Our love of the summer sunshine is epitomised by the number of festivals and outdoor events we hold across the UK each year. From huge music festivals right down to small family weddings and celebrations, we British people love to party outdoors, come rain or shine. 

If you’re planning an outdoor even, no matter what size, you’ll need to get the support of businesses that provide the necessary equipment. This blog post is our guide to what to look for when hiring outdoor equipment for your summer celebration...of course, in addition to hiring the very best PA system and lighting rig from ourselves!

Marquees and Large Tents 

There’s a number of marquee types that are suitable for different outdoor occasions. Weddings often require a marquee that’s quite elegant, where outdoor show’s, fetes and festivals don’t require this level of sophistication.

For wedding tents and marquees we would recommend that you ask your local marquee hire business for a window sided marquee. The sides of the marquee are fitted with clear PVC panels that allow the best use of the daylight for your afternoon reception. Other nice touches that can be set up in your marquee are chandeliers for evening lighting. Chandeliers look fantastic in the evening, giving the impression that you dance floor is an outdoor ballroom. 

For all uses of marquees consider whether you need flooring laying down inside the marquee. For weddings this is almost certainly needed whereas fetes and other outdoor events may not need this. Your marquee supplier should also be able to supply any flooring, including dance floors for your marquee. 

Electricity Supply 

Your outdoor event may not be near any source of power, this is something you should find out early in the planning stages. 

If you are not able to hook up to a mains power supply or if you need a larger source of power you will need to hire generating equipment. We spoke to Tim of Event Electrix a Kent based company supplying electrical generators to events across the UK. He told us ‘it is essential to speak to someone who can work out the power requirements of your event. Not having a large enough power supply could be enough to put the lights out on your event. Our business is capable of supplying events of all sizes, our largest generators can supply enough power for a small town.’ 

Keeping It Cool 

Whether you’re blessed with glorious sunshine or a drizzly day, any food and drink you serve at your event will need to be kept cool until it is ready to be served.

Refrigeration is one thing that often gets overlooked when planning outdoor events. Many people, understandably, expect the caterers to bring any refrigeration equipment they need with them. Some caterers however, will expect this to be provided for them by the event organiser. It is essential to find out when planning your event. 

If the responsibility of providing fridges does fall upon you, they too can be hired in from companies such as Fridge Rentals who provide equipment for exhibitions and events in the UK. 

Book In Advance

Our last tip for planning your summer outdoor event is to work out what equipment you need to hire and book well in advance. As we said in the introduction, outdoor celebrations are extremely popular and so demand for the necessary equipment is high. Book everything you need early and secure it with a deposit if necessary to avoid disappointment. 

We’ll sign off by wishing you a great event and hope that the weather is with you on your day.