Backyard Wedding Marquee: The Complete Guide

For a backyard wedding, size the marquee for dining, not just the guest headcount. Allow room for tables, chairs, circulation, serving and weather cover, then confirm the site is flat and anchorable. A marquee turns the lawn into a usable venue, but the layout and ground conditions decide what will fit.

Written by the Brisbane Marquee Sales team · Last updated June 2026

A backyard wedding is one of the most personal, and most affordable, ways to get married. No venue hire, no time limits, no "everyone out by 11". Just your favourite people in a space that means something to you. The marquee is what turns a lawn into a venue, keeps the weather honest, and ties the whole look together. Here's everything you need to plan a backyard wedding marquee that works.

Why a marquee makes the backyard wedding

• Weatherproofing your day. Australian weather doesn't read the run sheet. A marquee means the day goes ahead in rain, wind or 38°C shine.
• Defining the space. A marquee instantly creates a "room", a focal point for the ceremony, the dinner and the dancing.
• The look. A white marquee with the walls down at dusk and festoon lights inside is genuinely beautiful, and it photographs incredibly.
• The budget. A marquee you own is a one-off cost, which leaves more of the budget for the things guests remember, food, drinks, music.

What size for a backyard wedding?

Most backyard weddings are 30 to 90 guests. As a rule of thumb for a sit-down reception, allow about 1.5m² per guest, then add a quarter for a dance floor and bar:

For an intimate ceremony with standing guests, the 6x3m is a lovely, low-cost option. Not sure? The size calculator matches your guest count to a marquee in seconds, and our guest-count guide walks through 50, 100 and 150.

Setting up on grass (and other surfaces)

Grass is the easiest surface, peg the marquee down firmly and you're set. On pavers, decking or concrete you can't peg, so use proper leg weights at every corner; never rely on a marquee standing unanchored. Our guide to weighing down a marquee in wind covers exactly how. Give yourself a couple of hours and a second pair of hands for the first set-up.

Styling a white marquee

The white interior is a blank canvas. The classics that always work: festoon or fairy lights strung along the roofline, greenery or florals at the entrance and head table, a long banquet table down the centre, and draped or covered chairs. Keep the walls handy, having them down for dinner and dancing transforms the feel (and the warmth) as the night goes on.

A timeline that works

• 6+ weeks out: order the marquee, confirm your size, plan the layout.
• 1 to 2 weeks out: do a test set-up in the yard, check pegs/weights, mark out where everything goes.
• Day before: set up the marquee, lights and tables.
• After: dry it fully before storing, and it's ready for the next celebration.

Ready to plan yours?

The 10x5m Wedding Marquee is our most popular choice for backyard weddings, free delivery anywhere in Australia, dispatched in about two days, and yours to keep for every celebration after. Browse the full range or email support@brisbanemarqueesales.com.au and we'll help you choose.

Two more worth reading before you book anything, what a wedding marquee costs and buying versus hiring one. For the floor area you need, see marquee size by guest count. For underfoot, the marquee flooring guide covers aisles and dance floors.