What springs to mind when you think of your wedding transport?
Will you travel in a stately Rolls, a horse drawn carriage or a vintage camper van?
Whatever your style there are things to consider and questions you should ask potential suppliers.
What do you actually need?
Your wedding transport needs will vary greatly depending on your venue.
If your reception venue is separate to your wedding venue then you will need to arrange transport for the wedding party to the wedding venue and then onto the reception venue.
Typically, you will arrange transport for the bridesmaids and any page boys as well as the brides parents. The groom, best man and groomsmen generally make their own way to the wedding venue.
Things are usually easier if your ceremony and reception are all in the same place and you just need to think about getting there in the first place.
You do need to think about this though. If you’re both going there on the morning of the wedding, are you going to travel separately? Do you need some help from family to get you and your bridal party there?
The End of the Night
Your transport plans will be even easier if your venue also has accommodation and you are staying there overnight.
If you don’t have accommodation at your venue, don’t forget you will need transport at the end of the night to take you to your hotel or home, depending where you are staying.
Make sure you have this sorted as you don’t want to be waiting hours for a taxi at the end of your fabulous day!
Book Early
Whatever your needs, it’s a good idea to select and book your wedding transport early to avoid disappointment.
The best ones are popular and will get booked up quickly. I would suggest you try to book your transport around a year ahead of the wedding.
Most companies will just need a deposit to secure your booking and ask you to pay the balance just before the big day.
Fitting Transportation Needs to Budget
Whatever you choose, think about how much of your budget you want to spend on this.
Most people will opt for transport which is in keeping with the style or theme of their day. But, there really aren’t any strict rules on this.
Some brides will book transport as a surprise for their husband to be, for example they may book a sports car that he’s always admired.
You don’t have to have the same transport for each leg of the journey – you can mix it up (and that way potentially save costs).
Always make sure you’ve thought through each step. You don’t want to find yourself without transport to, or from, one element of your wedding day.
Questions to ask potential suppliers
1) How long do you have the vehicle for?
Some companies will cover more than one wedding in a day. If you were hoping for photos with the vehicle you need to understand how long it will be with you for to make sure you don’t miss the photo opportunities.
2) Do they have a back up vehicle?
Highly unlikely that anything will go wrong but always check that they have a back up plan in case the vehicle just refuses to start on your wedding day!
3) What exactly is included in the price?
Make sure you know for example, how many trips to the ceremony venue are included. If you have a big bridal party and need multiple trips, your price may be higher than the standard package.
4) What will the driver wear?
Don’t assume that the driver will be smartly dressed – always ask what they will wear to avoid any disappointment on your wedding day.
5) What about the weather?
Double check that the vehicle you want is suitable in winter or that the lovely open top car has a roof they can put on if the good old British summer lets you down!
Finally – it’s always a good idea to make sure you have actually seen the vehicle that you’re booking. It’s surprisingly easy for a company to use images of vehicles they don’t own – and I’d hate for that to happen to you.
If you think you would benefit from some 1-1 support for your wedding planning, please get in touch. I have a range of packages available to suit your needs and budget.
Louise
