Award-winning caterer and event management company, Dine provides expert hospitality management both at home and to a portfolio of exclusive outdoor venues located across the UK. Here Dan Gill, founder of Dine, outlines the key considerations to make your dream outdoor wedding become a reality.
Green is the colour of the year according to Pantone and 2017 will see a rise in weddings focussing on lush leafy growth. This interest in nature is reflected in the embracing of all things outdoors for weddings. We all know that the British weather can be uncertain at the best of times and a marquee wedding enables you to make the most of Yorkshire’s glorious countryside without compromising on either the temperature or keeping dry.

An Array of Sizes and Styles
As demand for informality increases, marquees in a variety of styles enables the creation of a supremely personal experience while making the most of the great outdoors. Marquees are the perfect setting to provide versatility for a couple planning to put their own stamp on their big day. They quite literally provide the original blank canvas. Marquees come in an array of sizes and styles - from tipis and vintage army tents to chic and on trend sailcloth tents - enabling you to match a style to any theme. They are available with no sides, with walls and windows or fully enclosed. And although popular for a quintessentially British summer wedding, with the right planning – flooring and heating options are crucial factors to consider - a reception under canvas can be perfect whatever the time of year.
Themes
Offering the flexibility to be altered to fit the requirements of any event, the opportunities to personalise a marquee are virtually endless, with the simple interiors providing a blank canvas to dress in creative themes and colours. Clever use of lighting effects, fabrics and textures – from backlit draping, fairy lights or chandeliers inside or lanterns leading the way to the marquee entrance outside - can add real atmosphere and drama.
Rustic, nature-inspired décor remains popular and bringing the outside inside is perfect for a marquee wedding. Branches and lanterns for centrepieces, wild flower bouquets, grass-inspired table runners and natural wood elements make nature a reality even when you’re inside.
Large scale installations, trees and pops of colour are all trends we’ll be seeing more of in 2017, although increasingly couples are choosing to buck the trend and make their wedding day their own. Nostalgic themes using family photographs and home videos are popular and effective during the evening against the marquee backdrop.
Build a Pinterest ‘mood board’ with styles that you like, pull on experience of other weddings you have attended and look at the venue website, brochure and social media to see what can be achieved. Wedding magazines and blogs can also be a good source of inspiration as well as asking other couples about their experiences.

At Home
If you are lucky enough to have a gorgeous garden, a wedding at home can be a great way to create a relaxed and intimate day. Nothing could be more personal.
While a suitably sized outdoor space will be needed to comfortably accommodate all your guests, marquees are completely flexible and scalable to perfectly fit the size of your wedding – whether you are planning an intimate reception for 20 or a full-on party for 2,000 guests.
The benefits are that you can provide your own choice of refreshments, bring in the caterer of your choice and the merrymaking can carry on indefinitely (as long as the neighbours are invited). And, of course, at the end of the celebrations you can fall straight into your own bed.
A Heritage Site
If you don't have space in your garden but still have your heart set on a marquee wedding, Dine has partnered with a host of beautiful heritage sites; Bolton Abbey, Ripley Castle and Carlton Towers, all of which offer fantastic waterside settings and spectacular views for your special celebration.
At Bolton Abbey, in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, couples can enjoy their wedding celebrations with up to 5,000 guests in a marquee that commands stunning views of the Augustinian Priory and offers exclusive access to the River Wharfe.
Picturesque Ripley Castle is a stunning 700-year-old castle with award-winning gardens just outside Harrogate. The lake and deer park provide a beautiful setting for celebrations and memorable photographs. Couples can party with up to 5,000 guests in a lakeside marquee in a magnificent deer park setting.
Nestled in the grounds of the quintessentially English Carlton Towers Estate, Carlton Towers Lakeside is a superb location, surrounded by beautiful woodland and overlooking the historic 11 acre lake. The ancestral home of the Duke of Norfolk’s family, Dine offers couples a beautiful lakeside marquee for their wedding day celebrations in the glorious parkland surrounding the house.

Food
Originally born out of Michelin starred Leeds restaurant Pool Court, as you’d expect fine dining is very important to Dine. Couples can choose from our full range of menus or we will work with them to create the ultimate, bespoke wedding with fine food and service to match.
Our 18 years’ experience is our client’s assurance of exceptional food and service. As part of the “Dine Difference” we offer a wide range of styles of food and dining. We understand that every wedding is unique so listening to our clients’ requirements is fundamental. We can provide anything from an informal buffet, street food or picnic to a formal gourmet menu. Whatever the client wants, we can provide in style.
Service
Hiring an event management company such as Dine, means that we not only provide the catering and the marquee via sister company Shades, but will also coordinate and manage the set up and the running of your wedding day (everything from installation, electrics and plumbing) before returning to clear up and take down the structure after the celebrations are over.
As an experienced event planner, we won’t push our ideas onto you but rather make helpful, informed suggestions and guide you through the practicalities of your plans.
Whether couples choose to marry at home or in one of our dreamy waterfront settings, we pride ourselves on thinking of every eventuality so that couples do not have to worry about any of the technicalities, leaving them free to enjoy their wedding.

Budget
While not necessarily the cheapest option for a venue, a marquee can be surprisingly cost effective. Expect to pay from £11,800 +VAT for 60 guests with hospitality, although prices can vary considerably depending on season and location.
Creating your dream outdoor wedding and need a marquee or catering company? Then visit Dine at www.dine.co.uk
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