It doesn't have to be a difficult decision.

BUDGET, will dictate most of your choices, but please don’t be easily led into buying cheap pop up gazebos. They will be cheap in quality and you will be very lucky if they last you through the one event; they are often as light as a feather resulting in bends and breakages in no time.

ALUMINIUM, STEEL OR PLASTIC FRAME?

Surprisingly, an aluminium frame is stronger than a steel frame but more expensive.

The majority of pop-up gazebos advertised are made out of powder-coated steel and these are the ones you want to look out for. I

f it states only 'steel frame' then these won't be as strong as the powder coated ones. I don't really want to give too much limelight to plastic frames as to buy one of these you may as well just throw your money away.

CONSIDER WHICH SIZE

I have noticed that the majority of pop-up gazebos for sale in the UK are mainly 3 x 3m, 3 x 6m or 10 x 10m. There are different sizes around if you go to specialist pop up gazebo sites, but the three I mentioned are the most common.

People who buy the 3 x 3m are surprised by how much bigger they are than they had originally thought. I've seen this size gazebo used as a drinks tent at a party as well as a summer eating area and both provided ample space. In the States, the majority of gazebos sold on large Internet sites seem to start at 10 x 10 upwards.

DESIGN AND COLOUR

The majority of pop-up gazebos that I have come across have been dark blues, greens and whites. You will find the odd stripy one here and there and even pink ones. I can't say that the pop up gazebo market is particularly inspiring in terms of colour, but consider them to be a blank canvas and add sparkle and colour to your gazebos by using bunting (flags) and lighting such as fairy lights etc.

It's incredible how easily a pop up gazebo can be transformed.

EXTRA ACCESSORIES

The majority of pop up gazebos come without side panels but they can be purchased separately if required.

It is possible to find pop up gazebos that come with the side panels for about £60 upwards and they will attach to your frame with Velcro straps.

Leg weights are good to have especially as many pop up gazebos have warnings not to use in windy weather which for the majority of gazebos, includes mildy breezy weather as well as they are so light weight.

Let's face it, warm balmy evenings don't exist in the UK so buy yourself a battery powered gazebo heater that attaches to the frame inside.

Should you choose steel, aluminium or plastic frame? Let's start with the easy one first:

PLASTIC

This is going to be a short paragraph. Buy plastic if you have very little money and you don't wish to use your pop up gazebo more than once. Even if you have very little money, you will still find steel gazebos are not all that much more expensive than the plastic ones, it just takes a bit of advice and research to find the right one for you.

ALUMINIUM

Aluminium frames are surprisingly stronger than steel ones and are more expensive. You do get aluminium gazebo frames but you may well have to go to a specialised site rather than the big commercial sites, but beware they will cost you quite a lot more. A lot of the marquees that one hires are made out of aluminium frames but it is probably not as price effective to make our smaller pop up gazebos out of the same.

STEEL

As I've just mentioned, aluminium is slightly stronger than the steel frame but there are some excellent steel gazebos out there. Look out for pop up gazebos that have 'powder-coated' steel frames as these will be stronger still.

Pop up gazebos have come a long way but I still think there is further to go. In order to make the gazebos 'pop up' they must be light and manageable, but in making them light can also make them weak, so choose your gazebo really carefully. I always go by user ratings and also by word of mouth from friends or family.

You've decided to throw a party and you don't have quite enough space. You have considered buying a pop up gazebo to manage the over-spill of people but you don't quite know what you need to do to it to make it look good (plus you've a whole house to prepare), as well as which it's not quite the weather to be outside.

Well luckily for you, you don't need to do much to make a gazebo look fantastic. Follow these steps below:

1. Showerproof or Waterproof? With our weather, showerproof may as well mean 'it comes with ready-made holes'. Don't buy showerproof as we don't have showers in the UK. We have wet, heavy rain so buy waterproof pop up gazebos unless you want to really upset your guests
2. Plan the space well. If you can, place your gazebo directly next to a back door, or patio door so that people aren't having to walk across the garden to get to it.
3. Secure it down. Don't risk your pop up gazebo blowing away mid-party, invest in some cheap weights to weigh it down. Pop up gazebos can be extremely lightweight these days, even ones that claim to be heavy duty so don't compromise on these.
4. Make it look like part of your house. By this I mean if you have a gazebo that is unlit and undecorated, it will just look totally out of place. Perhaps have some rope lighting from the internal door of your house into the gazebo which will make the gazebo look welcoming and part of the party.
5. Light your Gazebo. It doesn't take much to make pop up gazebos look fantastic and one way is through the lighting of it. I'm a fan of fairy lights which are cheap to buy. Drape them carefully around the internal frame of the gazebo and if you buy outside fairy lights, these can be used to dress the outside of the gazebo.
6. Go natural. A way to make pop up gazebos look stunning is to use foliage from the garden. Climbing ivy is particularly effective (and free!). Break off long sections of ivy and twine it around the frame. Ivy mixed in with the fairy lights will look beautiful. Obviously you could use any flowering plant that your garden can provide.
7. Warm it. No one is going to want to hang around in a cold gazebo. Buy some battery powered heaters to place inside.
8. Think of your shoes. Do you want to be standing in the garden in your party shoes? Lay a ground sheet down in the gazebo and that way not only will you be preserving your shoes, but also the carpets in your house. Make sure it's pegged down really well to avoid any embarrassing trips or falls.

You really can’t beat sitting in front of a fire, under pop up gazebos, with a large group of friends either in the pouring rain or beautiful bright sunshine. Here are some essential points for choosing the right pop up gazebo for your festival:

1) Are You Allowed? Some festivals may well ban pop up gazebos due to the space restrictions so check first before you buy one. If they are allowed, get to the festival early to guarantee the space you’ll need to put it up.

2) Don’t go spending a fortune. You want a cheap light one, preferably one with sides for privacy or to protect you from driving rain. Chances are it may well not come back in one piece!

3) Go For A Steel Frame. Go for one with a power-coated steel frame, which are strong and very light. Make sure it says ‘easy to put up’ on the box!

4) Carry Case. Make sure it comes in its own carry case as many pop up gazebos don’t.

5) Side Panels? A lot of pop up gazebos don’t come with side panels although they may be pictured with them. Check the small print on the advert just to make sure.

6) Leg Weights. I would absolutely definitely take some leg weights with you. It might be the last thing you’d want to take but so many pop up gazebos are lightweight to allow easy transportation, that one gust and it’ll be gone; the leg weights are small and a must.

7) Cold? If you really want to be extravagant, buy a battery-powered heater for inside your gazebo.

Lighting. You can also get battery-powered fairy lights too just to give an extra bit of atmosphere!

9) Buy today! Organize yourself as soon as you know you’re going to a festival. The nearer the festival date, the more pop up gazebos are bought up leaving only the rubbish ones on the shelves.

10) Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

As with most tasks, preparation is the key and putting up pop up gazebos is no different. By following these tips, you will have your pop up gazebo up in no time, fuss and hassle free (is there such a thing?).

FIND SPACE Obviously your first task is to locate where your pop up gazebo is to be put up. This space needs to be as flat as possible and devoid of any debris or mess.

COUNT THE PIECES IN THE BOX As with anything new that you buy, make sure that when you unpack it, all the parts and pieces are correct and present.

DO YOU HAVE MAN POWER? Most pop up gazebos are designed to be able to be put up by one person, however it’s much easier with two. If you have a pair of helping hands, arrange to get them on site at the time you plan to put it all up (I wonder would anybody be THAT organized to pre-plan like that?? Possibly, but I'm certainly not one of them)

TREAT Have some chocolate or cake ready for when you’ve finished (not essential to the proceedings but helpful nonetheless)

Some pop up gazebos will come with the gazebo cover already attached and on others you will have to fix them onto the frame yourself. Try and read through the instructions before you start this project. It always helps to have an idea of what is required rather than guessing and doing the wrong thing, therefore breaking the gazebo before you’ve had chance to enjoy it. See the video on the home page for a better idea of what it all entails.