Graduation is a special milestone, not just for students but for their families and friends as well. It’s a day of celebration, tradition and the start of a new chapter, and so rightly deserves to be celebrated in the best way possible! In the UK, these ceremonies typically occur in May, bringing together large crowds to see graduates walk across the stage in their traditional black robes and mortarboards.
Organising a seamless graduation ceremony, whether it’s at a university, college or any other educational institution, requires careful planning, and one crucial element that can make or break the event is the furniture hire that you choose. From seating arrangements to the after-party, event furniture hire in the UK plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the day runs smoothly.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the various aspects of hosting a graduation ceremony, focusing on how furniture hire UK services can help you create a seamless and memorable event. Whether you are working within the grand hall of a university or setting up an outdoor marquee, the right furniture rental company can ensure everything goes smoothly, with the minimum of fuss.
The venue is a vital starting point when planning any graduation event. Most universities and colleges in the UK have dedicated spaces for graduation ceremonies, such as grand halls or auditoriums. These indoor spaces, often historic and serene, are ideal for hosting formal events. They offer the grandeur and ambience that many expect for such an important occasion.
However, some institutions may prefer to hold these ceremonies outdoors or in alternative surroundings, opting for more scenic, open spaces like parklands or university lawns. This is where hiring a marquee can come into play. Marquees offer flexibility in location and size, often enabling you to accommodate a larger crowd.
Once you have the venue secured, it’s time to think about the furniture needed for the ceremony itself. At the heart of any graduation ceremony is the seating arrangement. Straight, organised rows of chairs for the audience are essential to ensure everyone has a clear view of the stage. As students take their seats before the big moment, you want to ensure that the seating hire you have chosen is comfortable, practical and suits the occasion. We’ve provided you with a list below of the temporary chairs for hire that fit the bill for these types of events.
Plastic folding chairs: For large gatherings, particularly in outdoor venues or marquees, plastic folding chairs are an excellent choice. These chairs, that some people in the industry refer to as Samsonite chairs, are lightweight, durable and can be easily set up or taken down after the event. Since they fold away, they’re perfect for short-term use, and their compact nature ensures you can store them in small spaces if needed. Despite their simplicity, these chairs are highly functional and offer a neat and organised seating solution.
Deluxe folding chairs: If you’re looking for something a little more premium for your graduation event, deluxe folding chairs offer added comfort and aesthetic appeal. While still lightweight and foldable, these deluxe chairs are more stylish, deeper and wider than normal folding chairs, and can elevate the appearance of your seating arrangements. Ideal for more formal or prestigious graduation ceremonies, deluxe folding chairs can ensure that your event feels more luxurious while maintaining practicality.
Linking folding chairs: One of the challenges with seating at large events is keeping the rows neat and aligned. Linking folding chairs solve this issue by interlocking with each other, ensuring that the seating remains in straight rows. These linkable chairs are particularly useful when large numbers of people are moving around, such as when graduates are walking to the stage. Interlocking chairs keep the rows intact, reducing the risk of messy or disorganised seating.
Row end floor bars: To further maintain orderly seating, row end floor bars can be hired alongside your chairs. These bars keep the rows firmly in place and help direct the flow of people walking in and out of their seats. In a graduation setting where the focus is on the procession and stage, the last thing you want is chaos caused by uneven rows of seating. Row end floor bars ensure your seating stays tidy and professional throughout the ceremony.
The stage is where all the action happens, and so getting it right is crucial. Graduates walk across the stage to receive their certificates, and speeches are delivered from the podium. You’ll need a sturdy, professional stage setup that accommodates the number of students and faculty involved in the ceremony.
A professional stage hire company can provide custom-built stages to suit your venue. Whether you’re setting up indoors or outdoors, a stage that’s robust and secure is essential. It needs to be large enough to allow graduates to walk across and accommodate any additional needs, such as seating for faculty or space for a small band or choir. Event Hire UK offers staging sections for hire for smaller venues, so speak to us in advance about your requirements to see if what we provide is going to suit your specific needs.
Most graduation ceremonies will have speeches from faculty members or guest speakers, and a lectern provides a professional focal point for those addressing the crowd. The lectern should be sturdy and match the aesthetic of the stage, offering space for notes, microphones, or other essentials.
Once the formalities are over, it’s time for the celebration to begin! After-parties are a staple of graduation ceremonies, allowing students and their families to relax, mingle and enjoy the occasion. Whether held in a nearby reception area, an outdoor marquee or on university lawns, the after-party setup requires careful thought, and furniture hire can provide all the elements you need for a seamless transition from ceremony to celebration.
Outdoor seating: If your after-party is set in the parklands or on the university lawns, outdoor furniture hire becomes essential. Plastic patio tables and chairs are a practical solution, offering seating that is easy to clean, move and store. For something more refined, hardwood patio sets with parasols can provide shade and comfort, adding an extra touch of class to your outdoor event.
Poseur tables: For a cocktail or networking style after-party, outdoor poseur tables are perfect for guests to stand around with their drinks. These tall tables create a more relaxed and social environment, encouraging conversation and movement, with a great example being our two-tier garden poseur tables, to name just one example of outdoor wooden furniture hire UK.
Patio furniture: For a more relaxed and comfortable vibe, consider hiring patio furniture such as the Nova outdoor table and chair sets, or picnic benches. These pieces provide comfortable seating options for guests who want to sit and chat while enjoying food and drinks. They can be strategically placed around your venue to create inviting, social areas for guests.
Bar and catering equipment hire: If the after-party includes a bar or food service, hiring the right equipment is crucial. Temporary modular bars can be set up outdoors, offering flexibility in terms of layout and size. These modular bars can be tailored to suit the size of your event, whether it’s an intimate gathering or a large-scale celebration.
For catering, commercial BBQs are a great option, particularly for outdoor events. LPG-powered BBQs allow for mass event catering, ensuring all guests are fed efficiently. You can even source the propane cylinders right here with us as part of our one-stop shop facility. A BBQ and drinks setup can be paired with items like wine coolers, ice buckets, and the necessary glassware including everything from champagne glasses to pint glasses, and everything in between!
Using a luxury furniture hire UK company for your graduation event comes with several advantages. First and foremost, it removes the burden of purchasing, storing, and maintaining large amounts of furniture that may only be used once a year. Instead, you can simply hire what you need, when you need it, and return it when the event is over.
Hiring furniture also offers flexibility in terms of quantity and style. If you’re hosting a more formal graduation in a grand hall, you might opt for deluxe folding chairs or stylish lecterns to match the venue’s ambience. For outdoor or casual after-parties, picnic benches or plastic patio sets offer the perfect solution for comfortable seating.
Cheap furniture hire UK services are also highly convenient. Many companies such as Event Hire UK, for instance, offer delivery, set up, and collection services, ensuring that all logistics are handled smoothly. This allows graduation event organisers to focus on other aspects of the day, confident that the furniture will be ready and in place when needed.
Put simply, by working with a reliable furniture rental company, you can trust that the details will be taken care of, allowing you to focus on celebrating the achievements of your graduates. You want their graduation day to be super-special and memorable, and so by investing some time and effort in choosing the best furniture hire UK solutions for your annual graduation party well in advance, will reap rewards for everyone involved. You will also want your furniture hire UK reviews to be second to none on your social channels afterwards, so get to work quick – after all, furniture hire near me has never been easier or more affordable than with the team at Event Hire UK!
