marquees in time for next season.
S Marquee Hire