The Theme
When you begin to consider your wedding transport, firstly think about what type of car and colour will suit the theme and style of your wedding and will also suit the venues that you have chosen. You will need to take in to consideration any personal preferences your partner may have and then of course the practicalities for the day. (If the bride is wearing a full hooped dress, then maybe a two seater modern coupe is not be the best choice!)
The Cars
You will also need to have finalised on the make up of your bridal party. The more bridesmaids and groomsmen you have, the more (or larger) cars you will need. Also you will need to have a reasonable understanding of the time frames for the day but actual times can be confirmed at a later stage. Over recent years, the traditions have changed a little and it is now more common for both parents to arrive at the church in the bridal car. The drive to the ceremony can be a relaxed “family” time in the midst of what is often a hectic wedding day schedule (But don’t forget that the brides parents will still need their own transport following the ceremony.) If you require an extra car to carry the bridal party after the ceremony, this car could also be used to collect the groom and groomsmen to drive them to the venue. Remember that the groom generally should be at the venue 20 minutes before the scheduled commencement of the ceremony.
The Photography
If, after the ceremony, you are planning on travelling around for bridal party photographs, try and arrange for the family photographs to be taken first and preferably at the ceremony venue. Often because of the large number family photographs required and the time that it takes to organise each shot, these photos can take far more time than you may have considered and allowed. If you have very young children as part of your bridal party, it may be prudent to leave them with family whilst you have your photographs taken as children can become very restless with the tedium of photography.
When travelling around for the bridal party photographs, it pays to plan the venues in advance with your photographer and have options available should the weather be inclement. Try and keep the distances you will need to travel between locations to a minimum as this will give the photographer more time to be creative and precise.
If you have more than two hours available for your bridal party photographs, schedule a coffee stop half way through. Not only will it give the photographer an opportunity to take some café shots but it will also provide the bride and bridesmaids an opportunity to rest their sore feet. (remember you have new shoes on!)
When planning your photographs, it does pay to allow a little more time than you may at first think as generally we find this is where most delays occur and a rushed photo session can affect the quality of the final photographs.
The Departure
Lastly, you must consider how you are going to leave the reception and begin your honeymoon. Many wedding car companies offer a post reception collection service. This is a particularly nice way to leave the reception and being driven to your hotel in comfort and style can perfectly round off your big day.
