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8Jun/160

Many reasons to throw a marquee party, from Christenings to Christmas…

A BEAUTIFUL GOURMET WEDDING RECEPTION IN THE SURREY HILLS

Marquee Hire had the honour of providing a marquee for a special wedding, here’s what Justin from Catered by Justin had to say about the day.

Summer Wedding

Rob and Laura had a sneaky wedding at the register office in Sunny Surrey, but then came the full-on blessing in a farmer’s field 15 miles away where we held a marquee for ninety-eight guests.

It’s 10am and another day begins for the Catered by Justin team. The chefs have to get to the farm early as we always cook the meat slow and low from scratch on site. It’s better that way, of course.

Fabulous food platter for a Wedding

At noon the first of the ‘front of house’ crew turn up to chill down the wines, put up and decorate the tables, lay out the glassware and set up the bar. We always have this done in plenty of time so you would never know. The marquee was put up by Marquee Hire Sussex couple of days prior but we have to wait so nothing gets dusty.

At 2pm Rob and his best man arrive at the farm; the rest of the guests trickle in over the next hour and Laura arrives just after 3 o’clock (late, of course). They were all greeted by the mouth-watering aroma of the Dedham Vale beef cooking in our special outdoor oven, attended to by one of our brigade of chefs. Just a little sensory tease of what will be in store for the rest of the day.

As the service draws near, the guests make their way to their seats – bales of straw that blend with the picturesque backdrop of a countryside field here in beautiful Surrey.

It’s approaching 4 o’clock, the service has just ended – short but very sweet. Now all the guests gather outside the marquee for a glass of Sipsmith gin and rose lemonade (a fantastic long drink for a summer’s day) and an exquisite selection of canapés, while the newlyweds have a few photographs taken around the venue. The happy couple then join their guests for a quick chat before the meal (with a difference) is served.

At 5pm the best man boisterously requests that everyone make their way inside the marquee. It takes a good quarter of an hour to get all the guests to their places.

The sharing deli platters are already on the tables (two large dishes on each table of 10 guests) filling the room with colour. Such delectable fare invites the guests to simply tuck in and share; there are no awkward silences when it comes to sharing food.

At quarter to six the starters have been cleared and the bar team quickly top up everybody’s glasses ready for the speeches to begin. Laura decides to do things this way as her dad was really nervous about his speech; once they are all out of the way everybody can relax, enjoy the main course and the rest of the evening.

By half past six Rob and Laura have been suitably toasted and the main course is served – a beautiful gourmet BBQ accompanied by foreribs of succulent beef, sautéed new potatoes with honey and big bowls of seasonal salads, homemade sauces, and some sriracha chili for the more audacious guest. It’s a magnificent spread with a great point of difference to your average wedding offering.

A fine selection of red and white wine is served (approx. three glasses per person), which was provided by Rob and Laura. We did all the chilling down and sorted the glassware for them and, no, we didn’t charge them corkage, by the way.

At 7:30pm it’s time to cut the cake. We provide a lovely log end and sword for this and everybody takes lots of pics. As soon as this is done the cake is taken to the kitchen tent and cut up. On this occasion Rob and Laura opt to use the cake as the dessert, saving themselves quite a bit of cash. The Catered by Justin team just provide the plates, forks and cream.

Portman Square Garden Party

The freshly-brewed coffee, tea and infusions table is also ready at this point. We keep this available all night so people can pop by at any point for a pick-me-up and chill.

It’s now half past eight and time to gather everyone back into the marquee for the first dance… (Not exactly a YouTube sensation on this occasion). The music is provided by a local band called The Modern Apes, whom we actually recommended from a previous wedding. They had to learn the first dance song as it was a lesser-known hit by Blur which was not in their portfolio. Undeterred, they nailed it…

The bar is also now in full swing with a nice draught lager and a cask of ale from the new Wimbledon Brewery. They also have a choice selection of spirits, mixers and softies. The newlyweds provided much of the booze (apart from the lager and ale which we supplied), while the Catered by Justin crew came with all the glassware and ice. The bar itself was also provided by us. Rob also had a couple of bottles of special whiskey and a box of fine cigars to enjoy on the pop-up smoking terrace – a really nice, sophisticated touch.

It’s 11:30pm and people are starting to feel a little peckish after a considerable amount of dancing and the odd tipple. As if by magic a big tray or two of cheese toasties appear – they didn’t last very long…

It’s gone a quarter past midnight, last orders are announced and the music slows down a touch. Shortly after, the bar has closed and the band has played their encore. The taxis have been called. After-party, anyone?

One o’clock, the Catered by Justin team has cleared everything and tidied the marquee from top to bottom. We have loaded all the rubbish and empty bottles into our vans and prepare to leave the farm… Until our next soirée…

Click here for more information on Marquee Hire Themes

15Nov/150

I am dreaming of a white wedding….

Have you ever wanted the wedding of your dreams? Perhaps as a little girl growing up you day dreamed about the perfect white wedding. The time has come for that special day and you can’t find a suitable venue within your budget or perhaps you have the perfect setting however there is nowhere to have the reception.

Marquee Hire will help make that special dream come true with some amazing marquee designs and décor. You can choose a winter wonderland wedding with special effect lighting and heating you will be able to dance the night away with the new love of your life and your friends.

The skies the limit with the right choice of marquee, you can fit it out in any theme you wish.

Marquee Hire have been involved in hundreds of weddings, functions and special events so they will be able to advise you the best as they draw on all the years of experience to give you sound advice.

Marquee Hire Surrey is your one stop marquee shop when it comes to corporate functions, christenings, weddings etc. they are often featured in magazines or in the news for events they are involved in. Go on line and you can do your own hiring calculation with Marquee Hire Sussex on line calculator for your convenience

11May/150

Feel confident with a team who are accredited members of MUTA Accreditation

Portman Square Garden Party

Marquee Hire are the answer if you have ever dreamt of having a white wedding but not sure how to go about it or where to start?Marquee Hire Surrey are the people to speak to, not only do they have the UK largest Marquees for hire they have a team of consultants who have many years in the field of party planning and will ensure you have the wedding of your dreams within the confines of any budget they will ensure the occasion is special and one to cherish forever.

Perhaps you would like a more intimate wedding and a unique range of décor? Marquee Hire have literally hundreds of different designs, dance floors, décor and will ensure that your wishes are granted. Perhaps you are wondering how much is marquee hire? Click here marquee hire prices and you will be directed to an online calculator, within a few seconds you will have pricing to hand or speak to them today about one of the many options available, their competitive prices and excellent service delivery.

Feel confident with a team who are accredited members of MUTA Accreditation. 

F & TRAFALGAR MARQUEES AWARDED MUTA ACCREDITATION

Whilst this is slightly old news, we thought we should update our lovely new website with some significant happenings earlier in the year.

Back in February, JF & Trafalgar Marquees were accepted to become an accredited member of our renowned industry body (MUTA). We were delighted at the news, and the move reaffirms our dedication to delivering marquee hire with, not only fantastic service but also with a proven health and safety track record.

Our Operations Director, Stephen Shiner comments that being part of MUTA “will not only build upon our commitment to fantastic client service, but also takes note of our already comprehensive Health and Safety measures”. Moving forward, this will allow our team access to the very latest industry insights and training, which will be evident in our enhanced offerings to our every growing client base.

It won’t be all tea and cakes, as being a member of MUTA is an on-going process to ensure our compliance with industry standards. A MUTA inspector will not only inspect our warehouse and offices but also inspect our sites, when we install a marquee in Surrey, Sussex or London and ensure that all at JF & Trafalgar Marquees are adhering to Health and Safety guidelines and along with other accreditation criteria.