Transportation. It’s probably the least glamorous part of planning a wedding. It’s hard to know how many people will need to use it, how much time you need to schedule for people to get from one place to another (especially when you’re traversing the somewhat unpredictable streets of our dear city), and it’s seriously near impossible to get all of your guests to show up to get on the bus, trolley, whatever form of transportation you’ve hired, on time!!
Sadly, those things will always be true. However, there are some ways to mitigate the unknowns and make transportation just a teeny bit more fun for everyone… even guests!
1. Choose your form of transportation wisely
Are you hoping to move a large number of people from one place to another in the quickest way possible? For instance, from the hotel to the ceremony and back? Then a large bus is probably right for you. Most companies have two choices: a 30 passenger bus or a 50 passenger bus. The best thing to do is ask your transportation company what the best option is for your exact situation.
Sometimes though, the goal is a little bit different. Maybe you have a little bit of lag time between your ceremony ending and cocktail hour beginning and need a way to entertain guests? When that’s the case, we LOVE when couples hire classic Boston trolleys to take guests on a little tour of the city! Especially for guests that are in from out of town, this is a way to make that time between watching you two get married and that first glass of wine a little easier to bear. Have a l-o-t of time between? Why not hire duck boats to really show your guests a great time? This is a time for creativity people!
*trolley photo via www.historictours.com, duck boat photo via www.boston.com
2. Choose your transportation company wisely
Most any transportation company will tell you how long they’ve been in business, how many weddings they do a year, blah blah blah. But, sorry, that’s not the most important thing to know when you’re researching transportation companies. Think about it -this piece can really make or break your timeline. You need a company with drivers who are going to show up ON TIME every time, and who actually care about keeping on time. I would urge you to ask a few more (non-traditional) questions: is the transportation company on the preferred vendor list at your venue? Ask to speak with former brides to see what they have to say about the experience. When you’re hiring a limo or town car, a company who works with large corporations and high powered executives for their transportation needs are probably going to be used to demanding timelines and have a no tolerance policy for lateness. Lastly, ask yourself how you actually felt when speaking with the sales rep. As silly as it may sound, they are the face of the company – did the person make you feel more or less comfortable about your transportation needs? Did they really listen to you and try to help? Or did they seem distracted? You get the picture.
3. Pad your timeline! I repeat: PAD YOUR TIMELINE
When it comes to transportation, I always suggest leaving WAY more time than you think you need. Even in the best of circumstances, it will take a group of people at least 15 minutes to board a bus. Never mind when you have cousin Tom up in his hotel room still getting ready, and his mom insists “he’ll be right down, we can’t leave without him!”. Driving on a bus, especially in the city, just takes longer than driving in a car. Sometimes there are streets that a 50 passenger bus just can’t fit down, so the driver has to take a somewhat “scenic” route. Always ask the transportation company how long they think they need to get from point A to point B… then add more time. Trust me.
Are you using transportation during your wedding day? Have advice for other brides that wasn’t mentioned here? Let us know!
XO
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