Whether you’re hiring a marquee for your wedding celebrations or for a special party, you’ll want to create a festive atmosphere that befits the occasion. One of the ways to add ambience and glitz to your marquee is with the use of proper lighting.
From fairy lights and chandeliers to functional lighting, try these marquee lighting ideas to add a shine to any occasion and make your marquee gleam.
Chandelier
LET A CHANDELIER GRAB CENTRE STAGE:
A crystal chandelier will give any marquee a touch of glamour. They’re perfect for celebrations with a traditional and elegant theme, and are an ideal stylish addition to a clear roof marquee.
Circular Framed Lighting
CREATE A FOCAL POINT WITH CIRCULAR FRAMED LIGHTING:
It’s easy to add a fabulous focal point to your marquee with a chandelier, however for something a little different, why not try constructing a circular frame from willow or driftwood that can then be interwoven with fairy lights, decorations and greenery.
For added impact, hang several of these frames at different heights to create easy but effective lighting.
Fairy Lights
ADD SPARKLE AND LEARN HOW TO DECORATE WITH FAIRY LIGHTS:
There’s nothing that says ‘celebration’ more than fairy lights. String them in trees; add them to garlands; integrate them into decorations or simply hang them around the marquee walls.
Warm white bulbs are the most popular colour choice as they give a warm, traditional glow, while white or clear cables will help your lighting blend into the sides of the marquee. Alternatively, choose fairy lights in a colour to match your colour scheme for added impact.
Festoon Lighting
ADD A COUNTRY FEEL WITH FESTOON LIGHTING:
Stringing traditional large bulb lights in the roof space and adding a dimmer switch is a great way to create functional and pretty lighting for a country-themed marquee.
Whether you choose soft white lights or a string of multi-coloured lights, it’s a simple solution for a more casual occasion that can be used both indoors and out.
Battery Operated Candles
DITCH THE REAL CANDLES IN FAVOUR OF BATTERY-OPERATED VERSIONS:
While you may love the romantic atmosphere created by flickering candles, in reality, they’re not such a good idea in a marquee. If you really want to create the look of candlelight, try using battery-operated candles on your tables.
They’ll add the required dreamy ambience and help your guests to see what they’re eating. Plus, you can always let your guests take them away as gifts once the party is over.
Functional Lighting
DON’T FORGET THE FUNCTIONAL LIGHTING:
All marquees need some element of functional lighting so that guests aren’t left sitting or wandering around in the dark. For this type of lighting pendant lights and uplighters can be installed. These lights can be controlled by dimmer switches to add ambience to the proceedings, but don’t forget that you’ll also need to light up any catering tents, car parks and toilets so that your guests and caterers can move around safely.
There’s no doubt that the correct lighting can add a special glow to the occasion, but don’t go overboard and light up your marquee like the Empire State Building! There are also other ways to decorate your marquee such as seating and the use of bunting.
To create a romantic atmosphere subtle touches are best and, if in doubt, put your main lights on dimmer switches and add some of the decorative lighting features we’ve mentioned above. Happy decorating!