Marquee Draping at Vignamaggio: Dressing a 25-Metre Tent in Chianti

In September 2026 we draped a wedding marquee at Vignamaggio, the historic estate in the hills above Greve in Chianti, for an American wedding planner and a New York event design studio. The brief was a draped ceiling canopy and a stage backdrop wall, so that a large, plain marquee felt like part of the estate rather than something parked next to it.

The space

The marquee measured 25 by 15 metres, with an eave height of 5.45 metres. That is a lot of volume.

The aim was a soft ceiling, with light fabric forms creating movement which you could follow throughout the space to visually envelope guests into the experience. The warm the light of the evening shown through the fabric, framing the views outside, never competing with them.

One fabric, two jobs

We used a single fabric for both the ceiling canopy and the stage backdrop. When the ceiling and the backdrop match, the room reads as one designed space, not two separate installations. The soft chocolate brown muslin was chosen to keep an organic symmetry to match the florals.”]

We ordered 3-meter-wide cloth directly from our Italian mill. The extra width means further coverage and clean runs across the 15-meter span. We combined those with 1.5 meter wide bands to offer more range in the shapes overhead, getting the fullness just right while also keeping the visuals unpredictable and natural.

Fullness is the difference between draping that looks luxurious and fabric that looks stretched. After reviewing our plan, the planner asked for 15% more volume. We built that into the fabric order before it went to the mill.

For planners: decide fullness at the quote stage, not on site. Fabric for a job this size is ordered weeks ahead. Ours went in at the end of July for a mid-September delivery.

Working with a historic estate

Estates like Vignamaggio have their own supplier regulations, covering paperwork, safety documentation and how and when you can work on site. They are there to protect the property, and they take time to complete.

For planners: send the venue’s supplier regulations to your draping team as soon as you book us. It’s the easiest way to avoid a last-minute rush in event week.

When the plan changed

Outdoor weddings in Tuscany need a weather plan. On site, the schedule shifted. We covered an outdoor pre-wedding space against rain, with a 10 × 8 meter tarp over a 5-meter-high structure, and dressed a second, indoor space as an alternative.

It worked, but it taught us something we now apply to every outdoor job: agree the rain contingency in writing, before the event week, so everyone knows exactly what happens if the forecast turns.

A short checklist for marquee draping in Italy

1. Share the marquee’s technical drawings early. We need the span, eave height and frame details.

2. Decide on ceiling, walls, backdrop or a combination, and whether they should match.

3. Agree fullness before the fabric is ordered.

4. Send venue supplier regulations as soon as we’re booked.

5. Agree a written rain plan for any outdoor element.

Planning a marquee wedding in Italy?

We design, supply and install draping for marquees, villas and estates across Italy and Europe, with our own team on site from first fixing to final strike.

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