A wedding is a special day for everyone involved, and there are a huge number of things that need to be organised. One of the important factors is how the most important people on the day will get to and from the wedding venue, and so wedding cars will need to be booked.
Here, we take a look at everything you need to think about when booking your wedding car to ensure everyone travels in style and the bride gets to the church on time.
Who travels in the wedding cars?
When it comes to your wedding, it is important to do whatever works for you. However, if you are wanting to stick to tradition, there are a few rules that you can use as a guide, depending on your budget. Usually, the ushers will travel to the wedding venue first, often under their own steam. This gives them chance to get set up and be ready to greet the guests when they arrive and direct them to their seats.
Once most of the guests are in place, the groom and best man will travel to the venue together so that they can say hello to people, take 15 opportunities to check they have not forgotten the rings and start to wait nervously for the big moment. This allows for a degree of fanfare to acknowledge them and let them have their own moment in the spotlight. The bridesmaids and the mother of the bride tend to travel together and will go ahead of the bride so that they can take their positions and help to get her ready for her big entrance.
Finally, the bride and her father will travel together. Traditionally, she should arrive a little bit late, but it is important not to push it too far in case the officials are needed for another wedding or the groom’s nerves get the better of him. This gives everyone the opportunity to be seated and ready so that they can give the bride their full attention as she walks down the aisle.
After the ceremony, there can be a number of different ways to leave the venue. The bride and groom will generally want to travel together, often toasting their nuptials with a glass of something fizzy and with a photographer in tow. The rest of the bridal party should aim to arrive at the reception before the rest of the guest so that there is someone there to greet them. The bride and groom can enjoy the scenic route to their next venue, ensuring that they are the last to arrive and can be announced into the room.
Remember, these are all just guidelines, as providing this many cars can be expensive, so come up with an arrangement that works for you.
Wedding car decoration
There are lots of different ways to decorate a wedding car, from stylish and simple to fun and funky. If you have hired a car, they will probably come sporting some white ribbons and perhaps a few flowers. Feel free to talk to the hire company if you would like them to do something different, or even just change the colours of the ribbons to match your colour scheme. This might be based on the bridesmaids’ dresses or even the colour of the groom’s tie.
A lot of fun can be had adding ‘Just Married’ signs to cars after the knot has been tied, but whilst some guest may find it amusing to add their own decorations to the car, make sure they don’t deface a hire car, or you could be landed with a hefty cleaning bill.
There have been many wedding cars which have had tin cans tied to the rear bumper, and whilst this might seem like a modern addition, it actually dates back to ancient Egyptian times. Initially, shoes were handed to the groom to signify the ownership of the bride transferring from her father to her husband. Over hundreds of years this evolved into throwing shoes at the wedding carriage, with it being deemed lucky if a guest managed to hit it. Finally, they were tied to the back of the car.
These shoes have now been switched to tin cans as the significance of the shoes has changed. This form of celebration is now a hint of fun thanks to the noise they make, drawing the attention of passers-by to the happy couple.
What car?
The cars you choose to include in your wedding are entirely up to you, and the style of your wedding. You might want to arrive in a vintage Rolls Royce, a stretched limousine or something modern and sporty. You will want to make sure that you can be comfortable and relaxed and that there is enough room for the number of passengers that you want to accommodate. If the bride is planning on wearing a particularly voluminous skirt, then it is worthwhile that she can fit it into the cabin of car without scrunching or creasing it.
Your wedding cars can reflect your personality as much as the rest of your wedding does, so feel free to look for a DeLorean, a camper van or even a tractor if it makes you smile and feels like it fits. Hiring vehicles can be expensive, so don’t be afraid to ask a friend if they would like the honour of driving you to your wedding if they own something appropriate. Remember, most people are happy to help out if you are prepared to ask them.
Some couples also decide to lay on transport for their guests, particularly if there is travelling to be done between the ceremony and the reception. Depending on the number of guests involved, this might be anything from a few cars to a double decker bus.
Your wedding day should be a reflection of you, and so you should arrive and depart in a way that you enjoy. Find a method of transport that fits within your budgets, looks great on the photos and helps you to create magical memories.
Author Bio
Kuldip Rait is the Managing Director of White 7 Bedford, specialists in providing personalised chauffeur services for weddings, corporate events and even airport transfers.