Do you need a generator for a Marquee wedding but are unsure about the right size? In this article we discuss the typical generator power usage for Marquee weddings as well as how to calculate the size of the generator needed.

What is the Right Size Generator For A Wedding Marquee?

As a general rule, it is the wedding planner who handles the power generator size requirements. They will have experience working with this power source and calculating the size of the marquee wedding you want regarding the power required.

However, as a rough guide, for a marquee wedding with 120 people, a 45 Kva generator will usually be able to handle your power needs, depending on the average power consumption requirement, the event location and the number of appliances you need to power.

Typical Marquee Wedding Power Usage

No two outdoor weddings are the same. Therefore, depending on the size of your marquee wedding and how many things will require power, you will need different sizes of wedding generators.

By working out how much power each element of your outdoor wedding will require, you can be in a better place to determine the size of generator you will need. You can also determine whether you need an inverter or non-inverter generator.

So, as a rough example, if we say your festoon lighting will require 300W of power, your up-lighters need another 300W, and your heating requires 370W, then your total power requirement for your marquee will be 970W. Again, your planner will help you make accurate calculations to hire the right generator size.

-Catering

If one section of your outdoor wedding is more power-hungry than any other, it's your catering. Not to mention it's one of the most crucial. It is often best to ask the caterers you have in mind what their power requirements will be. And don't settle for just "we need four electricity sockets", you need to know what equipment they are bringing and how much power each of them needs.

If your caterer isn't sure about how much power they need, ask them for a list of all the items they'll bring, from tea urns to food warmers, so you can at least approximate the power requirements for inverter generators. Once you've done this, it's often safer to add a few more watts on just to be safe.

Some examples of typical draws for catering equipment include:

• Electric Whisk - 400W
• Tea Urn - 2.6KW
• Hot Cupboard - 4.95KW
• Double Fryer - 18KW

You can see in the above example that the double fryer has a huge draw on your power, with all of these alone totalling a 25.95KW draw.

It is also best not to get confused between W and KW (1KW = 1000W), so don't confuse your numbers. You might also consider asking your caterer to use gas-fired heating equipment, as this will lessen the strain on your power supply.

-Band

Compared to bars, bands are a lot trickier to account for. Most will say they just need a couple of DC power sockets for their instruments, only to then pile endless pat-tested extension leads into them, causing a trip, power outages or power cuts. 

Therefore, giving your band a separate connection straight to your inverter generators that isn't tied in with any other power requirements is always a good idea. And as a rough guide, most bands require around 3KW.

-Outside Lighting

The lighting outside your marquee won't be of great concern during the day, or even the night, especially when compared with the indoor and uplighting. We've already gone through your indoor lighting for the main marquee, so you can typically add another 300W - 600W to the equation for outside lighting, potentially pushing the power needed to require one of the larger generators.

-Luxury Toilet Trailer

Most luxury toilet trailers run from 16 amp leads, which at over 200v means a draw of over 3.5KW. However, your toilet won't be running at max power all the time, so you can probably take this down to a more conservative 3KW.

Chiller trailers will also draw around 3KW, and it is always prudent to account for unknown items for outdoor wedding receptions. With 3KW for the toilet and another 3KW for the chiller trailer, around 2KW for unknown items is probably a safe allowance to leave.

Knowing this allows them to provide a continuous supply of electric power or an intermittent supply, whichever is more appropriate for your outdoor wedding. They can also create a sophisticated system that increases output while the band are playing before cutting back again, for example.  

Power Your Outdoor Event with Generators

Power Your Outdoor Event with Generators When you decide to host outdoor events, you will need generators to provide electrical power. However, you may be surprised when you have a generator on your hands and have to connect everything to it yourself. Distribution boards make this easier if your event power or generator hire company doesn't oversee the generators' delivery, setup, running and collection from start to finish.

You don't need to be an electrical engineer to understand how generators work, just a competent person.  The best thing to do when dealing with an electric generator is to remain calm, even if something appears faulty. Additionally, don't get caught up in the details, or you'll only confuse yourself. If something appears to be going wrong, simply ring your supplier's specialist team and describe the issue to them.

Most times, it could just be the generator fuel running low. And do not try to open the generator or its fuel tanks, as this is extremely dangerous.  When you hire generators, the service you choose will usually send one of their technicians or an emergency response team to your venue site, if they haven't left one with you already, to remedy any issues.

Keeping a wary eye on your generators is the best way to mitigate any problems with them. Inverter generators typically have greater safety factors for small power tools or appliances, while single-phase generators are best for continuous alternating power.