Wedding Day Transportation Ideas

2Have&2Hold2015

Hello everyone!

I'm currently working to iron out the details of transportation for my wedding day. I know that I'll be providing shuttle service for hotel guests attending the wedding, and I'd like to provide separate transportation for the bridal party and my parents (12 people total). I'm shopping around and have found that each limo company I call charges a 3 hour minimum for pickup, meaning that it would potentially cost me upwards of $500 just to provide the 'maids & 'men a 20 minute ride back to the hotel after a night of possible drinking. WHOA! Any unique transportation ideas, or ways to lessen this cost?

Thanks! All ideas are appreciated.

adettma32

Can they just ride in the shuttle with the other guests back to the hotel, assuming you are all staying at the same hotel? I understand that you are trying to have something different for them, but that seems like a waste of money in my opinion.

vulpiepop

You could have them ride in the shuttle with everyone else. Another option would be to rent a van like you would if you got off the plane and rented a car. It'd be cheaper but it won't come with a driver so someone would have to drive it.

esstee33

adettma32 said:

Can they just ride in the shuttle with the other guests back to the hotel, assuming you are all staying at the same hotel? I understand that you are trying to have something different for them, but that seems like a waste of money in my opinion.

This. Is there some logistical reason they can't ride in the shuttle like everyone else? If you're already concerned with the cost of the limo, it just makes sense to not waste money on super special and also totally unnecessary transportation for just a select group of people when you already have other transportation available. 

[Deleted User]

I say skip the seperate shuttle for the bridal party. They can ride the shuttle with the other guests. There is a good chance they won't all leave the reception at the same time anyways. I had one leave my reception before 9:00 PM because he had been up for 24 hours straight due to having a 3rd shift job & not being able to get off the night before our wedding. But all my bridal party left at different times except my MOH & one groomsman (my sister & BIL), they stayed until the end. Save the money.

mikenberger

I am renting a van and having my poor college cousin drive us around. I'm paying him $200 for the night (He'll pick up the guys at the hotel then hang out for the rest of the wedding/reception then drive us around afterwards) and then the van rental is like $100 for the night with him as a registered driver on the rental.

cachermarries

I know of one friend whose wedding duty was Designated Driver. She had a nice car or van I think, and was just available as the driver for those who needed it at the reception. She still got to enjoy big chunks of the reception even.

atlastmrsg

mikenberger said:

I am renting a van and having my poor college cousin drive us around. I'm paying him $200 for the night (He'll pick up the guys at the hotel then hang out for the rest of the wedding/reception then drive us around afterwards) and then the van rental is like $100 for the night with him as a registered driver on the rental.

If he's in college, will he meet minimum rental age requirements?  FFT.

mikenberger

atlastmrsg said:

mikenberger said:

I am renting a van and having my poor college cousin drive us around. I'm paying him $200 for the night (He'll pick up the guys at the hotel then hang out for the rest of the wedding/reception then drive us around afterwards) and then the van rental is like $100 for the night with him as a registered driver on the rental.

If he's in college, will he meet minimum rental age requirements?  FFT.

haha not a traditional college student He's actually in vet school. Quite proud of that kid. 

amstecker

You could rent a car/van/SUV or have everyone chip in for a limo rental

AnnoymouseBride124

We rented a yellow school bus for the entire day 2pm-11pm for $780.

2pm-Bridesmaids and bride picked up from hotel taken to ceremony

3:30-bridal party driven from ceremony to reception

4:30-guests picked up at hotel and driven to reception

9:30,10,10:30-shuttle back to hotel

Easy peasy and no wasted money! I did not want to spend $500 on a limo ride either.

[Deleted User]

Let the bridal party take the shuttle with the other guests. Chances are not everyone in your bridal party will want to leave at the same time or necessarily stay to the end of the reception.

ohannabelle

EcktoberWedding said:

We rented a yellow school bus for the entire day 2pm-11pm for $780.

2pm-Bridesmaids and bride picked up from hotel taken to ceremony

3:30-bridal party driven from ceremony to reception

4:30-guests picked up at hotel and driven to reception

9:30,10,10:30-shuttle back to hotel

Easy peasy and no wasted money! I did not want to spend $500 on a limo ride either.

Am I reading this correctly? The bridal party leaves the ceremony at 3:30, but the bus doesn't pick up the other guests till 4:30?

What are your guests doing for an hour? Are they missing the first hour of the reception?

MobKaz

ohannabelle said:

EcktoberWedding said:

We rented a yellow school bus for the entire day 2pm-11pm for $780.

2pm-Bridesmaids and bride picked up from hotel taken to ceremony

3:30-bridal party driven from ceremony to reception

4:30-guests picked up at hotel and driven to reception

9:30,10,10:30-shuttle back to hotel

Easy peasy and no wasted money! I did not want to spend $500 on a limo ride either.

Am I reading this correctly? The bridal party leaves the ceremony at 3:30, but the bus doesn't pick up the other guests till 4:30?

What are your guests doing for an hour? Are they missing the first hour of the reception?

Hold onto your hat, @ohannabelle.  That "gap" goes WAAAAAY beyond the typically rude "leave your guests in the lurch while we take photos" gap.  She is actually hosting dinner for SOME of her guests.....the "A-Team" while leaving the VAST majority of her 300+ guests to fend for themselves. 

But in her unspeakably twisted and rude mindset, she probably thinks she is doing her other guests a favor.  She will "save" dances, cake cutting and announcements for when the "B-Team arrives.  You can't get more gracious than that, can you?

MobKaz

EcktoberWedding said:

We rented a yellow school bus for the entire day 2pm-11pm for $780.

2pm-Bridesmaids and bride picked up from hotel taken to ceremony

3:30-bridal party driven from ceremony to reception

4:30-guests picked up at hotel and driven to reception

9:30,10,10:30-shuttle back to hotel

Easy peasy and no wasted money! I did not want to spend $500 on a limo ride either.

Apparently you also consider serving your guests a waste of money.  How incredibly rude for you to offer dinner to some of your guests, while leaving others in the lurch.  I hope most of those guests leave you in the lurch and ditch your tacky reception.

ohannabelle

MobKaz said:

ohannabelle said:

EcktoberWedding said:

We rented a yellow school bus for the entire day 2pm-11pm for $780.

2pm-Bridesmaids and bride picked up from hotel taken to ceremony

3:30-bridal party driven from ceremony to reception

4:30-guests picked up at hotel and driven to reception

9:30,10,10:30-shuttle back to hotel

Easy peasy and no wasted money! I did not want to spend $500 on a limo ride either.

Am I reading this correctly? The bridal party leaves the ceremony at 3:30, but the bus doesn't pick up the other guests till 4:30?

What are your guests doing for an hour? Are they missing the first hour of the reception?

Hold onto your hat, @ohannabelle.  That "gap" goes WAAAAAY beyond the typically rude "leave your guests in the lurch while we take photos" gap.  She is actually hosting dinner for SOME of her guests.....the "A-Team" while leaving the VAST majority of her 300+ guests to fend for themselves. 

But in her unspeakably twisted and rude mindset, she probably thinks she is doing her other guests a favor.  She will "save" dances, cake cutting and announcements for when the "B-Team arrives.  You can't get more gracious than that, can you?

I saw this information later, somewhere else. Reception ideas? Maybe? And died a little. 

Liatris2010

The WP made their own arrangements to get to the venue. They rode the shuttle to the hotel after the reception, leaving their cars at the venue. In the morning, they went back to the venue and picked them up. My MOH drove me and H to the hotel since we were the last ones to leave. I do not miss having a limo one bit, especially not for the 10 minute drive between the hotel and venue.

Cookie Pusher

We rented a 14 passenger van to bring the WP to the venue - DH, groomsmen, ushers, one photographer and FIL first, then me, maids and SOs, mom, and the other photographer on the second run. We would have skipped the van but our venue does not allow overnight parking and we didn't want to worry about anyone's cars being towed. Our van was rented on an hourly basis and we only needed one hour, so it worked out nicely. There was also nowhere near the ceremony space for me to hide beforehand (DH didn't want to see me until I came down the aisle), so the van was a convenient place to hide. At the end of the night, we all rode the shuttles back to the hotel.

brooklynscott

I read an article on Budget Savvy Bride & the author suggested Uber. I think it's a great idea. It's cheap u get a nice car/suv & I used them for my daughters prom last year.