Transportation

TRANSPORTATION

Wedding Day Transportation

A very important part of planning your wedding day is arranging the transportation. After all, you want to make sure that you, the wedding party, your parents, and the guests all get to the church and reception on time!

The bride is traditionally responsible for making transportation arrangements to the church for herself, her parents, the bridesmaids, and also the groom's parents. The classic way to travel on your wedding day is by a nice, shiny limousine. Check around for rates and availability. Otherwise, ask you friends or relatives if their cars would be available to use. Offer to pay for gas and a car wash, and thank them with a small gift.

On the wedding day, have all the cars arrive at your house in time to reach the church at least 15 minutes before the ceremony. If you will be dressing at the church, allow extra time. Plan all your at-home candid photos well in advance of your leaving for church. In the first car should be your mother with your honor attendant, and perhaps another bridesmaid or two; the second car has the rest of your bridesmaids; the third car is for you and your father. Of course, you will have a chauffeur driving these cars. A separate car can pick up the groom's parents. You're on your way! The groom and his best man should take care of their own transportation to the church. They should get there at least 15 minutes to a half hour before the ceremony so that the best man has enough time to give the clergy-person the fee, and also to help the groom straighten his tie and calm any pre-wedding jitters!

If you have many out-of-town guests coming to your wedding, be sure they know how to get to the church and to the reception hall. If you live in a large city, you may want to have maps made up giving directions. These can be included with the invitation, or may be handed out after the ceremony. Reserve parking for the wedding party cars.

When leaving the church, you and your new husband ride in one car – the one that brought you, and your father to the church. Your parents and the groom's parents travel to the reception in their own cars, bridesmaids and ushers in the remaining cars. Chances are that your attendants will slip away during the reception to decorate your getaway car. Or, some friends may do this during the ceremony. Have the groom drop some hints as to how he would like the cars decorated. Decorations should be safe and should not obstruct the driver's vision. If you plan to honk horns as you drive through the city, be considerate of neighborhood residents, hospital zones, etc. Drive safely!

Limousines

You'll feel so special on your wedding day, and look so grand, you deserve to travel in style. Chauffeur-driven limousines are the traditional deluxe travel mode and they're still very much in fashion.

The standard limousine, called format, is supplied by most services. Routinely, it comes equipped with stereo and a glass divider between driver and passengers. A few firms also supply "stretch" or Rolls Royce limousines outfitted with the works – stereo, bar and color TV.

Most firms charge from the time the limousine leaves the garage until it returns. You'll probably want to rent from someone reasonably near your home. A three hour minimum rental (plus gratuity) is required by most services, though a few have a two-hour minimum after which they charge by the quarter hour. These standard packages are based on the assumption that mileage will be within certain limits. If you exceed that mileage, charges will be by the hour and by the mile.

Our worksheet will help you make a choice. Make your reservation at least one month in advance. Most limousine services require a deposit, one to two weeks ahead, ranging from fifty percent of the total to one hundred percent. When there is a balance, it is expected at pickup time.

Be sure to ask about cancellation policies. If cancellation is within five days of the reservation date, some firms will return your deposit. Others reserve the right to keep all or some of it.

Limousine services schedule tightly, some over a twenty-four hour span. Before you place your order, be sure of pickup time and place, destinations and approximate length of rental time.

Other Travel Modes

Just about anything that moves can be used for getaway transportation – and often is! Attracted by the grace of its slower pace, many couples use a horse-drawn carriage. Antique cars and hot air balloons are favorites too. Some travel in helicopters or small, private planes. One energy-conscious pair we know peddled away on their 10-speed bikes. You're beginning a long, sentimental journey together – why not start it with flair?

Parking

You may also find it a good idea to notify the local police department, so they can decide if a traffic officer is necessary. Often, if the gathering will be held in a home or residential area, police can waive certain parking restrictions if given enough time in advance. At the reception, it is also nice to provide your own valet parking – especially if people have to walk any distance. If the reception is being held in a big city, you may want to recommend a parking garage to guests arriving from out-of-town. It may even be wise to reserve space in a parking garage or lot if you anticipate a problem with availability.