Venue vs. DIY in a field?! All advice please! x

Hello all,  absolute newbie here, but just wanted some advice form those who have considered or done a 'DIY wedding' in a field!

I haven't booked ANYTHING...don't know the date exactly (worried looks and nervous laughs from the audience!) - but it will be next Summer (2018), that after 19yrs and 2 kids together, we finally 'tie the knot'!.  On a rather modest budget, I want a fantastic looking venue...relaxed, but with a bit of structure at least..and want everyone to have a fantastic time!

Using a venue where they do the lot for you is obviously the least hassle...but seemingly the most expensive!  I've seen a few barn type venues which would give us more free reign with decorating and catering, but then looking at what we'd need to hire...the costs all mount up again!

I've been to so many weddings of all varieties...huge budget weddings, tiny but amazing DIY ones, ones at lovely venues but with no idea what anyone is meant to be doing...etc.  I know I want mine to look incredible and have lots of very creative and resourceful hands on deck.  I am undecided on food...either a really cool BBQ with lots of accompaniments...sharing boards on tables...or a sit down meal?  

Anyway...does anyone have any advice re. the whole setting up your reception in a field and hiring in everything we would need (I know the type of food will play a big part here), but just in terms of doing it a modest budget, without it looking like w have too much! I'd like Moroccan style decor feel...think lanterns, areas with lots of cushions, lots of jewel colours etc.  We are in fairly open to areas...but not too far out towards the coast.  One venue is a farm with running water, and that's about it - so can pretty much do what we want. Obviously we'd have to have our ceremony elsewhere as the farm isn't licensed. Looking at a marquee package, my jaw dropped at the cost!  Another venue is a lovely barn, which is licensed so we could do the ceremony there, we'd also need to hire lots  in, but we can get married here too. Help and advice of any kind is much appreciated here guys! Thanks so much in advance......Sarah x


  • ABtobeABtobe Posts: 44 New bride


    I was looking into marquees for my wedding but they were so expensive so they got dropped out of the equation really quickly. It's things like toilets, catering tents ect which just mount up.

    There are some lovely and affordable barns/village halls in Kent and if you're looking for dry hire they're probably the best way to go budget wise.

    I got some quotes from some package venues for what I wanted and compared them to the extra costs of dry hire and decided that way. For the most part though, the only reason that this worked out cheaper for us was because we wanted a free bar so saved on corkage. It really does depend what sort of things you want on the day.

    I would say as well, I went for a village hall and am now struggling to find a ceremony venue in Kent where I can have more than 40 guests there so if you have a barn that's already licensed then that might be something to think about.



  • 60720196072019 Posts: 45


    As we're having a DIY Field / Marquee wedding just wanted to give you a run-down of what we've had to have as it might be help :)

    Field hire (access to water)

    Generator hire

    Toilet hire (if you don't have access to toilets)

    Marquee hire (ours includes tables and chairs, lighting and dance floor)

    We're having BBQ catering and they're bringing all their own equipment, cutlery, plates and have their own gazebo / tent for all of the sides etc!

    We're buying table linens rather than hiring as it works out cheaper and we can sell them on after.

    Apart from that from the top of my head everything else is what you'd have to have to hrie at a "normal" venue anyway (DJ etc.)

    I'd recommend shopping around a lot, we've saved over £1000 and got a better marquee imo just by shopping around and obtaining a lot of quotes.

    We have what I would consider a budget on the lower end of the scale for the amount of guests we have and though a marquee seems massively expensive, i think if you can find a good deal on catering and because you have complete control the total cost still gives you a good price per head and is the vision we wanted :)



  • Lower Grange Farm do DIY weddings and are a licensed venue so you could do it all in one place. It probably wouldn't look very Morrocan but if you want a DIY barn place this is a good one. My friend got married there last year and it was amazing. You'll have free range to do whatever you want decor wise and we all camped overnight after the wedding:


  • SammykateSammykate Posts: 3,922 New bride

    Hire of a field and marquee can be thousands by itself! And then add in power, toilets, kitchen facilities, food, drink, staff, tables, linens, crockery, lighting, a dance floor... I honestly think it's one of the most expensive ways to have a wedding!

    I looked into hiring a village hall which only cost £100, and even that worked out too expensive by the time you had added in everything. We got married in a lovely hotel with gorgeous food and it cost less!

  • Thank you everyone so far...some really useful advice!  I do like the barn idea as it gives you that weather protection justin's just they can look so dark can;t they!  Thanks again xx

Sign In or Register to comment.