Memorial celebrations hold a special place in our hearts. They offer a moment of reflection and remembrance, often paying tribute to significant figures, historic military events or loved ones who have been lost. These gatherings can range from intimate family events to grand commemorations attended by large crowds and sometimes even members of the Royal Family.
Throughout the year, various venues across the UK host memorial celebrations, each requiring different levels of planning and preparation. From small community halls to iconic locations like the National Memorial Arboretum in the Midlands, RAF bases around the country, the Royal Albert Hall or the Cenotaph in London, choosing the best temporary seating hire options is a key part of ensuring a seamless event. In this article, we’ll explore the temporary seating hire options available and why they are ideal for memorial events, no matter the scale or location.
When it comes to memorial celebrations, the choice of venue plays a significant role in the type of seating you’ll need. Some of the most prominent memorial locations in the UK offer a mix of indoor and outdoor settings, all of which require versatile seating solutions.
One of the most iconic venues for memorials is the National Memorial Arboretum in Burton upon Trent. This expansive site is dedicated to honouring those who have served and sacrificed for their country. With both indoor and outdoor spaces available, memorial events held here often require large-scale temporary seating hire to accommodate guests, whether they’re attending a quiet service or a more formal, high-profile event. Outdoor seating is typically arranged in neat, straight rows to create a respectful and orderly environment for attendees.
Similarly, the Cenotaph in London is another popular location for memorial celebrations, especially for national and public commemorations. With its open square and central location, it can accommodate large crowds when the roads are closed, making it essential to have a flexible seating plan. Temporary seating rental options, such as our linking folding chairs, for instance, are ideal here as they can be set up quickly, offering a cost-effective and efficient solution for short-term seating rental needs.
Other notable venues include historic sites such as Runnymede, where the 600th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta took place. Event Hire was heavily involved in this landmark commemoration which was attended by the Prime Minister at the time as well as various members of the Royal Family, providing seating for a large audience in a picturesque outdoor setting. These types of events require not only formal seating for the ceremony itself, but also dining arrangements for any follow-up receptions, which is why the ability to hire seating for events that transitions from formal to social is so important.
When organising a memorial celebration, the seating arrangement is a crucial detail that contributes to the overall atmosphere of the event. Guests need to feel comfortable, and the seating should reflect the tone of the occasion. For these types of events, temporary seating hire options are ideal because they are versatile, affordable and easy to set up. And, when you hire, you are only hiring what you need, ensuring that the event budget is locked in, and you’re also getting a hassle-free solution which normally includes delivery and collection to and from site and, sometimes, set-up of the chairs.
For outdoor memorials, folding chairs are among the most popular choices. These chairs are lightweight, portable and easy to arrange in straight rows, which is essential for creating a formal and respectful setting. At Event Hire, we offer a range of folding chairs, including our deluxe folding chairs, which provide a slightly higher level of comfort and aesthetic appeal. These chairs are perfect for outdoor events, being slightly deeper and wider and also with perforations in the chair in the event or rain, as they can be set up quickly and then removed just as efficiently after the event, making them the best option for short term seating hire.
For larger gatherings, linking folding chairs are an excellent choice. These chairs can be connected to ensure they remain in place throughout the event, creating a neat and professional appearance, and you can also hire row end floor bars to guarantee that the chairs stay in straight line rows. Plus, their lightweight design makes them an affordable and practical option for short term seating rental, especially when you need to hire seating in large quantities.
Indoor memorial events, especially those that follow formal ceremonies, often transition into dining or reception-style setups. In these cases, the seating requirements change, and more sophisticated options like Chiavari chairs or Napoleon chairs are commonly used. These chairs offer both comfort and style, making them ideal for memorial dining events where guests will be seated for longer periods. At Event Hire, we provide both chair styles for hire seating for events, ensuring that every aspect of your memorial celebration, from the formalities to the dining, is covered with elegance.
Memorial celebrations aren’t just about the seating. There are plenty of other elements to consider, especially when the event transitions from a formal outdoor service to an indoor reception or dinner. At Event Hire, we understand the importance of having all the right equipment on hand, which is why we offer a range of event furniture and accessories to complement our temporary seating hire services.
For memorial receptions, you’ll often need round tables for dining, as well as the associated table linen and tableware, including glassware, cutlery and crockery hire. These items are essential for creating a refined and respectful dining environment for your guests.
In many cases, a memorial celebration will involve catering, and this is where our event equipment hire services come into play. From portable kitchens to buffet setups, we offer everything you need to ensure the catering runs smoothly, as the chances are that your catering team will need to hire additional catering equipment to be able to cope with the larger-than-normal visitor quantities. And don’t forget to hire catering equipment, such as serving dishes, food warmers and portable handwashing stations, which are often required by health and safety regulations.
At Event Hire, we have extensive experience in providing temporary seating hire for memorial celebrations of all sizes. Whether it’s a small, intimate gathering or a large public commemoration, we have the seating solutions to meet your needs.
As mentioned earlier, we were proud to be involved in the 600th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta at Runnymede. This historic event required a significant amount of seating, both for the formal ceremony and the follow-up dining event. We supplied a range of chairs, tables and accessories to ensure that the event ran smoothly and that all guests were comfortable throughout.
Our commitment to providing high-quality temporary seating rental doesn’t stop at formal memorial events. We also offer flexible solutions for smaller, community-based memorials, ensuring that every event is treated with the same level of care and attention to detail. Whether you need to hire seating for events held outdoors or rent seating for events taking place indoors, we have the inventory and expertise to deliver the perfect solution.
Temporary seating hire, whatever the occasion, is our speciality here at Event Hire UK, and our teams nationwide are poised to help you in whatever way they can. From a few hundred chairs to thousands of chairs and other event seating rental items, few companies in the UK can compete with our range and stock quantities of event seating for hire.
Don’t hesitate to browse our complete selection of indoor and outdoor event seating hire today and place your secure order online 24/7. Or, for larger events, don’t hesitate to give us a call – we’ll be delighted to hear from you!
