How are you getting from your wedding ceremony to your reception? The most commonly used method is renting a chauffeured limousine to ensure that everyone can arrive together on time. Time and safety is of the highest priority on a wedding day so keeping the group together before the ceremony, during formal pictures and arrival at the reception are vital! Often times you and your bridal party will have early mimosas and alcoholic drinks while you are getting ready that morning. You don't want to have anyone driving under the influence or running late to the wedding.
There are a few things to keep in mind when renting a limo service for your wedding! The first thing to know going in is that most limo companies have a 4 hour minimum rental time. That means that whether you are in the vehicle or not you are being charged, so be smart about the time that you have! I encourage couples to use the limo service to help your bridal party make arrangements for transportation BEFORE the wedding begins! This can be done by having the bridal party meet the limo shuttle at the reception site earlier in their day and then the limo service can transport them for hair/makeup or to the ceremony site.
The limo service will help keep your Bridal Party together after the ceremony is over and you want to head offsite for some great wedding day pictures! Asking everyone to drive or carpool will slow down the process and definitely result in delays. Remember, your reception will start and end on time with or without you! If your rental times for your hall, DJ and photographer are for 5-6 hours you don't have time to waste waiting for the bridal party to show up for pictures but you want to have them in your pictures having a great time!
When you begin your search for a limo company you want to make sure of the following:
- they have a fleet of vehicles that you can select from that will meet your comfort level, the size of your bridal party and your budget
- they are licensed and bonded which means their drivers will also be properly licensed
- a policy if your vehicle malfunctions on wedding day (can they send another vehicle)
- the contract includes the gratuity for the driver so that you aren't searching for cash on wedding day
- direct contact for someone on wedding day
You want to enjoy your wedding day! The day will go SO fast and you want to make sure that you take advantage of every opportunity to save time! The limo service will help you do that. On average you will need the limo from 4-6 hours. If you are feeling fancy you can also make arrangements for a limo to pick you and your new spouse up at the end of the night and take you to your Honeymoon Suite! The rules for end of the night pickup are different and don't require the 4 hour minimum so make sure to check with your limo company to see how you can take advantage of the late night ride!
