This is probably one of the most common questions clients ask before renting our marquee letters. Planning for the correct amount of space is a must, so that the marquees don’t get swallowed by a large space, or worse not have enough room for all the letters to fit! Every marquee rental company may have slightly different dimensions for their letters and characters, but we are going by our inventory of 3 foot tall letters, numbers, and characters. Below I will outline a simple sizing guide for names, numbers and common event setups.

Standard Marquee Letter Dimensions

Our marquee letters vary, but these are the average dimensions:

• Height – All are 3 feet tall
• Width – On average about 2 feet per letter (more for M and W, less for I and 1)
• Depth – All are 5.25 inches deept

Other things to note:

• The bulbs are LIGHT BULBS, so they are made of breakable glass
• Require access to an electrical outlet

How Much Floor Space Do Marquee Letters Need?

One Number or Letter

• About 2–3 feet wide
• Great for birthdays, anniversaries, photo ops

Two Numbers

Examples:

• 21
• 30
• 50

Needs Roughly: 4–5 feet in Width

Three Numbers

Examples:

• 100
• 365

Needs Roughly: 6–7 feet in Width

Four Letters

Examples:

• LOVE
• BABY

Needs Roughly: 8–9 feet in Width

Six Letters

Examples:

• SENIOR

Needs Roughly: 12–13 feet in Width

Eight Letters

Examples:

• GRAD2026
• FOREVER

Needs Roughly: 16–17 feet in Width

Don’t Forget Walking Space

Guests need room to stand and freely move in front of the letters. You also need to account for space between the letters and the wall. Some space needs to be left between the setup and the wall so that the leg supports and sandbags can adequately be placed behind. You should also avoid squeezing letters into narrow hallways.

Recommendation: Allow at least 4–6 feet of open space in front of the letters for photos and free movement.

Ceiling Height Matters Too

If you are stacking letters on top of each other, as in having one row of letters on top of the other, you have to account for this height as well. For two rows of letters, account for at least 8 feet from the ground. If combining with balloons so that there are balloons surrounding the entire set up, account for at least 10 feet from the ground.

Setup	Approximate Width Needed
21	4 ft
30	4 ft
ONE	5 ft
BABY	8–9 ft
LOVE	8–9 ft
MR & MRS	14–16 ft
HAPPY BDAY	20–24 ft
Custom Name (8 letters)	16–18 ft

Pair Marquee Letters with Balloon Decor

Balloons do so many things, but of course I’m a little biased. But balloons can add height, color, dimension, and really makes a statement. They can frame letters at any dimension and make photos pop.

You can have balloons:

• Going up both sides of a marquee display
• Just on the top of a marquee display
• Framing a marquee display completely by going up the sides AND the top
• Placed behind letters to add dimension
• Clustered sporadically (yet intentionally) around milestone numbers

Marquees fit into more spaces than you would think when planned correctly, and we can majority of the time make something work. We highly encourage people to inquire if you want marquees and/or balloons for an event even if you are unsure of the dimensions of the space you are working with. We can help make recommendations on the ideal size, placement, and any balloon enhancements to create a display that looks intentional and photographs beautifully.