There are a mind boggling number of ways you can move around on your wedding day. From limos and mopeds to mini mokes, sports cars, Ubers and public transport, your options are endless.
Working out how you are going to move around will likely be impacted by how close you are to each of your wedding day locations and that glorious thing called your wedding budget.
Make a wedding day transportation plan
Working out transportation for your wedding day can be an overwhelming process.
So before you reach out to any companies, sit down and have a think about your needs first. Make a list of all the people who you are planning to be responsible for moving around on your wedding day.
Some couples keep things simple, organising transportation for themselves and their wedding party only. Others extend this list to include parents, grandparents, siblings and other loved ones.
And finally, there are those couples who organise transportation for ALL of their guests.
Before you agree to arrange transport for too many people, get some quotes. Wedding transportation can be expensive!
Not all wedding transport providers are created equal
Shop around a little before locking your transport provider in. Some companies offer more than others.
For example, some limo companies might provide water bottles and a bucket of ice to keep your drinks cold. Others might offer a little more – a red carpet to step out onto, rain umbrellas, rugs to keep you warm, wipes to clean dirty shoes and glassware for drinks.
Take the time to understand each company’s inclusions so you can compare apples with apples.
Whilst you are at it, check in to make sure you can provide your own drinks, and perhaps even a Spotify list or two so that your fav music is and forms the soundtrack for your wedding day.
Accommodating mini wedding guests
If you are planning to transport juniors on your wedding day you will need to check in with your transportation provider to see if they can supply child seats and boosters. Most providers will require notice ahead of your wedding day to meet this request.
Wedding day guest transportation
Whilst you might consider booking a coach service for all of your wedding guests, it is a great idea to get someone to help you with logistics on the day.
You certainly don’t want a call from the coach driver during your wedding day because Aunty May hasn’t made it to the bus stop on time.
We have a printable Wedding Day Transport Bundle to help you plan your wedding day transportation like a pro.
Here are my key tips for getting wedding day guest transportation right
- Provide your coach company with as much information as possible. This includes giving them a list of all guests who are catching the coach and re-confirming the exact location for them to collect and drop guests off
- Appoint a “coach captain” who has the job of ticking everyone off the list as they get on the bus. Got a couple of buses booked? Appoint a couple of “coach captains” so they can give guests a buzz if they don’t arrive at the collection point
- Provide the coach captains with the mobile number for your coach driver and vice versa. That way they can contact one another if they need to on your wedding day (which means you won’t be called directly)
- Give the coach company clear instructions about when they should leave the stop even if all guests haven’t arrive. Let’s face it, they cannot wait for Aunty May forever. So let them know that if by, x time guests haven’t arrived, they should get on the road regardless
- Ask the transportation company what is allowed on their coaches. Some companies don’t allow any eating or drinking on the coach. Others don’t tolerate loud music or general guest shenanigans. If that is the case, communicate this to your guests so they know what to expect
Allow time for traffic and unexpected delays
We all know that sometimes traffic can be unpredictable. And even with the best planning, traffic on your wedding day can throw you a curve ball or two.
I recommend that you consider leaving for your ceremony location with plenty of time to spare. You can always have your driver park nearby or drive around in the local area a little longer.
Most reputable wedding transportation companies will do a little research ahead of your wedding day. They will check for any issues with the route prior to your day and within 24 hours of your wedding, check apps and mapping websites for festivals, big sporting events or fun runs – these sorts of events can close down entire roads and create traffic chaos.
Understand whether the company will do the research for you or whether you need to do this research yourself and let them know the specific routes you would like them to take to locations on the day.
Understand any additional charges
It’s important to understand the costs you will incur if your wedding day timeline runs a little over time. Ask your transportation provider what the additional half hourly or hourly charge will be should you happen to exceed the package you have booked.
Wedding day transportation cost savings
As you will see, wedding transportation costs can add up. Here are some cost saving ideas to consider:
- See if guests and the wedding party can leave their cars at your venue and return to get them the following day
- Most transport companies have a minimum spend. See if there are more efficient uses of the vehicles eg a couple of round trips to collect guests or family members
- If transportation is not a priority for you, consider using small mini vans to transport yourselves and your wedding party around
- Getting married in a major city? Consider walking or catching public transport between your ceremony location and your reception location. Makes for some epic photography and videography
- Consider having your ceremony and reception at the one location. Even consider getting ready on site if they have on site accommodation. Goodbye wedding transportation costs for you and your crew
- Love vintage cars? Check in with your local vintage car association. You might be able to hire a car to drive yourself or rent a driver and a car for less hours than larger wedding transportation groups
Wedding day venue access issues
Larger vehicles might have trouble accessing some streets and venues if turning circles are tight. It’s super important to speak with your venue about the best way for limos, hummers and coaches to access the property to avoid unpleasant surprises on the day – such as walking super long distances to ceremony and reception locations given access issues encountered by your transport company.
If you can, send your transport company a map showing how best to access each location. In some cases, you might need to provide gate codes to transport providers to gain the best access.
Get the contact number for your drivers – often you book your transportation with a central customer service line. But having the mobile number for your ACTUAL driver will ensure that you or someone you assign, can reach them on your wedding day if they need to.
Confirming your wedding transport booking
Always confirm your wedding transportation booking in writing, preferably via email. Some companies use an online booking system. Others might use a more manual approach to record your wedding booking.
Most reputable transportation companies will provide you with a summary of your wedding day requirements which include:
- Your wedding date
- The booked hours of service
- The vehicle(s) type booked
- The addresses they need to attend
- The exact time the transport will arrive and depart from specific addresses
- The total cost
It’s always good to have someone at the ceremony location who arrives before your transport does. This might be the celebrant, an onthe-day wedding coordinator or a family member or friend. This person can liaise with your driver to let them know if there are any delays. Equally, your driver can call them to let them know if you are running late for any reason.
Hydration and sugar hits to calm the nerves
Many couples really start to feel the nerves once they are on the way to their wedding ceremony. After the flurry of getting ready is done, being in the car on the way to your ceremony is one of the first times in the day you have been able to sit still. Sometimes you might feel light headed. Sometimes your mouth dries up. Or you get super hot and sweaty. All of these responses are SUPER normal so don’t fret.
I love to greet my couples with some water, a sugary drink or the offer of some jelly beans – a glucose hit can be just the thing to quash the nerves and adrenaline building. I sometimes also arrive at the car door with a fan or a face washer.
Consider having someone waiting for you when you arrive to help out if you need access to water, food or a shot of your fav alcohol to settle your nerves.
Have a wedding car exit plan
I know this sounds ridiculous but there are often quite a lot of anxious looking faces when couples get out of the car.
It dawnI know this sounds ridiculous but there are often quite a lot of anxious looking faces when couples get out of the car.
It dawns on people, as they get out of the cars, that they don’t want to walk down the aisle with hand bags, cameras, mobile phones, back packs or make up bags!
Here’s some ideas I can 100% recommend to avoid the last minute car shenanigans just before you walk down the aisle
- Bring a small bag to put all mobile phones in – leave the bag at the back of your ceremony space or pass it to a loved one or trusted friend for the duration of the ceremony. Make sure all of the phones are switched off or on silent.
- Have someone ready to take bags, jackets and more – I am the one who takes all of the bits and pieces when my couples get out of the car. My arms fill with jackets, bags, blankets, umbrellas, make up bags and so much more. I simply place these items out of site for the duration of the ceremony and retrieve them again afterwards.
- If you know you are going to arrive at your ceremony laden with items that you don’t want to walk down the aisle with – definitely allocate a friend to take all of these items, place them somewhere out of the way and then take a seat before the ceremony commences
- If you are using the same transportation after the ceremony, see if the driver is happy for you to leave items in the car. That way you won’t forget them after the ceremony
- Make sure you have packed a tea towel or similar to dry off flower ends before your wedding party grab their flowers. Many couples pop all of the wedding party flowers into the boot of the car in the boxes they were delivered in. Those boxes often contain a plastic water container to keep your flowers looking fresh. BUT if you don’t dry the flower stems when you take them out of the box, garments can get covered in water and that isn’t a great look just before you walk down the aisle.
So make sure you pack a tea towel or some paper towel to dry off each of the bouquets before you hold them anywhere near your clothes.
A word on using taxis and ubers on your wedding day
There is absolutely nothing wrong with considering using taxis or Ubers on your wedding day if you have a flexible approach to exact timings for their arrival. You also need to consider whether you will just be jumping in the car by yourselves or whether you will also have wedding gifts, wishing well contents, easels, left over wedding cake and suit cases with you.
Taxis and Ubers are a great option if you are literally looking for a low cost solution to get from A to B without too many additional items with you. But remember, the same frustration will arise on your wedding day as any other day with the reliability of these services, especially if the weather is poor or you get married in a city/town/area hosting significant events on the day of your wedding.
If you are marrying in a regional or remote location you might not be able to access taxis and ubers as they might not service the area – you absolutely don’t want to be stuck at your reception location. In this case, I 100% recommend biting the bullet and paying for a pre booked transfer.
Need an extra hand?
Remember you can get a copy of our Wedding Day Transportation bundle here. If you need a hand to pull together your dream wedding day? Check out the extensive range of Hey Lovers wedding planning printables to help you plan your wedding like an absolute pro here.
If you are located in Victoria, Australia, you’re in luck. Hey Lovers offers full wedding planning, partial wedding planning and on the day coordination and support. See our Services for more information or Get in touch to learn more about the packages available and let’s get planning.