Finding the Perfect Transportation for Your Wedding

Determining if you need chauffeured transportation for your wedding day can sometimes be a little challenging. There are many details that help to narrow down what type of wedding transportation is needed.

This article will help you to determine what information is needed to book the vehicle and other needed details. Before you get started, it is important to examine your wedding budget. Make sure that there is enough in your budget to accommodate your transportation. You should also typically book your transportation anywhere from a year to six months ahead of time.

Getting All the Details

Here is some information to consider before booking your transportation:

Date of wedding
Time frame the vehicle will be needed
Number of passengers, i.e. bridal party only, parents and wedding guests
Wedding venue locations

After nailing down some basic information, then it is important to look at specific transportation needs:

Are specific vehicles needed for the bridal party, parents, bride and groom?
Is a vehicle needed for the bride and groom at the end of the night?
Is guest shuttling needed? Depending on the amount of guests you have and the distance between locations you may need a small shuttle bus or a large motor coach.
Are your wedding ceremony and reception taking place at the same location? This may factor into how long you need a vehicle or if you even need one.
Do you need a handicap accessible vehicle?
Are you looking for a particular type of vehicle beyond the typical limousine or party bus? For example, a vintage car, trolley or school bus.

Finding a Chauffeured Transportation Company

After you’ve gathered your basic wedding transportation information it is time to do a little research. Researching online is the best place to start when looking for reputable limo companies. There are a few places you should check before calling a company; their website, social media pages and wedding website profiles. You should be able to read customer reviews in these areas as well. Note if they are involved in any national associations, for example National Limousine Association or Association of Bridal Consultants. It is important that they are involved directly in their industry and learning more about their target market trends as well. Look at the website as well to see if they show pictures of the vehicles.

After checking out some limousine companies go ahead and make some calls or fill out a form online. Here are a few points to ask about:

Is the chauffeur’s gratuity included in the total price?
Is there a fuel surcharge price?
Is there a deposit needed to book the vehicle? Also, note how much it is, if it is refundable and if it is applied to the total balance.
What are the hourly minimums for my wedding day?
Is anything extra included? For example, ice, bottled water or champagne.
What will the chauffeur wear?
Will the vehicle be cleaned before leaving for my reservation?
Will they call to confirm the run and give out the chauffeur’s contact information?

All of these points are important to ask, so that there is no grey area. It is never safe to assume something and most companies are happy to answer your questions, so that you feel confident about making the reservation. If you have a couple vehicles that you are choosing between, schedule an appointment to go look at them in person. This way you can note the condition of the vehicle, general upkeep and the interior layout. Looking at the vehicles is also a good idea if you have particular concerns, such as if you have tall people in your bridal party, a large wedding gown or handicap accessible needs.

Posted on October 9th, 2013 in Weddings.