12 Wedding Transportation Tips You Need to Know

Photo: Corey Cagle Photography

When it comes to ensuring your big day runs smoothly, hiring reliable, safe wedding transportation for yourself and your guests is essential.

Whether you’re looking to book a single limousine for you and your future spouse or a fleet of transportation including guest shuttle buses and other vehicles, there are a lot of logistics involved. We talked to wedding transportation experts from around the country, who shared their insider advice

Read Vendor Reviews
“Research the limo companies you are interested in, before you make an appointment to view the cars and speak with a company representative. Don’t waste your time with a company that has bad reviews.”— Nicole M. Miles of Legend Limousines in Smithtown, New York

Visit in Person
“Request to see the limousines in person; if a company will not allow you to do this, buyer beware! They may be a broker and there is a chance that what you reserve will be something different than what shows up on the day of your wedding!”— Elissa Hobbs of Limousines, Inc. in Upper Marlboro, Maryland

Book Early
“The most important thing about booking a limo for your wedding day, is book it early. If you know what you want and you find it with a company that you trust, don't wait. Chances are that other people getting married the same day will also trust that company.”— Scott Archer of D & D Executive Transportation in Garden City, Michigan

Be Ready to Answer Questions
“When we assist our clients in preparing their transportation needs for their wedding, we ask them the following questions: How many guests do you anticipate needing transportation? What is the distance between the hotel and venue? What is the time of the pick up from the hotel and the departure time from the venue? These questions allow us to determine how many buses need to be rented; what their cost would be based on the hours of service and distance in travel time.” — Diana Viennas of Viennas Transportation in Baltimore, Maryland

Communication is Key
“Provide your transportation company with the address of the locations for pickups or drop offs, any stops you are wishing to make for photos in between locations, and a timeline of the pickups and drop offs if possible. Planning and communication with your transportation company is the key to success, too assure all your transportation runs smoothly on your wedding day.”— TJ Doyle of Gold Shield Transportation in Lexington, Kentucky

Ask About Fees
“Always ask what fees are included in the price you receive and what the policy is for going over the time you’ve scheduled.“— Hobbs of Limousines, Inc.

Never Fill a Vehicle to Capacity
“Never fill a limousine to its maximum capacity for your wedding day. If you have six people in your party, choose the eight to ten person limousine. I promise the extra cost is worth having the space and being comfortable.” —Hobbs of Limousines, Inc.

Request a Post-Ceremony Time Buffer
“If you are having a vehicle from the wedding to the reception venue and your wedding is scheduled to end at 5:30 schedule the vehicle at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled end time of your ceremony. This assures the vehicle is on location and ready for your grand exit should the ceremony go quicker than expected.”— Doyle of Gold Shield Transportation

Consider a Guest Shuttle
“Booking a shuttle for your guests is a great thing to provide if you have a lot of out of town guests or your venue has limited parking. It also provides safety and prevents people from drinking and driving.” —Sandy McGill of Above All Transportation in Canton, Massachusetts

Start Your Return Shuttle Early
“If your reception ends at 12 a.m. we suggest starting the shuttle a little after 10 p.m. for older guests that are in attendance since they tend to depart earlier than younger guest. Set a time that the last shuttle departs for the younger partiers to ensure they arrive safely back at their hotel.”— Doyle of Gold Shield Transportation

Designate a Shuttle Point Person
“The shuttle chauffeur should not be taking orders from all of your guests, as that will just lead to chaos. Instead, put one or two trusted people, preferably someone not in the wedding party, in charge so that the vehicle is always accounted for, and the chauffeur knows who they will be listening to.”— Archer of D&D Executive Transportation

Think About Special Events and Traffic
“Be mindful of other events that may be going on the week of your wedding (large sporting events, concerts, or any other special event) These special events could require many vehicles, and take away availability. These events may cause a traffic impact and create an issue for your timeline. What usually takes 10 minutes to get from the hotel to your venue could take three or four times as long due to traffic. Make sure to take this into account when planning.” —Doyle of Gold Shield Transportation