When planning an outdoor event, you need to be prepared for anything, at least when it comes to the weather. I could go on about Melbourne being the capital city of unpredictable weather, but in fact that’s kind of Earth in general at the moment. Weird weather is likely, which means covered areas are non-negotiable, if not the flexibility to entirely change the day of the event at the last minute. Or even, you know, cancel it altogether if the venue gets washed away.
That might sound glib, but it’s sort of what we’re dealing with, unless we’re going to cease outdoor events altogether. You can try managing it by hiring a marquee. Melbourne has lots of options in this department, so there’s no excuse – just book the danged thing. Don’t even think about it; just do it. Trust me, you’ll be kicking yourself if your carefully planned garden party or conference networking shenanigan gets rained out due to your failure to heed this simple bit of advice.
This is something I’ve learned the hard way. It’s a bit of a saga so I won’t go into all the gory details, but suffice it to say that trying to squeeze 200 wedding guests onto a standard-sized verandah is not a task for the faint of heart. I really wouldn’t recommend it, and I’m sure the guests wouldn’t either.
When it comes to sourcing wedding marquees for hire, Melbourne event planners tend to gravitate to the more festive-looking specimens, but I’d recommend sacrificing style for military-grade protection from the elements. After that experience with the verandah, I’ve realised that style means nothing if it all ends in Aunt Michelle getting humus all over the best man’s suit, all because she was freaking out about ruining her shoes before she could return them to the store on Monday.
To cut a long story short, one thing led to another and a basket of half-melted mint-chip chocolate shards was upended on the bride’s head. Just give it a miss, seriously.