If you’re organising an outdoor event – whether it’s a birthday party or a wedding – it’s likely that you’ll need a generator. Generators offer an easy way to provide electricity to outdoor structures, like marquees or barns, so your guests can be as comfortable outside as they would be indoors.
related: Generator hire
If you’ll only be using your generator for a single or a small number of events, then it’s more affordable to hire a generator than buy one outright. If you’ve never hired a generator before, here are a few tips to bear in mind.
Capacity and noise levels
The first thing to consider is which appliances your generator needs to power, in order to ensure that you hire one with ample capacity for your needs. For instance, if you’re holding a wedding reception in a marquee, you’ll need to need to provide enough power for lights and sound at the bare minimum. Be realistic about how much power you require: a DJ, for example, will need more powerful sound capabilities than a piano player or violinist. And if your caterers will be working in a marquee too, then consider whether you need more than one generator, to avoid overloading.
Moreover, major events like wedding receptions are likely to run for several hours. So if your generator runs on diesel, you should establish whether a full tank will last the length of your event. A smaller event – for example, a children’s birthday party – is unlikely to encounter this problem.