Weddings made in Cornwall: 5 top tips on how to plan a marquee wedding by a Cornwall wedding planner.

With many traditional /All-Inclusive (Wet Hire) wedding venues you are offered a host of other services alongside it. Not only venue space but also their caterers, drinks, event designers and staffing. But if you go down the ‘Dry Hire’ or commonly known as ‘Blank Canvas’ route then you will hire a completely bare; a blank canvas space where you will need to source all of your suppliers. As a wedding planner in Cornwall, I find this really exciting because yes it means there is often more to plan but these weddings are often more personal. Dry hire weddings made in Cornwall can allow you to put your own stamp on the venue and start from scratch to really create your vision. If you are a couple with great imagination and don't want to be constrained to a venue's package, dry hire venues are definitely for you!

1) WHAT’S INCLUDED AND WHAT’S NOT

When booking a ‘blank canvas’ or ‘dry hire’ venue, it’s important to understand in advance what’s included and what’s not; what areas of the venue are included, how long is the hire period, are there parking spaces, are there toilets or do these need to be hired in for the day, is there power, is there any accommodation or land for camping, how will the venue be presented on the day… right down to who clears away the rubbish the following morning!

2) DRY HIRE IS NOT THE CHEAP OPTION

Whilst it can be possible to create a fantastic ‘dry hire’ wedding within a limited budget, creating a bespoke wedding should not be seen as a cheap alternative, especially as there are additional elements that may need to be considered, hired in or purchased. However, a budget-savvy bride can include as many DIY elements as possible, whilst others may want to lay on a sumptuous banqueting feast for 100 guests overlooking the formal gardens of a country estate with an accompanying string quartet! For dry hire weddings, it's really important to set a budget and stick to it. Firstly make a list of exactly what you need and the priorities. Just remember to leave some of the budgets for last-minute costs as with dry hire there is always something!

3) LOGISTICS

Dry hire venues often mean working with more suppliers which can be more complicated during set-up and on-the-day logistics. When making early arrangements with your venue it’s really important that you ask about access and timings and that you’re comfortable with the amount of time that you’ve got to set-up and breakdown. Bear in mind that with no venue coordinator or staffing setup will take a lot longer than normal. 

4) BE CREATIVE

Hiring a ‘blank canvas’ venue can give you the total creative freedom to choose every last detail of your big day and vibe of wedding from classically elegant to boho glam, glamping and festival weddings to more modern stretch tents. Whether you follow the trends or set the trends… the sky’s the limit with a ‘marquee’ or ‘dry hire’ venue.  You are totally free to choose your suppliers or create elements yourselves.

5) IF IN DOUBT HIRE A WEDDING PLANNER!

Wedding planners are super experienced at working with ‘dry hire’ venues and we welcome and thoroughly embrace them at all of them. You’ll be surprised just how much a planner can save you in terms of time, stress and effort; we have the knowledge, the contacts, the time and the know-how to make sure that your wedding is everything you want it to be. We’ll guide you through every step and will be total support to you, your friends and family on the day – you still get all the best bits of wedding planning without any of the worries!

If you’re searching for that flexible wedding venue option, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch, I am here to help and support you in creating YOUR day, YOUR way and looking forward to creating something magical! Want to know more about me? Head to my blog

Ceremony Top Tip - If your Dry Hire wedding is in the middle of nowhere just remember that it's unlikely you will be able to have a legal ceremony. You will need to contact Cornwall Registrations Office for the legal paperwork and then have a celebrant ceremony on the day. Celebrants

Images by Tom Beynon Photography